Cardinal James Francis Stafford has come out rather strongly against the president elect. Seems that abortion and stem cell research are so destructive to his sense of religion that he feels that Obama campaigned on “extremist anti-life platform. . . .”
Here we go again. The Catholic church and its acolytes climb up in their high and mighty pulpits to preach from their sanctimonious platforms about what is right and moral. This is a church that actively hid child molesters in its parishes. Worse, even when the wretched sick pedophiles were caught and identified for what they were, they were secretly shipped of to another location and allowed to prey upon the young and innocent. Only when humiliated by the legal process did they take ownership of this sordid and inhumane treatment of its very own.
Who are they to dictate what is a danger to the world? Let's face it, the church has had its hand in many of the problems of the world. As recently as Pius XII there was collision with a repressive Nazi government. How is it that these moral beacons can look at the world in this century and talk of the dangers of birth control and stem cell research? How is it that the Vatican doesn't fully look into the early church and the gospels of Thomas and Mary?
The trouble with the Catholic Church is that it is a closed system ruled by a single person with absolute authority. While one can, if they strictly follow the cannons of the church, find a direct line back to Jesus, the fact is the cannons were in fact written by those whose position it was to reinforce the cannons. Martin Luther's objections to the church were its venal application of cannons that had nothing to do with Christianity. Yet the church, always from the moral high ground, condemns all those who sway from their outdated, if not inhumane cannons. They talk of life without a realization for what life is like for people in this 21st century. One can only look into history and see the ramifications of this influence. The inquisition was conducted by the Church and its priests.
The church clings to its outdated practices and principles because it is ruled by old men who have little but their standing and their outdated practices and principles. It is ironic given the fact that Christ was a radical. He was a man who stood for change, dramatic change in the face of the old outdated practices and principles. The rich history of Christianity doesn't lie in the gilded domes of old men's homes. Historians are uncovering serious questions about translations and other historic documents relating to the teaching of Christ. To restrict one's understanding of a subject is to favor ignorance over knowledge. The reason these old men seem so out of step is because they are dated. It will probably take the church as long to recognize the issues of the 21st century as it did for light to shed the truth on the Dark Ages.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Reflection on the Election
The election of Obama is a seminal moment in the history of the world. In many respects, it signals an inner striving of humanity to find equality and morality. It also tells us for humanity to fully realize its potential it must exist in a free society. Only when the chains of convention are broken can change be realized. Yet while this victory is momentous, this is no time to feel complacent. Our world is far from reaching its true potential. A world wherein all life is honored.
It was amazing to see McCain's concession speech. Where was this man during the election? He was a bit verbose to be sure. Yet in that moment, McCain rose to the occasion. His words were the words of a patriot. His campaign, on the other hand, was rife with discord and rancor and all the ugly aspects of an America whose time had passed. It would seem that he did in fact sell his soul for the nomination. Quite frankly, McCain was in a world foreign even to him. His party still rankles at the mention of Obama. The catcalls that rang out when Obama was mentioned is indicative of a deep seated hatred, a hatred that is blinded by an allegiance to dogma. It is that hatred that was so successfully tapped in previous elections. It is the hatred of exclusion. It is hatred that ties into the basest side of all life forms – a proclivity to sustain one's existence at the expense of another. It is part of the animal nature. To grasp this concept, just look at a robin's diet after a good rain.
A growing world population forces change. Only with an open and free society can the human race realize its potential. We need only look at past and current governments to experience hope or fear. Governments dominated by a single ideology or religion are most susceptible to tyranny. When a position of exclusion is advocated, then any outside of the artificial construct are vulnerable. We need only look a Nazi Germany or a Darfur to see the consequences of exclusion. Countless examples abound. The history of this world is dominated by exclusive armies rendering havoc on those outside its realm. The idea that “might makes right” is borne out of this base instinct.
With this election, we see the hope of millions of downtrodden humans lifted in a single man. That this transformation came about in this country should give us all pause. The fact that so many still cling to ideas that serve no purpose in furthering humanity only indicates that challenge that faces Obama. But through the creation of a climate of inclusion, hopefully those who are clinging to the idea “That my country right or wrong” will come to realize the benefit of a saner more humane world.
In the final analysis, people are not moved by arguments. They are moved by actions. For the world to see change, we need to open our arms so that we may encircle those who are to fearful to venture into a new tomorrow. How best to understand this idea? John Donne said it best so many years ago:
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
It was amazing to see McCain's concession speech. Where was this man during the election? He was a bit verbose to be sure. Yet in that moment, McCain rose to the occasion. His words were the words of a patriot. His campaign, on the other hand, was rife with discord and rancor and all the ugly aspects of an America whose time had passed. It would seem that he did in fact sell his soul for the nomination. Quite frankly, McCain was in a world foreign even to him. His party still rankles at the mention of Obama. The catcalls that rang out when Obama was mentioned is indicative of a deep seated hatred, a hatred that is blinded by an allegiance to dogma. It is that hatred that was so successfully tapped in previous elections. It is the hatred of exclusion. It is hatred that ties into the basest side of all life forms – a proclivity to sustain one's existence at the expense of another. It is part of the animal nature. To grasp this concept, just look at a robin's diet after a good rain.
A growing world population forces change. Only with an open and free society can the human race realize its potential. We need only look at past and current governments to experience hope or fear. Governments dominated by a single ideology or religion are most susceptible to tyranny. When a position of exclusion is advocated, then any outside of the artificial construct are vulnerable. We need only look a Nazi Germany or a Darfur to see the consequences of exclusion. Countless examples abound. The history of this world is dominated by exclusive armies rendering havoc on those outside its realm. The idea that “might makes right” is borne out of this base instinct.
With this election, we see the hope of millions of downtrodden humans lifted in a single man. That this transformation came about in this country should give us all pause. The fact that so many still cling to ideas that serve no purpose in furthering humanity only indicates that challenge that faces Obama. But through the creation of a climate of inclusion, hopefully those who are clinging to the idea “That my country right or wrong” will come to realize the benefit of a saner more humane world.
In the final analysis, people are not moved by arguments. They are moved by actions. For the world to see change, we need to open our arms so that we may encircle those who are to fearful to venture into a new tomorrow. How best to understand this idea? John Donne said it best so many years ago:
No man is an island entire of itself; every man
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine
own were; any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Revisionist History and Impeachment
In the waning days of the Bush Administration, we are seeing but another travesty of incompetence and corruption unfolding. I have long been an advocate for impeachment. It is clear that someone who is so obviously corrupt and immoral can not be entrusted with the power of the presidency. Any single act of outright incompetence or worse corruption would have been enough. And the list is long and only historians will be able to fully document the failures. Some of the more glaring ones are Katrina, Iraq, the Rove/Cheney affair with the leaking of an agent, the firing of the US Attorneys, the corruption of intelligence and the blunders of the Defense Department under Runsfeld. Each and every one of these fiascoes clearly had the finger prints of George W. all over them. Incompetence, malfeasance, misfeasance – call it what you will but any and all were the grounds for impeachment.
As if this litany of failures weren't bad enough to endure, the Times devoted op ed space to some hacks reminiscing about the Bush Presidency. One cannot make this stuff up. In a piece entitled, Loyal to a Fault, a Robert Draper incredulously states “President Bush has paid a price for his human decency.” That comment was made in reference to Katrina. He cites Mr. Bush's loyalty as blinding. What a joke! So if you at the helm and the ship it is heading towards the crags and the first mate says full steam ahead you remain loyal. Unbelievable, that this knucklehead can cite that a virtue. The fact is Browne should never have been in that position; and once it was learned, he was out of his league he should have been fired on the spot. Then there is Ari Fleischer. We all remember him spouting lies and misrepresentations for Bush. He praises Bush's “clear view.” This past operative who graduated to pundit is still selling the kool-aid as relief from an immoral world. Like the maniac down in Jonestown who encouraged his followers to drink the poison elixir, Fleischer promotes the “strength and moral clarity” of Bush. I guess one could with the same logic talk of Speck's singleness of purpose in the face of a relativism regarding protecting the lives of young nursing students.
Here it is folks the last desperate attempts by those who were a party to high crimes and incompetence. These so called pundits are attempting to put spin on an administration that was by any account a dismal failure. But more, the actions taken by the President and his men traverse the line between what is legal and what is moral. Because I carry a bible and go to church doesn't make my actions right. Fleischer talks of the elimination of Saddam Hussein. And I guess he can look beyond the five years of chaos and countless deaths and injuries not to mention the billions of dollars and assume it was justified. Hasn't he heard there were no weapons of mass destruction? And in that coterie of neo cons didn't anyone offer the suggestion that negotiations might have gotten to the bottom of our concerns. These wags are trying to re-write history and their feeble words are laughable.
The real tragedy of this dark dark period of American History is that Congress failed to act. There was some misguided judgment that impeachment hearings would have crippled the government. But when the government is clearly violating the public trust, when an administration is actively involved in criminal behavior, it is the constitutional responsibility of elected representatives to remove the offender from office. For those who declare it wasn't criminal, why then were pardons necessary? And remember there has been no serious investigation of actions taken in the oval office.
The inability of this president to discharge his duties under the constitution was clearly evident time and time again.. Citizens died because of the actions or inactions of this president. Yet the Congress failed to draw up impeachment articles. That the house hadn't stopped this administration in its tracks as soon as it gained a majority will go down as a most egregious error in judgment. It is especially ironic given the precedent set by the high and might Republican congress to pursue Clinton because of some misguided dalliance.
Politicians like to stand on the soap box and lecture. They like to rationalize whatever advised or ill-advised action they may take. Reasons flow from their staff till black can be made white and white can be anything they desire it to be. Curious how moral turpitude can be twisted around illogical and criminal actions by a spokesperson.
Yet in their attempt to be rational and reasonable, the house has let this president continue in office. It is clear that this administration is incapable of governing. And now in the closing months of this historic failure of a president, we begin to see but a further eroding of the protections in environment and labor. Contemplated rule changes would make water less safe, workers more vulnerable, air quality more toxic. We have to ask ourselves why didn't those entrusted with constitutional authority exercise their responsibilities to begin a process whereby the wrongs perpetrated by this administration was brought to a hearing and hopefully stopped in its tracks.
All those strident righteous right wing pols should have been made to make the case for this presidency. Each and every one should have been thrust into a forum that would have made them defend the actions of this president. Never has one man brought such disgrace to the office. The ghosts of thousands of humans cry out from their graves. If this nation is to gain its moral high ground, then, it must ask for an accounting of this man and his cronies. Glibness and buffoonery are not a valid defense, not for a capital offense.
As if this litany of failures weren't bad enough to endure, the Times devoted op ed space to some hacks reminiscing about the Bush Presidency. One cannot make this stuff up. In a piece entitled, Loyal to a Fault, a Robert Draper incredulously states “President Bush has paid a price for his human decency.” That comment was made in reference to Katrina. He cites Mr. Bush's loyalty as blinding. What a joke! So if you at the helm and the ship it is heading towards the crags and the first mate says full steam ahead you remain loyal. Unbelievable, that this knucklehead can cite that a virtue. The fact is Browne should never have been in that position; and once it was learned, he was out of his league he should have been fired on the spot. Then there is Ari Fleischer. We all remember him spouting lies and misrepresentations for Bush. He praises Bush's “clear view.” This past operative who graduated to pundit is still selling the kool-aid as relief from an immoral world. Like the maniac down in Jonestown who encouraged his followers to drink the poison elixir, Fleischer promotes the “strength and moral clarity” of Bush. I guess one could with the same logic talk of Speck's singleness of purpose in the face of a relativism regarding protecting the lives of young nursing students.
Here it is folks the last desperate attempts by those who were a party to high crimes and incompetence. These so called pundits are attempting to put spin on an administration that was by any account a dismal failure. But more, the actions taken by the President and his men traverse the line between what is legal and what is moral. Because I carry a bible and go to church doesn't make my actions right. Fleischer talks of the elimination of Saddam Hussein. And I guess he can look beyond the five years of chaos and countless deaths and injuries not to mention the billions of dollars and assume it was justified. Hasn't he heard there were no weapons of mass destruction? And in that coterie of neo cons didn't anyone offer the suggestion that negotiations might have gotten to the bottom of our concerns. These wags are trying to re-write history and their feeble words are laughable.
The real tragedy of this dark dark period of American History is that Congress failed to act. There was some misguided judgment that impeachment hearings would have crippled the government. But when the government is clearly violating the public trust, when an administration is actively involved in criminal behavior, it is the constitutional responsibility of elected representatives to remove the offender from office. For those who declare it wasn't criminal, why then were pardons necessary? And remember there has been no serious investigation of actions taken in the oval office.
The inability of this president to discharge his duties under the constitution was clearly evident time and time again.. Citizens died because of the actions or inactions of this president. Yet the Congress failed to draw up impeachment articles. That the house hadn't stopped this administration in its tracks as soon as it gained a majority will go down as a most egregious error in judgment. It is especially ironic given the precedent set by the high and might Republican congress to pursue Clinton because of some misguided dalliance.
Politicians like to stand on the soap box and lecture. They like to rationalize whatever advised or ill-advised action they may take. Reasons flow from their staff till black can be made white and white can be anything they desire it to be. Curious how moral turpitude can be twisted around illogical and criminal actions by a spokesperson.
Yet in their attempt to be rational and reasonable, the house has let this president continue in office. It is clear that this administration is incapable of governing. And now in the closing months of this historic failure of a president, we begin to see but a further eroding of the protections in environment and labor. Contemplated rule changes would make water less safe, workers more vulnerable, air quality more toxic. We have to ask ourselves why didn't those entrusted with constitutional authority exercise their responsibilities to begin a process whereby the wrongs perpetrated by this administration was brought to a hearing and hopefully stopped in its tracks.
All those strident righteous right wing pols should have been made to make the case for this presidency. Each and every one should have been thrust into a forum that would have made them defend the actions of this president. Never has one man brought such disgrace to the office. The ghosts of thousands of humans cry out from their graves. If this nation is to gain its moral high ground, then, it must ask for an accounting of this man and his cronies. Glibness and buffoonery are not a valid defense, not for a capital offense.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Monster Has Been Hatched
We Americans have been frightened out of our wits by monster films where the gestation of a serious menace to the human race occurs within a fraction of time. The one that stills sends shivers down my spine is the Alien. With a simple infection, a horrible beast rips its way out of its host to devour all in its path. I can attribute to that film my aversion to all horrors flicks. But for those of us who have watched with amusement at the development of Sarah Palin maybe in for that moment when all hell breaks loose. Ms. Palin having been fed and incubated in bowels of the Republican Right is now gaining in strength and soon she will burst upon the American electorate. The Rovian accolades have been nurturing this creature and to their delight it is coming along just fine.
It is not too off base to conjecture, given the sad campaign McCain has waged, that this election cycle might just have been scripted so that a “true” neocon Republican could be groomed. What better stage to develop a rising star then a presidential election. Think about it! Your party is facing eight years of an administration so bankrupt that its favorable ratings have hit rock bottom. Take with that a Congress only two years out of office that was simply corrupt. Consider the national debt. Examine the abuses of power in nearly every executive office. Note the office of Vice President that had a criminal indictment and needed a presidential pardon. Realistically, how could the party get a new president elected? Now, find a candidate, a bull headed opinionated die hard cantankerous old man facing his last hurrah and sell him on the idea that now is his time. And give him the outdated apparatus that couldn't sell any candidate again. Now put besides him the hope of the future in a photogenic pliable parrot who will learn her lines and wink and nod and get the great middle class energized with her babble of god, country, real Americans and no taxes. Seems far fetched doesn't it? Or does it?
How else can you explain the gaffes in the McCain campaign? It would take a blooming idiot not to have recognize that something was amiss with the economy. So, who gave McCain that astute observation that the fundamentals were basically good? McCain certainly didn't think of that. Heck! He admitted he didn't know much about economics. Who would allow the candidate to move through the election cycle without a rudder only sparking when he stole the positions of Obama? Some operative must have known it would only reinforce the position of the opposition.
Seeing Ms. Palin now in the closing days of this campaign one can see she is in it for the long haul. I think that those who pulled strings on her selection knew she was going to be a detriment. But in the final accounting, it is the top of the ticket that will take the onus of defeat. As Palin so tellingly informed the public, “she isn't in this for naught.”
No, there is a bigger agenda here. I think McCain is getting his come uppence. He sold his soul, but like anyone who sells his soul, he is left without a shred of moral turpitude. What a most ingenious payback? Strip a man of all that he ever really prided himself of.
Palin has been hatched. Every applause, every shout, everyone who attends her rallies are the sustenance to grow her into a force. Unfortunately, this is a force without a moral underpinning. It is a force who gravitates towards power for it that which sustains her. She, like all infections, is opportunistic. She is in the fight for herself and she will survive. It is up to the electorate to discover the true force in this election cycle. She needs to be contained and shown for what she is. She speaks easily out of both sides of her mouth. She is coy and winsome and glib. She speaks of things for which she hasn't any knowledge and believe her when she says there are two Americas. Hers and those who need to be controlled. To really appreciate her you need to see her with her Dick Cheney and I do believe there are any number of them waiting in the wings.
It is not too off base to conjecture, given the sad campaign McCain has waged, that this election cycle might just have been scripted so that a “true” neocon Republican could be groomed. What better stage to develop a rising star then a presidential election. Think about it! Your party is facing eight years of an administration so bankrupt that its favorable ratings have hit rock bottom. Take with that a Congress only two years out of office that was simply corrupt. Consider the national debt. Examine the abuses of power in nearly every executive office. Note the office of Vice President that had a criminal indictment and needed a presidential pardon. Realistically, how could the party get a new president elected? Now, find a candidate, a bull headed opinionated die hard cantankerous old man facing his last hurrah and sell him on the idea that now is his time. And give him the outdated apparatus that couldn't sell any candidate again. Now put besides him the hope of the future in a photogenic pliable parrot who will learn her lines and wink and nod and get the great middle class energized with her babble of god, country, real Americans and no taxes. Seems far fetched doesn't it? Or does it?
How else can you explain the gaffes in the McCain campaign? It would take a blooming idiot not to have recognize that something was amiss with the economy. So, who gave McCain that astute observation that the fundamentals were basically good? McCain certainly didn't think of that. Heck! He admitted he didn't know much about economics. Who would allow the candidate to move through the election cycle without a rudder only sparking when he stole the positions of Obama? Some operative must have known it would only reinforce the position of the opposition.
Seeing Ms. Palin now in the closing days of this campaign one can see she is in it for the long haul. I think that those who pulled strings on her selection knew she was going to be a detriment. But in the final accounting, it is the top of the ticket that will take the onus of defeat. As Palin so tellingly informed the public, “she isn't in this for naught.”
No, there is a bigger agenda here. I think McCain is getting his come uppence. He sold his soul, but like anyone who sells his soul, he is left without a shred of moral turpitude. What a most ingenious payback? Strip a man of all that he ever really prided himself of.
Palin has been hatched. Every applause, every shout, everyone who attends her rallies are the sustenance to grow her into a force. Unfortunately, this is a force without a moral underpinning. It is a force who gravitates towards power for it that which sustains her. She, like all infections, is opportunistic. She is in the fight for herself and she will survive. It is up to the electorate to discover the true force in this election cycle. She needs to be contained and shown for what she is. She speaks easily out of both sides of her mouth. She is coy and winsome and glib. She speaks of things for which she hasn't any knowledge and believe her when she says there are two Americas. Hers and those who need to be controlled. To really appreciate her you need to see her with her Dick Cheney and I do believe there are any number of them waiting in the wings.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Palin and the Real America
The real Americans according to McCain and Palin are those folks who subscribe to the politics of the right wing. You know guns and god and good ol' free enterprise. These traditions are all new to the American experience. They certainly weren't handed down from the likes of Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, or Teddy Roosevelt. No, they were concocted in the minds of ad men who saw the relationship between brand and choice. With a slight of hand, these hucksters have re-defined what it is to be American so that it fit their sales plan. We find ourselves in a world now dominated by politicians as well as products forced upon us by folks who don't give a hoot about the stuff they sell. Their only concern is the sell.
How can a person who attempts to hold the the Vice Presidency not understand its constitutional role? To hear Palin, one wonders if they even teach a civic class in the Alaskan schools. But then again isn't that so like a true American? Belief without facts is the hallmark of a true believer -- buying into the product without any information whatsoever. Then, feeling the horror of the buy and knowing it just wasn't what was needed or desired.
When you look upon the vast expanse of the American electorate, one wonders if our world is so shallow that any anomaly stands out as significant. Joe the Plumber becomes iconic only because the press and the politicians can only see what is right in front of them. There is no real depth to the news. In fact, I would wager that most television reporters spend more time in make-up and on camera then they do on the news. One can see the lack of depth in the almost childish banter and comments of these personalities as they fill in their alloted time lots with blather. In fact, on a given day, they, regardless of the broadcast, repeat the same story over and over. It is as if the entire audience has lost its collective senses and memory. And the funny thing is that is what we must want it. Heck, doesn't the “Enquirer” sell more its paper than any other paper legitimate or not.
In some Orwellian nightmare, we have all become captive of the media moguls and their minions of ad men who give us stuff we just don't need or want. Take for example baseball. A storied American tradition is in the firm grasp of snake oil salesmen who determine when the game is played. As a child, I remember the excitement, nay the tradition, of sneaking a transistor radio into school to catch snippets of the unfolding classic. The score was circulated in a fashion that was Bond like. Now, youngsters fall asleep as the game scheduled for prime time rolls on with commercial after commercial. Why? So revenues can be maximized. And if a national pastime time can be stolen, is it no wonder that our elections have been as well?
Fortunately, in this election cycle, people seemed to have risen above the all encompassing reach of “Madison Avenue.” The old tried and true has been reduced to a song that has long lost favor with the public. Of course, the Bush presidency has shook the electorate from its rut. When Palin speaks of the real America, she must be referring to those sleepy little hamlets that the Republicans could always count on for support. We can only hope that like the rest of this country the alarms in these community are sounding the need to awake and to face the challenges that have been thrust upon us. The public was sold an inferior product that did not have a money back guarantee. And as Bush could never master, “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”
How can a person who attempts to hold the the Vice Presidency not understand its constitutional role? To hear Palin, one wonders if they even teach a civic class in the Alaskan schools. But then again isn't that so like a true American? Belief without facts is the hallmark of a true believer -- buying into the product without any information whatsoever. Then, feeling the horror of the buy and knowing it just wasn't what was needed or desired.
When you look upon the vast expanse of the American electorate, one wonders if our world is so shallow that any anomaly stands out as significant. Joe the Plumber becomes iconic only because the press and the politicians can only see what is right in front of them. There is no real depth to the news. In fact, I would wager that most television reporters spend more time in make-up and on camera then they do on the news. One can see the lack of depth in the almost childish banter and comments of these personalities as they fill in their alloted time lots with blather. In fact, on a given day, they, regardless of the broadcast, repeat the same story over and over. It is as if the entire audience has lost its collective senses and memory. And the funny thing is that is what we must want it. Heck, doesn't the “Enquirer” sell more its paper than any other paper legitimate or not.
In some Orwellian nightmare, we have all become captive of the media moguls and their minions of ad men who give us stuff we just don't need or want. Take for example baseball. A storied American tradition is in the firm grasp of snake oil salesmen who determine when the game is played. As a child, I remember the excitement, nay the tradition, of sneaking a transistor radio into school to catch snippets of the unfolding classic. The score was circulated in a fashion that was Bond like. Now, youngsters fall asleep as the game scheduled for prime time rolls on with commercial after commercial. Why? So revenues can be maximized. And if a national pastime time can be stolen, is it no wonder that our elections have been as well?
Fortunately, in this election cycle, people seemed to have risen above the all encompassing reach of “Madison Avenue.” The old tried and true has been reduced to a song that has long lost favor with the public. Of course, the Bush presidency has shook the electorate from its rut. When Palin speaks of the real America, she must be referring to those sleepy little hamlets that the Republicans could always count on for support. We can only hope that like the rest of this country the alarms in these community are sounding the need to awake and to face the challenges that have been thrust upon us. The public was sold an inferior product that did not have a money back guarantee. And as Bush could never master, “fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me.”
Monday, October 20, 2008
Palin True Calling
What struck me most about Palin appearance on Saturday Night Live is the ease at which she handled her lines. She was smooth and calm and demonstrated a presence seen in only seasoned professionals. She was in her element. Juxtapose that performance with her interview with Katie Couric and you are left with the impression that the performing arts are her forte not public service.
Contrast the stumbling bumbling neophyte who couldn't identify a news source for her biases with the smooth bouncing hip hop momma who was rocking through a rap. Indeed, Palin is definitely a good performer. She is just not a suitable candidate to ascend to the presidency.
When she is talking theatrical nonsense, she is poised. When she is on the political stump she is a fear mongering, right wing pandering “no-nothing” who confuses patriotism with partisanship. She is iconic only in the sense that the far right is starved for anyone who can put a pretty face on the foolishness that passes as policy. Yet, there is something redeeming about her. She has a future in the world of make believe. She can saddle up along side Fred Thompson and become a prosecutor on law and order. She can even be the President as long the script is well written and her lines are clearly spelled out.
What has happen in 21st Century American Culture is that fantasy and reality have merged into one blur. In a world where a no-talent rich heiress can become a celebrity and a supposed legitimate newsman like Chris Mathews can assume a role in a movie, there is no differentiation between the real and the unreal. Consequently, everything dissolves into the surreal. We can call a dozen folks living in the world of survival a reality show and we can assume that proximity can be counted as foreign relations.
So, this is how Sarah Palin arose from the tundra to the national scene. She was selected by Central Casting. It was the talent scouts of “Rovian” persuasion to see the potential in a winking hockey mom. Yes on SNL, she was in her true element. Notice that there wasn't a single tongue tied moment. No brash claims of executive experience, no answer to be scrutinize. There was just this likable bumpkin acting her part.
Funny that the last great iconic Republican was an actor. I can see the wheels spinning in the minds of “neo-cons” as they retreat under their rocks to plan for the next great emergence of the silent real America. With a mixture of religion and no nothingness and a measure of false patriotism, the elephant can again be tamed to march across the civil liberties why the super rich continue to hoard the treasures of this country in pursuit of their excesses.
We can only hope that MGM puts Palin under contract to spare us from this next debacle.
Contrast the stumbling bumbling neophyte who couldn't identify a news source for her biases with the smooth bouncing hip hop momma who was rocking through a rap. Indeed, Palin is definitely a good performer. She is just not a suitable candidate to ascend to the presidency.
When she is talking theatrical nonsense, she is poised. When she is on the political stump she is a fear mongering, right wing pandering “no-nothing” who confuses patriotism with partisanship. She is iconic only in the sense that the far right is starved for anyone who can put a pretty face on the foolishness that passes as policy. Yet, there is something redeeming about her. She has a future in the world of make believe. She can saddle up along side Fred Thompson and become a prosecutor on law and order. She can even be the President as long the script is well written and her lines are clearly spelled out.
What has happen in 21st Century American Culture is that fantasy and reality have merged into one blur. In a world where a no-talent rich heiress can become a celebrity and a supposed legitimate newsman like Chris Mathews can assume a role in a movie, there is no differentiation between the real and the unreal. Consequently, everything dissolves into the surreal. We can call a dozen folks living in the world of survival a reality show and we can assume that proximity can be counted as foreign relations.
So, this is how Sarah Palin arose from the tundra to the national scene. She was selected by Central Casting. It was the talent scouts of “Rovian” persuasion to see the potential in a winking hockey mom. Yes on SNL, she was in her true element. Notice that there wasn't a single tongue tied moment. No brash claims of executive experience, no answer to be scrutinize. There was just this likable bumpkin acting her part.
Funny that the last great iconic Republican was an actor. I can see the wheels spinning in the minds of “neo-cons” as they retreat under their rocks to plan for the next great emergence of the silent real America. With a mixture of religion and no nothingness and a measure of false patriotism, the elephant can again be tamed to march across the civil liberties why the super rich continue to hoard the treasures of this country in pursuit of their excesses.
We can only hope that MGM puts Palin under contract to spare us from this next debacle.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Waxing on The Financial Crisis
Watching Soros on the PBS news hour, I was struck by what he had to say about the current financial crisis. One of the major points he made was that this nation's and indeed the developed world consumption days are near the end. A line from one of Jackson Browne songs came to mind: “Perhaps a better world is drawing near. And just as easily it could all disappear.” As I thought about it, a fear gripped me. Could it be that the world was in fact spinning out of control. But then it came to me that all this progress, all this madness that characterizes this age of consumption and waste is built upon a planet that has an infinite capacity to replenish itself. That the madness of more like any other human mental illness can be cured with behavior modification.
The “throwaway” society needs to be transformed. Humans can survive for this world renews itself with each cycle. What needs to be done is to live in harmony with the ways of the world. The idea that we need to get our food in a printed cardboard box is sheer folly. The practice of receiving our purchases in plastic bags is madness. The fact that we need to slave away reshaping natural resources into plastic stuff so that it can be useless fill in our dumps borders on the insane. In short, whatever so called modern day so called conveniences that have been pushed upon us, transported to us with diesel trucks will need be eliminated. Same goes with cars that basically send us into corridors of time wasting jams. A new way will be needed, a way compatible with the world.
When you think of it, it might just be the destiny that will sustain us as a species. The idea that the world was an infinite supplier of resources only to be used once and then cast aside flies in the face of the natural order. Indeed, the earth has always been a renewable source of life sustaining gifts. Our presence on this planet is short in comparison to other species. We certainly have the wherewithal to begin to go back to the fundamentals and grow and even prosper. That is certainly in contradiction to the slogan, “Drill baby drill.” In short, there has to be a new world view of what is good and what is bad. And what is good for us is the reshaping of habits, expectations, and culture.
Thus, it always comes down to choices. Currently, in this election cycle, we have the old and the new. The old will tell us that we are the greatest gift to the planet with a government that is the model for all to follow. This proposition ignores the injustices that have been undertaken under this cloak of righteousnesses. It will tell us that experience and traditions are more important than vision. It will extol what we know and believe for what we dream. In the end, all the rhetoric that spews forth from conservatives will only lead us down a road clogged with outdated transportation. We will choke and die in the exhaust of wastefulness and consumption. For drill baby drill is a call from a time that has long passed.
The idea that we can begin a process whereby we can draw our energy from renewable sources, that we can become responsible stewards of this planet, that we can sustain ourselves on a world that has an infinite capacity to provide all that we need to live is an idea whose time has come.
We are now facing the question of human survival because of our consumption. Like all binges of the human spirit it will be a difficult transition. But like the drunk who puts down the drink and stumbles and shakes his way into a responsible person free of his addiction, the growth to this new way of existing just might bring us humans to a place where life is valued above property and the human spirit can flourish as it once meant to flourish in harmony with each other and the world itself.
The “throwaway” society needs to be transformed. Humans can survive for this world renews itself with each cycle. What needs to be done is to live in harmony with the ways of the world. The idea that we need to get our food in a printed cardboard box is sheer folly. The practice of receiving our purchases in plastic bags is madness. The fact that we need to slave away reshaping natural resources into plastic stuff so that it can be useless fill in our dumps borders on the insane. In short, whatever so called modern day so called conveniences that have been pushed upon us, transported to us with diesel trucks will need be eliminated. Same goes with cars that basically send us into corridors of time wasting jams. A new way will be needed, a way compatible with the world.
When you think of it, it might just be the destiny that will sustain us as a species. The idea that the world was an infinite supplier of resources only to be used once and then cast aside flies in the face of the natural order. Indeed, the earth has always been a renewable source of life sustaining gifts. Our presence on this planet is short in comparison to other species. We certainly have the wherewithal to begin to go back to the fundamentals and grow and even prosper. That is certainly in contradiction to the slogan, “Drill baby drill.” In short, there has to be a new world view of what is good and what is bad. And what is good for us is the reshaping of habits, expectations, and culture.
Thus, it always comes down to choices. Currently, in this election cycle, we have the old and the new. The old will tell us that we are the greatest gift to the planet with a government that is the model for all to follow. This proposition ignores the injustices that have been undertaken under this cloak of righteousnesses. It will tell us that experience and traditions are more important than vision. It will extol what we know and believe for what we dream. In the end, all the rhetoric that spews forth from conservatives will only lead us down a road clogged with outdated transportation. We will choke and die in the exhaust of wastefulness and consumption. For drill baby drill is a call from a time that has long passed.
The idea that we can begin a process whereby we can draw our energy from renewable sources, that we can become responsible stewards of this planet, that we can sustain ourselves on a world that has an infinite capacity to provide all that we need to live is an idea whose time has come.
We are now facing the question of human survival because of our consumption. Like all binges of the human spirit it will be a difficult transition. But like the drunk who puts down the drink and stumbles and shakes his way into a responsible person free of his addiction, the growth to this new way of existing just might bring us humans to a place where life is valued above property and the human spirit can flourish as it once meant to flourish in harmony with each other and the world itself.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Dumb and Dumber
I asked who vetted Palin and now I know. It was none other than McCain himself. If you carefully listen to McCain, you will note that his logic is circular. He, like his running mate, is incapable of grasping or for the matter speaking about complex issues. He stammers, hems, and haws with nearly every issue. His constant use of “my friends” is an attempt at establishing a connection with the audience so as to allow himself to become trusted in the absence of any proof to what he is postulating. I would think that the only thing separating him from his running mate is time in public office. His gaffes are as pronounced.
McCain is a man of convictions. It is also clear he is not comfortable with anyone questioning his positions. He has taken on his role as a war hero and played it for all it is worth. He stands before the public and pronounces with certitude that he was right about the surge. He ignores all previous miscalculations and pronounces that his support of the surge qualifies him to be commander in chief. He claims that he knows how to get things done, but underlying support for the claim rests only with his words. Thus, the constant use of “my friends” is the proverbial slight of hand of the magician. While you are listening to his endearments, he is slipping his message to you. Shazam! My proof!
There is another matter about McCain that bears scrutiny. His mannerism would suggest not only physical issues – the stiffness and all gross motor movements, which of course, is of no matter, but his almost arrogant presence. The “that guy” comment is the bubbling up of the rage that percolates in him. His petulance is seen in banning reporters. His almost condescending attitude towards his opponent is indicative of a rogue who doesn't “cotton” to newcomers. He comes to stage with his experience cloak about his superficial understanding of issues. He ingratiates himself as a commoner only for the purpose of promoting himself. His presidency would be but another imperial one.
Behind the facade of congeniality lies a man who is obviously bitter and angry that he needs to run for office. After all, a man of his dedication should be attending his coronation not discussing issues with “that guy.” Perhaps, McCain greatest chink in his suit of armor is dullness. He is not a student of history. It is clear that in questioning about his desired dinner dates that he is a sports enthusiast. Which is quite all right. But underlying the question about who you would like to have dinner with is the subtle but certainly telling character of the person. The question is designed to probe for models of behavior. McCain's answer reveals that he is not a person of depth but a man of limited thoughts; hence he can only think of things in his limited world of influence. Petraus and Phelps come out his mouth. And you got to wonder if this man who wants to be president wouldn't like to talk with someone who could expand his world. Importantly, the question throws him because outside of his world, there is little. His delusion is that he is a man of destiny when he is little more that a footnote to it. He chose Sarah Palin because in her he see himself. Bluster and entitlement are all this ticket brings forth to the electorate. Any serious question posed to these two will only get you sound bites. The long election process has served its purpose. McCain has proven to be an out of touch militarist who feels the presidency is but another job – a job only a man who is entitled to it deserves. His first act as a potential president is reflected in his choice of Vice President. Sarah Palin is an example of the type of people John McCain wants around him. Because when you are small and of limited intellectual prowess, the only way you can seem important and knowledgeable is to have a person lesser than you about.
McCain is a man of convictions. It is also clear he is not comfortable with anyone questioning his positions. He has taken on his role as a war hero and played it for all it is worth. He stands before the public and pronounces with certitude that he was right about the surge. He ignores all previous miscalculations and pronounces that his support of the surge qualifies him to be commander in chief. He claims that he knows how to get things done, but underlying support for the claim rests only with his words. Thus, the constant use of “my friends” is the proverbial slight of hand of the magician. While you are listening to his endearments, he is slipping his message to you. Shazam! My proof!
There is another matter about McCain that bears scrutiny. His mannerism would suggest not only physical issues – the stiffness and all gross motor movements, which of course, is of no matter, but his almost arrogant presence. The “that guy” comment is the bubbling up of the rage that percolates in him. His petulance is seen in banning reporters. His almost condescending attitude towards his opponent is indicative of a rogue who doesn't “cotton” to newcomers. He comes to stage with his experience cloak about his superficial understanding of issues. He ingratiates himself as a commoner only for the purpose of promoting himself. His presidency would be but another imperial one.
Behind the facade of congeniality lies a man who is obviously bitter and angry that he needs to run for office. After all, a man of his dedication should be attending his coronation not discussing issues with “that guy.” Perhaps, McCain greatest chink in his suit of armor is dullness. He is not a student of history. It is clear that in questioning about his desired dinner dates that he is a sports enthusiast. Which is quite all right. But underlying the question about who you would like to have dinner with is the subtle but certainly telling character of the person. The question is designed to probe for models of behavior. McCain's answer reveals that he is not a person of depth but a man of limited thoughts; hence he can only think of things in his limited world of influence. Petraus and Phelps come out his mouth. And you got to wonder if this man who wants to be president wouldn't like to talk with someone who could expand his world. Importantly, the question throws him because outside of his world, there is little. His delusion is that he is a man of destiny when he is little more that a footnote to it. He chose Sarah Palin because in her he see himself. Bluster and entitlement are all this ticket brings forth to the electorate. Any serious question posed to these two will only get you sound bites. The long election process has served its purpose. McCain has proven to be an out of touch militarist who feels the presidency is but another job – a job only a man who is entitled to it deserves. His first act as a potential president is reflected in his choice of Vice President. Sarah Palin is an example of the type of people John McCain wants around him. Because when you are small and of limited intellectual prowess, the only way you can seem important and knowledgeable is to have a person lesser than you about.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Bad Logic -- Mud Slinging -- How American
The grand tradition in American Politics to denigrate one's opposition is alive and well. Thank god we no longer have to endure half-truths and spin. Now, we can have good old fashion American mud-slinging. In fact, this tradition dates back to 1800 and the Jefferson/Adams election. When you think of it, it is what makes this country what it is. We revel in slime as a nation and as individuals. How else to describe our irrational desire to read the Enquirer or our morbid curiosity at the site of a horrific car accident or the popularity of inane horror flicks.
Now, Sarah Palin, the linguistically challenged Alaskan Governor, took off the gloves and threw the first bare fisted punch. How appropriate! The rifle totting, wolf slaughtering, god fearing, heavenly directed savior of conservative democracy steps up to the plate to call a spade a spade. No, racial slur intended and Obama people better not bring that up or McCain and his surrogates will call it playing the race card. It is “la-la” land to be sure.
One learns in logic class that ad hominem arguments are “ always invalid in syllogistic logic, since the truth value of premises is taken as given, and the validity of a logical inference is independent of the person making the inference.” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem). I am sure that Governor Palin probably missed that lecture while attending college. One can hear the wheels spinning in her head: “Heck, the mean spirited 'gotcha' press will probably ask a question like that. Heck, Joe six-pack and hockey moms don't care about logic. That's for those high-fluttin liberals who went to elite college and learned all that stuff. In small towns, we know what we know and know how to say it.” Wink, wink.
As a young boy my mom cautioned me that “people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.” Well, now that the gloves are off I guess it's okay to talk about McCain's involvement in the Savings and Loan Scandal. While one has to employ the notion of six degrees of separation to tie Obama to anything negative, we have a senate panel chastising McCain for his association with Keating. It is ironic that McCain is directly tied to a felonious larceny charge while the other connection, the Ayers thing, relates to a person who has made some honorable contribution to society. Of course, to a small minded person a university professor might not be as creditable as say a gun dealer. And Jesus may forgive but I won't.
But, what the heck, this is America and why not slam the other guy. Who wants to talk of things that matter when we can create lies and bake half truths into a terrorist soufflé? It is American to go into matters not related to anything to make the point that you shouldn't vote the other guy into office. But there is an underlying element to this campaign and that is Americans are really that dumb that they can look at the crisis facing the country on so many fronts and ignore all that and believe that “the barracuda” will save us from those things that she can't even articulate. For the second time in this blog the quote attributed to Lincoln is in order, “You can't fool all the people all the time.”
This election is a pivotal one for many reasons. First, there is a minority of color running for president. This is pivotal because it at once takes the promise of our constitution into the next millennium. The actual elimination of the color barrier at the highest elected office of the land fulfills the promise of a free society. Second, this election also reverses the creed popularize by conservatives that government is bad. The people of a land only has its government to protect them from the savagery of unscrupulous and immoral and unethical thugs who steal and murder and degrade the laws of humanity. This notion that government is bad is paradoxical. Because only with a government can a free society exist. Without government, you have the law of the jungle.
Government in the hands of small minded people is a government that is a danger to all. We need only look at the current administration to know that the time for no nothing, do nothing politicians is over. Responsible government is important. But government is necessary without it no one would take the bad and the dumb to task.
Now, Sarah Palin, the linguistically challenged Alaskan Governor, took off the gloves and threw the first bare fisted punch. How appropriate! The rifle totting, wolf slaughtering, god fearing, heavenly directed savior of conservative democracy steps up to the plate to call a spade a spade. No, racial slur intended and Obama people better not bring that up or McCain and his surrogates will call it playing the race card. It is “la-la” land to be sure.
One learns in logic class that ad hominem arguments are “ always invalid in syllogistic logic, since the truth value of premises is taken as given, and the validity of a logical inference is independent of the person making the inference.” ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ad_hominem). I am sure that Governor Palin probably missed that lecture while attending college. One can hear the wheels spinning in her head: “Heck, the mean spirited 'gotcha' press will probably ask a question like that. Heck, Joe six-pack and hockey moms don't care about logic. That's for those high-fluttin liberals who went to elite college and learned all that stuff. In small towns, we know what we know and know how to say it.” Wink, wink.
As a young boy my mom cautioned me that “people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.” Well, now that the gloves are off I guess it's okay to talk about McCain's involvement in the Savings and Loan Scandal. While one has to employ the notion of six degrees of separation to tie Obama to anything negative, we have a senate panel chastising McCain for his association with Keating. It is ironic that McCain is directly tied to a felonious larceny charge while the other connection, the Ayers thing, relates to a person who has made some honorable contribution to society. Of course, to a small minded person a university professor might not be as creditable as say a gun dealer. And Jesus may forgive but I won't.
But, what the heck, this is America and why not slam the other guy. Who wants to talk of things that matter when we can create lies and bake half truths into a terrorist soufflé? It is American to go into matters not related to anything to make the point that you shouldn't vote the other guy into office. But there is an underlying element to this campaign and that is Americans are really that dumb that they can look at the crisis facing the country on so many fronts and ignore all that and believe that “the barracuda” will save us from those things that she can't even articulate. For the second time in this blog the quote attributed to Lincoln is in order, “You can't fool all the people all the time.”
This election is a pivotal one for many reasons. First, there is a minority of color running for president. This is pivotal because it at once takes the promise of our constitution into the next millennium. The actual elimination of the color barrier at the highest elected office of the land fulfills the promise of a free society. Second, this election also reverses the creed popularize by conservatives that government is bad. The people of a land only has its government to protect them from the savagery of unscrupulous and immoral and unethical thugs who steal and murder and degrade the laws of humanity. This notion that government is bad is paradoxical. Because only with a government can a free society exist. Without government, you have the law of the jungle.
Government in the hands of small minded people is a government that is a danger to all. We need only look at the current administration to know that the time for no nothing, do nothing politicians is over. Responsible government is important. But government is necessary without it no one would take the bad and the dumb to task.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Sarah's Big Night
Well, well, the vice presidential debate is over. The pundits and operatives are weighing in. It isn't too hard to tell who favors who. One astute observer noted that if you turned off the sound, it was clear Sarah Palin was the winner. Interesting observation to be sure. But who tunes into a vice presidential debate and turns off the sound. It is perhaps the most absurd if not ludicrous comment one could make. I guess the intent was to observe how important body language. One cannot never never underestimate that absolute nonsense that passes as insight in this age of tabloid news.
Then, there was the obvious claim by the Republican surrogates that Palin again communicated to the American People. “She looked right into the camera and connected.” Well, the only people she could have connected with are those who already buy into her brand of populism. “Golly Gee, I'm Sarah Palin and Me and John are going to change Washington and get rid of greed on Wall Street because me and John are reformers and we know how to reform the things that need reforming.” Wink. Wink. Smile. Smile.
Oh yeah, she certainly strutted her stuff. The person who couldn't name a newspaper or a magazine didn't really answer a single question. The build up to this event was cast as high drama when in fact it turned out to be nothing but a farce.
Sarah is likable but she has no depth. She was plucked from no where and thrown on the national scene. Her credentials are thin. There is no way to make this woman's experience for anything other than what it is. Who actually vetted this woman? What were the questions that was posed to her? Did anyone listen critically to her responses? Perhaps the disciples of Rove and Atwater believe that their tactics will in the end be the deciding factor in this election regardless of the knowledge base or skill set of the candidate. Heck, they sold George W. Bush to America.
As these tacticians carve out demographics and put their operatives to work stripping election roles and employing fear tactics to scare the voters to their candidates, one can only ask if these same unethical efforts will win the day.
Sarah Palin seems to be a good hearted giddy conservative. I don't agree with anything she has to say. Quite frankly, I don't even understand what she is saying. I realize I am not one who buys into slogans generated by professional politicians of the ilk of those professed by “neocons.” It is a very disturbing sign of the time that we are facing critical issues on many levels and that the person selected to be the Vice President is without an understanding of those issues. It is perhaps telling that John McCain doesn't get it either. He didn't understand the economy until it came crashing down. He doesn't get Iraq was a devious adventure brought on by unethical people who placed their misguided values ahead of common sense and more importantly the national interest. It is appropriate that he is linked with Sarah Palin because there is no clearer evidence that this guy doesn't get it. More important, however, is the realization that the lack of depth on one side and stubborn bullheadedness on the other is simply frightening.
Let's raise the bar a bit and expect the candidates to have an awareness of the country and the world and all its complexities. We have had enough of simplistic answers to complex issues. We have had enough of politicians who decry people who talk in complex sentences. Simplistic solutions to complex problem leads us to nowhere but where we have been. Oh, by the way, Ms. Palin's cute little remark about it is not time to look back but look forward. There was a wise philosopher who observed that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.
Then, there was the obvious claim by the Republican surrogates that Palin again communicated to the American People. “She looked right into the camera and connected.” Well, the only people she could have connected with are those who already buy into her brand of populism. “Golly Gee, I'm Sarah Palin and Me and John are going to change Washington and get rid of greed on Wall Street because me and John are reformers and we know how to reform the things that need reforming.” Wink. Wink. Smile. Smile.
Oh yeah, she certainly strutted her stuff. The person who couldn't name a newspaper or a magazine didn't really answer a single question. The build up to this event was cast as high drama when in fact it turned out to be nothing but a farce.
Sarah is likable but she has no depth. She was plucked from no where and thrown on the national scene. Her credentials are thin. There is no way to make this woman's experience for anything other than what it is. Who actually vetted this woman? What were the questions that was posed to her? Did anyone listen critically to her responses? Perhaps the disciples of Rove and Atwater believe that their tactics will in the end be the deciding factor in this election regardless of the knowledge base or skill set of the candidate. Heck, they sold George W. Bush to America.
As these tacticians carve out demographics and put their operatives to work stripping election roles and employing fear tactics to scare the voters to their candidates, one can only ask if these same unethical efforts will win the day.
Sarah Palin seems to be a good hearted giddy conservative. I don't agree with anything she has to say. Quite frankly, I don't even understand what she is saying. I realize I am not one who buys into slogans generated by professional politicians of the ilk of those professed by “neocons.” It is a very disturbing sign of the time that we are facing critical issues on many levels and that the person selected to be the Vice President is without an understanding of those issues. It is perhaps telling that John McCain doesn't get it either. He didn't understand the economy until it came crashing down. He doesn't get Iraq was a devious adventure brought on by unethical people who placed their misguided values ahead of common sense and more importantly the national interest. It is appropriate that he is linked with Sarah Palin because there is no clearer evidence that this guy doesn't get it. More important, however, is the realization that the lack of depth on one side and stubborn bullheadedness on the other is simply frightening.
Let's raise the bar a bit and expect the candidates to have an awareness of the country and the world and all its complexities. We have had enough of simplistic answers to complex issues. We have had enough of politicians who decry people who talk in complex sentences. Simplistic solutions to complex problem leads us to nowhere but where we have been. Oh, by the way, Ms. Palin's cute little remark about it is not time to look back but look forward. There was a wise philosopher who observed that those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Tom Delay! You got to be Kidding
I have commented on the press in earlier blogs. Beyond the limits of any acceptable principle, MSNBC has gone so far off the scale as to make their attempt at full coverage ludicrous. Turning on the tv, there in all his splendor was Tom Delay. Tom Delay, the disgraced Texas congressmen, who personally redefined usury who made a mockery of the one man one vote rule. There he was giving his opinion on the fiscal fallout and the activity of the presidential candidates. One cannot find a more disgraced and unethical person who used his office as his personal trough to garner capital slop from any source. He and his buddy, Jack Abramoff, demonstrated what the Reagan revolution was really about. Double talking snake oil salesman the likes of Delay should stay under whatever rock they hid under.
Who is making the decision to get a disgraced politician to comment on anything save their own crimes? Is the pool of talking heads so diminished as to cause network executives to lift up stones in search of someone, anyone? Is there no moral or ethical standard applied to those allowed to get on the air? Lewis Carroll is the only one who could explain the state of tv journalism. Perhaps some executive might consider having someone like Ted Bundy comment on blind dating.
We are awash in pundits who pontificates so they can glow in the lime light and garner another fifteen minutes of fame. We are faced with the depressing future of seeing one after another of these so called authorities explaining events to us. Where are the real grungy reporters who don’t sleep and don’t shave as they follow every lead to get at the truth? We need more reporters like Dana Priest and Anne Hull to replace these made up models who read the first paragraph of a paper so they can “report” on the topic they are assigned. I don’t think any of these supposed reporters ever break a story. They get exclusives which is to say they get another vapid interview form another supposed expert resulting in a report with the depth of a rain puddle. What we don't need is to put the camera on another has been. I would bet that someone does all the research and these so called tv reporters only get to babble about it. These presentations are so contrived animated characters could do the job. Schabb is doing it with his commercials. Why not bring it to these cable news programs? Just think of all the money the bean counters could save on hair spray and pancake make-up.
We are told we are living through a most serious time politically, financially, and globally. We have a crisis in confidence in our president. We suspect the motives of the folks in Congress. At times, it would appear that the future of the human race hangs in the balance. Madmen, fanatics, idiots, demagogues, thieves, dictators, all are pushing us and this planet into a spiral of destruction. Given all that, it is time to get rid of this tabloid mentality in the news. It is time for the press to take on the responsibility that the founding fathers placed with them. We don’t need another pretty face to tell us what we already know. We need dedicated men and women to take their credentials and get to the bottom of all this craziness. Please no more stars, no more personalities, no more superficial analysts who will read a paragraph or two and then bore us with their take on it. And for god sakes, will someone wipe the smile of their faces? Giddiness has it place and that it is in preschool. Mostly, we need to charge the offices where decisions are being made on these twenty-four seven news channels and throw the executives out. They have single handedly reduced the venerable fourth estate to a joke!
These are serious times and Ken and Barbie dolls or loud mouth ex-political operatives are not what we need. We need journalists who are dedicated to the ideas of a free press. We don’t need would be stars who travel about in chauffeured cars looking for some hack to fill their allotted five minutes of time. We need to get back to the days when reporting was reporting. Currently, our tv news is nothing but a playground for a collection of pundits who are more impressed with their own persona than the dire events we are facing. Freedom of the press is a serious responsibility. I am sure the framers of the constitution didn’t carve this principle into our constitution so the network can parade these clowns in front of us.
Who is making the decision to get a disgraced politician to comment on anything save their own crimes? Is the pool of talking heads so diminished as to cause network executives to lift up stones in search of someone, anyone? Is there no moral or ethical standard applied to those allowed to get on the air? Lewis Carroll is the only one who could explain the state of tv journalism. Perhaps some executive might consider having someone like Ted Bundy comment on blind dating.
We are awash in pundits who pontificates so they can glow in the lime light and garner another fifteen minutes of fame. We are faced with the depressing future of seeing one after another of these so called authorities explaining events to us. Where are the real grungy reporters who don’t sleep and don’t shave as they follow every lead to get at the truth? We need more reporters like Dana Priest and Anne Hull to replace these made up models who read the first paragraph of a paper so they can “report” on the topic they are assigned. I don’t think any of these supposed reporters ever break a story. They get exclusives which is to say they get another vapid interview form another supposed expert resulting in a report with the depth of a rain puddle. What we don't need is to put the camera on another has been. I would bet that someone does all the research and these so called tv reporters only get to babble about it. These presentations are so contrived animated characters could do the job. Schabb is doing it with his commercials. Why not bring it to these cable news programs? Just think of all the money the bean counters could save on hair spray and pancake make-up.
We are told we are living through a most serious time politically, financially, and globally. We have a crisis in confidence in our president. We suspect the motives of the folks in Congress. At times, it would appear that the future of the human race hangs in the balance. Madmen, fanatics, idiots, demagogues, thieves, dictators, all are pushing us and this planet into a spiral of destruction. Given all that, it is time to get rid of this tabloid mentality in the news. It is time for the press to take on the responsibility that the founding fathers placed with them. We don’t need another pretty face to tell us what we already know. We need dedicated men and women to take their credentials and get to the bottom of all this craziness. Please no more stars, no more personalities, no more superficial analysts who will read a paragraph or two and then bore us with their take on it. And for god sakes, will someone wipe the smile of their faces? Giddiness has it place and that it is in preschool. Mostly, we need to charge the offices where decisions are being made on these twenty-four seven news channels and throw the executives out. They have single handedly reduced the venerable fourth estate to a joke!
These are serious times and Ken and Barbie dolls or loud mouth ex-political operatives are not what we need. We need journalists who are dedicated to the ideas of a free press. We don’t need would be stars who travel about in chauffeured cars looking for some hack to fill their allotted five minutes of time. We need to get back to the days when reporting was reporting. Currently, our tv news is nothing but a playground for a collection of pundits who are more impressed with their own persona than the dire events we are facing. Freedom of the press is a serious responsibility. I am sure the framers of the constitution didn’t carve this principle into our constitution so the network can parade these clowns in front of us.
BS, Lies, and Spin
In an episode of Seinfeld. George, the consummate liar, was instructing Jerry how to beat the lie detector test. His admonishment, “if you believe, it isn't a lie.” That is the deal today. Has any candidate or their surrogate said anything other than the talking points of the campaign? The prime rule is to stay on message and ignore any inquiry that might lead to the actual facts. In modern day parlance, it is known as “spin.” It isn't a phenomenon of just the campaign. It is also the hallmark of all public pronouncements. In fact, public and private entities have a public relations specialist. Only when the proverbial crap hits the fan does the public get a modicum of the truth.
This current financial meltdown is as much a product of the unadulterated crap that came out of Bush White House. If you recall, the fundamentals of the economy were always strong. We are lead to believe that almost any major negative aspect on this globe is nothing to worry about. Thus the most horrific act of inhumanity can be massaged into a statement that makes the victims appear to be the responsible parties for the mayhem. The whole world is awash in “bs.” The sad thing is when the legitimate press attempts to ferret out the truth the liars get even more time to fill the air with their spin. You never get anything but talking points. No one believes this crap. Even if a reporter insists on the truth, it get them no where. How this nonsense continues defies reason. We are creating a world that even Orwell would find it difficult to write about.
The problem, in a nutshell, is as much or more time spent crafting a position than dealing with the truth. We live in a world where responsible parties are sticking to talking points. Thus, a conservative or a press representative can get on the air and talk about whatever it is that will cast the issue in a positive light. No matter the issue or the problem, we get spin and little else. As for McCain, he rails against greed while conveniently forgetting about the Savings and Loan corruption and his role in creating it. He castigates Obama for his lack of experience and yet defends his choice of Sarah Palin. “The most popular governor in the country.” “The chief executive of the largest state.” “The proximity of Alaska is sufficient experience in the area of international issues.” And all of this said with a straight face and a demeanor than lets anyone know that to question him is to be subject to his wrath.
What bugs me about this simplistic and devious projection is what the candidate carries forward to his administration. The most striking thing about the presidential debate for me is the arrogance of this old and tired man. He is a difficult, cankerous, opinionated frat boy who is hell bent on proving to his dead father than he can cut the muster. This Oedipus complex is again rearing its tragic head again in our lives.
As for McCain being a Maverick, one has to look a bit deeper into the meaning of this word. He is a maverick all right: a wild and untamed beast that carries a great deal of aggression. He doesn't attempt to reason with a person. No, McCain's way is to misrepresent the facts and to portray himself as some grand patriot and gift to the nation and the world. When in fact, he is petty, argumentative, and pugnacious. He is dangerous because he believes he is right. And for Sarah Palin? Well, she speaks for herself.
This current financial meltdown is as much a product of the unadulterated crap that came out of Bush White House. If you recall, the fundamentals of the economy were always strong. We are lead to believe that almost any major negative aspect on this globe is nothing to worry about. Thus the most horrific act of inhumanity can be massaged into a statement that makes the victims appear to be the responsible parties for the mayhem. The whole world is awash in “bs.” The sad thing is when the legitimate press attempts to ferret out the truth the liars get even more time to fill the air with their spin. You never get anything but talking points. No one believes this crap. Even if a reporter insists on the truth, it get them no where. How this nonsense continues defies reason. We are creating a world that even Orwell would find it difficult to write about.
The problem, in a nutshell, is as much or more time spent crafting a position than dealing with the truth. We live in a world where responsible parties are sticking to talking points. Thus, a conservative or a press representative can get on the air and talk about whatever it is that will cast the issue in a positive light. No matter the issue or the problem, we get spin and little else. As for McCain, he rails against greed while conveniently forgetting about the Savings and Loan corruption and his role in creating it. He castigates Obama for his lack of experience and yet defends his choice of Sarah Palin. “The most popular governor in the country.” “The chief executive of the largest state.” “The proximity of Alaska is sufficient experience in the area of international issues.” And all of this said with a straight face and a demeanor than lets anyone know that to question him is to be subject to his wrath.
What bugs me about this simplistic and devious projection is what the candidate carries forward to his administration. The most striking thing about the presidential debate for me is the arrogance of this old and tired man. He is a difficult, cankerous, opinionated frat boy who is hell bent on proving to his dead father than he can cut the muster. This Oedipus complex is again rearing its tragic head again in our lives.
As for McCain being a Maverick, one has to look a bit deeper into the meaning of this word. He is a maverick all right: a wild and untamed beast that carries a great deal of aggression. He doesn't attempt to reason with a person. No, McCain's way is to misrepresent the facts and to portray himself as some grand patriot and gift to the nation and the world. When in fact, he is petty, argumentative, and pugnacious. He is dangerous because he believes he is right. And for Sarah Palin? Well, she speaks for herself.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Just Go
The most casual of readers of this blog know that I lean left of left. And the events of this past week has demonstrated that John McCain and Sarah Palin should just go away. When McCain suspended his campaign, some equated the move to a sports team calling a time out. Now it is clear that the McCain campaign should throw in the towel.
For a man to spew out the accusations that Obama does things for political gain borders on ludicrous considering McCain's actions throughout this campaign. First, they bring up the race issue in a not so subtle way and when Obama calls attention to it, they have the audacity to say he is playing the race card. They talk about Obama lack of experience and then pull from the tundra Sarah Palin, who by any measure is as politically naïve as one can get. They mock the community service of a young man out of college and in the next breath talk about country. One can assume by their statements that they feel a country shouldn't have its citizens pay their fair share of taxes. They talk about tax breaks as if the country has a surplus. They pretend John McCain can fix the economy when he doesn't even comprehend the complexities of what is happening.
But all this pales in comparison to the selection of Sarah Palin. It is a sad day when spin masters can take a naïve young politician and parade her as a maverick reformer. To attempt to change or modify her positions is to insult the electorate. It is not without good reason that they held this woman from the press. She sounds like a high school freshman trying to answer a teacher's question without reading the text.
One hears in her response a total lack of depth on any subject related to high office. She can talk about good and evil, but even then she gets confused and begins to sound like a broken record. If only the world and the issues facing this nation were so simplistic. This business of Alaska being closed to Russia is just plain asinine. Now she is touting as foreign expertise the fact that Alaska borders Canada.
Yes, it is time for the McCain campaign to throw in the towel. Perhaps, this long campaign cycle is what this country needed. The long and arduous road to the election brings out the best and worst of a candidate. It is clear that John McCain is a desperate man who feels he is entitled to ascend to the high office. He brings nothing to this debate save his tired ideas about victory and what is right. His moral compass is spinning madly as he realized that time and events have left him in a position of just being out of the picture. As for his running mate, she sounds like a little girl out of her element. Perhaps she should spend more time at home. It would seem her family needs her and she is not ready to be a heart beat from the presidency.
For a man to spew out the accusations that Obama does things for political gain borders on ludicrous considering McCain's actions throughout this campaign. First, they bring up the race issue in a not so subtle way and when Obama calls attention to it, they have the audacity to say he is playing the race card. They talk about Obama lack of experience and then pull from the tundra Sarah Palin, who by any measure is as politically naïve as one can get. They mock the community service of a young man out of college and in the next breath talk about country. One can assume by their statements that they feel a country shouldn't have its citizens pay their fair share of taxes. They talk about tax breaks as if the country has a surplus. They pretend John McCain can fix the economy when he doesn't even comprehend the complexities of what is happening.
But all this pales in comparison to the selection of Sarah Palin. It is a sad day when spin masters can take a naïve young politician and parade her as a maverick reformer. To attempt to change or modify her positions is to insult the electorate. It is not without good reason that they held this woman from the press. She sounds like a high school freshman trying to answer a teacher's question without reading the text.
One hears in her response a total lack of depth on any subject related to high office. She can talk about good and evil, but even then she gets confused and begins to sound like a broken record. If only the world and the issues facing this nation were so simplistic. This business of Alaska being closed to Russia is just plain asinine. Now she is touting as foreign expertise the fact that Alaska borders Canada.
Yes, it is time for the McCain campaign to throw in the towel. Perhaps, this long campaign cycle is what this country needed. The long and arduous road to the election brings out the best and worst of a candidate. It is clear that John McCain is a desperate man who feels he is entitled to ascend to the high office. He brings nothing to this debate save his tired ideas about victory and what is right. His moral compass is spinning madly as he realized that time and events have left him in a position of just being out of the picture. As for his running mate, she sounds like a little girl out of her element. Perhaps she should spend more time at home. It would seem her family needs her and she is not ready to be a heart beat from the presidency.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Dejavu All Over Again
Our great leader, “W” once mangled the saying, “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.” Does this financial bailout have some scary and previously enacted provisions, like ultimate unquestionable authority bestowed upon the executive branch of government? What in the actions of this administration would warrant giving them authority to do anything but to go to the bathroom? I once thought that this president should be tried for both malfeasance and misfeasance, but now I think his mental state should be reviewed.
This country is faced with bankruptcy. This come after a string of disastrous undertakings: Iraq, Enron and the Wall Street Meltdown. And these are only the most notable. There has been nothing less than a disaster perpetrated either intentionally or incompetently by a bunch of disreputable dullards and corrupt politicians of the rankest order. A serious review of every major office in this administration should be conducted. I would wager a guess that each and every one of these supposed conservatives have been engaged in a whole scale ripping off of this country. It is unbelievable that these incompetents would have the gall to even ask for any authority to do anything.
Was this crisis spontaneous? I can't see how a trillion dollar disaster could happen over the night? And if Mr. Paulson is such a competent person how come he didn't see it coming? In a metaphor, it must have been quite an avalanche of mounting scams? So, let's dispense with competent assertion about this guy. He was asleep at the switch. Seems to be a pattern with Bushies.
Also, what is this reluctance to curtail the salaries of the thieves responsible for this mess? Is this but another “Haliburtonesque” attempt to siphon capital out of the hands of Americans? Also, why isn't there a provision to go after these Wall Street moguls who knowingly or, worse unknowingly, presided over a colossal failure of institutions with the money invested by citizens? It seems to me that Don Henley had it right, “A man with a briefcase can steal more money than a man with a gun.” I don't know what you call it but when someone walks away from his tenure with a total capital accumulation in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars while his company is bankrupt, his investors penniless, and his employees without a dime, this is a crime of the first order.
These flimflam operators need to be arrested, tired and fined for there egregious acts. Then and only then, can we talk about a bail out. God, the fox has been guarding the hen house for eight years now. It is the time to get the fox out. Impeachment hearings should be started immediately. If it stops this government and this administration in its track, it can only curtail this outrageous incompetency and corruption.
This country is faced with bankruptcy. This come after a string of disastrous undertakings: Iraq, Enron and the Wall Street Meltdown. And these are only the most notable. There has been nothing less than a disaster perpetrated either intentionally or incompetently by a bunch of disreputable dullards and corrupt politicians of the rankest order. A serious review of every major office in this administration should be conducted. I would wager a guess that each and every one of these supposed conservatives have been engaged in a whole scale ripping off of this country. It is unbelievable that these incompetents would have the gall to even ask for any authority to do anything.
Was this crisis spontaneous? I can't see how a trillion dollar disaster could happen over the night? And if Mr. Paulson is such a competent person how come he didn't see it coming? In a metaphor, it must have been quite an avalanche of mounting scams? So, let's dispense with competent assertion about this guy. He was asleep at the switch. Seems to be a pattern with Bushies.
Also, what is this reluctance to curtail the salaries of the thieves responsible for this mess? Is this but another “Haliburtonesque” attempt to siphon capital out of the hands of Americans? Also, why isn't there a provision to go after these Wall Street moguls who knowingly or, worse unknowingly, presided over a colossal failure of institutions with the money invested by citizens? It seems to me that Don Henley had it right, “A man with a briefcase can steal more money than a man with a gun.” I don't know what you call it but when someone walks away from his tenure with a total capital accumulation in excess of hundreds of millions of dollars while his company is bankrupt, his investors penniless, and his employees without a dime, this is a crime of the first order.
These flimflam operators need to be arrested, tired and fined for there egregious acts. Then and only then, can we talk about a bail out. God, the fox has been guarding the hen house for eight years now. It is the time to get the fox out. Impeachment hearings should be started immediately. If it stops this government and this administration in its track, it can only curtail this outrageous incompetency and corruption.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
McCain and the Savings and Loan Failure
Bob Dylan once sang you don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind is blowing. Honest Abe once observed you can fool all of the people some of the time, some of the people all the time, but not all of the people all of the time. One just has to laugh at John McCain's pronouncements about the greed on Wall Street and the need for reform. Now, while anyone can utter anything about what they will do in the future, there is no getting around what they have done.
How soon we forget. There was a major financial collapse in the Savings and Loan in the early 1990. One of the five senators cited for personal involvement in the collapse was none other than the “reformer and maverick” John McCain. A citation is in order:
McCain and Keating had become personal friends following their initial contacts in 1981,[10] and McCain was the closest socially to Keating of the five senators.[21] Like DeConcini, McCain considered Keating a constituent as he lived in Arizona.[18] Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in political contributions from Keating and his associates.[22] In addition, McCain's wife Cindy McCain and her father Jim Hensley had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. McCain, his family, and their baby-sitter had made nine trips at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard Keating's jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating's opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay. McCain did not pay Keating (in the amount of $13,433) for some of the trips until years after they were taken, when he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
Yes, one can misrepresent what one will do, but what one did is a matter of record. Forget Palin in this matter. She has little experience and little knowledge of the world outside of her home state. McCain's claim of being a reformer borders on fraudulent at the least it is misleading. He is knee deep in the politics of the right. In a world of limited resources one needs to argue where one's loyalty lies. The fact is, and here's another cliché or truism, birds of a feather flock together.
In a time when a rational honest discussion of the issues is needed to make an informed decision, all we get from McCain is rhetoric that is outright misleading. Let's face it McCain's misrepresentations border on the ludicrous. His choice of Palin was engineered by neocons who haven't yet depleted the treasury. There is this misplaced belief in eminent domain. That somehow one is deserving of the presidency because of some history of service. This is bunk. And just the fact that McCain and Keating were buddies should disqualify him from a position of trust. It is not to discredit his claim as a reformer.
The world is not safer because of the misadventure in Iraq, the economy is no better because of deregulation, the food is not cleaner because of right wing food and drug administration, and the disaster response was no sharper because the president, this time, was on watch. McCain, if he is anything, is a product of a twisted belief in less government. Yes, in an ideal world and if people were pure, less government would be the order. But our problems are big, the issues complex. Misrepresentations and outright lies are what got us in the pickle we find ourselves. Pronouncements of indignation when the proverbial crap hits the fan are laugable.
It is ironic that John McCain constantly uses the refrain, “My Friends.” Is he talking to Mr. Keating or the hundred of thousands of small folk who were ripped off in the Savings and Loan Debacle that he had his big paws in engineering?
How soon we forget. There was a major financial collapse in the Savings and Loan in the early 1990. One of the five senators cited for personal involvement in the collapse was none other than the “reformer and maverick” John McCain. A citation is in order:
McCain and Keating had become personal friends following their initial contacts in 1981,[10] and McCain was the closest socially to Keating of the five senators.[21] Like DeConcini, McCain considered Keating a constituent as he lived in Arizona.[18] Between 1982 and 1987, McCain had received $112,000 in political contributions from Keating and his associates.[22] In addition, McCain's wife Cindy McCain and her father Jim Hensley had invested $359,100 in a Keating shopping center in April 1986, a year before McCain met with the regulators. McCain, his family, and their baby-sitter had made nine trips at Keating's expense, sometimes aboard Keating's jet. Three of the trips were made during vacations to Keating's opulent Bahamas retreat at Cat Cay. McCain did not pay Keating (in the amount of $13,433) for some of the trips until years after they were taken, when he learned that Keating was in trouble over Lincoln. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keating_Five
Yes, one can misrepresent what one will do, but what one did is a matter of record. Forget Palin in this matter. She has little experience and little knowledge of the world outside of her home state. McCain's claim of being a reformer borders on fraudulent at the least it is misleading. He is knee deep in the politics of the right. In a world of limited resources one needs to argue where one's loyalty lies. The fact is, and here's another cliché or truism, birds of a feather flock together.
In a time when a rational honest discussion of the issues is needed to make an informed decision, all we get from McCain is rhetoric that is outright misleading. Let's face it McCain's misrepresentations border on the ludicrous. His choice of Palin was engineered by neocons who haven't yet depleted the treasury. There is this misplaced belief in eminent domain. That somehow one is deserving of the presidency because of some history of service. This is bunk. And just the fact that McCain and Keating were buddies should disqualify him from a position of trust. It is not to discredit his claim as a reformer.
The world is not safer because of the misadventure in Iraq, the economy is no better because of deregulation, the food is not cleaner because of right wing food and drug administration, and the disaster response was no sharper because the president, this time, was on watch. McCain, if he is anything, is a product of a twisted belief in less government. Yes, in an ideal world and if people were pure, less government would be the order. But our problems are big, the issues complex. Misrepresentations and outright lies are what got us in the pickle we find ourselves. Pronouncements of indignation when the proverbial crap hits the fan are laugable.
It is ironic that John McCain constantly uses the refrain, “My Friends.” Is he talking to Mr. Keating or the hundred of thousands of small folk who were ripped off in the Savings and Loan Debacle that he had his big paws in engineering?
Sunday, September 14, 2008
A Nation Divided
America is in decline. We are broaching upon the eventual demise of a once great idea. I would say country but America hasn't existed as a country for a while now. We are indeed a conglomerate of red and blue states. Our identity as a nation has been fractured beyond repair. How else can we be witness to a sitting president with 80% or so disapproval rating, yet a growing sense that the electorate is enamored by the entry of a naive, tough talking, small minded devious politician who cites slogans for policy statements?
A single look at an electoral map of these United States will reveal entrenched leanings that defy any attempt at unity. We are awash in a country of extremes. I lean toward the left and must admit that I have little tolerance for anyone who would impose their moral and religious beliefs upon me. Yet, all I heard at the Republican convention and the Palin rallies is the chant “USA” “USA.” And behind that chant is the belief that all of the actions of the past eight years are what this country is all about.
And as we grow close to election day, it would appear Americans are buying into the McCain and Palin ticket. Palin is the embodiment of the Ronald Reagan myth. She might well be channeling him. Reagan stands as an icon in American History to many people who never look critically at the past. Yet if we examine his record and the man, we see little but the facade of an independent, wild west kind of leader. It was as if he rode off the silver screen and into the hearts of the people. Palin storms out of Alaska with a whole new history contrived by spin masters designed to shape her as an independent reformer. She has the depth of a pit bull with lipstick, a phrase they coined for her persona. And the people take it in. It is no wonder she is fodder for pop magazine. Heck Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears are always plastered on the cover of the mass media.
Where does this leave us? Red Americans like to bad mouth intellectuals. They like to denigrate highly educated folks. Remember George W. was a “C” student. One wonders how he managed that average. McCain talks with pride at being at the bottom of his class. Palin likes to talk up the value of her small town mentality. George W's administration will go down in history as the most corrupt, most incompetent administration in this nation's history. Yet more awaits. It is not enough to be glib. That didn't save anyone who died in New Orleans. It is not enough to be tough. The lives of young soldiers are much too sacred to sacrifice. It isn't enough to lie to get the job. Because in the end, all the bluster and lies serve only to install but another bumbler who thinks that a Christian God is on his side. I had often thought that a common man would be the best president. But the job is much too complex and the world is a stew of dangerous complexities. It is interesting that the red Americans have long for the iconic Ronald Reagan to reappear on the scene. And give the Republicans operators credit for they found a young brazen shallow woman who speaks with the ease that only confidence in one's own ignorance can provide.
A single look at an electoral map of these United States will reveal entrenched leanings that defy any attempt at unity. We are awash in a country of extremes. I lean toward the left and must admit that I have little tolerance for anyone who would impose their moral and religious beliefs upon me. Yet, all I heard at the Republican convention and the Palin rallies is the chant “USA” “USA.” And behind that chant is the belief that all of the actions of the past eight years are what this country is all about.
And as we grow close to election day, it would appear Americans are buying into the McCain and Palin ticket. Palin is the embodiment of the Ronald Reagan myth. She might well be channeling him. Reagan stands as an icon in American History to many people who never look critically at the past. Yet if we examine his record and the man, we see little but the facade of an independent, wild west kind of leader. It was as if he rode off the silver screen and into the hearts of the people. Palin storms out of Alaska with a whole new history contrived by spin masters designed to shape her as an independent reformer. She has the depth of a pit bull with lipstick, a phrase they coined for her persona. And the people take it in. It is no wonder she is fodder for pop magazine. Heck Paris Hilton and Brittany Spears are always plastered on the cover of the mass media.
Where does this leave us? Red Americans like to bad mouth intellectuals. They like to denigrate highly educated folks. Remember George W. was a “C” student. One wonders how he managed that average. McCain talks with pride at being at the bottom of his class. Palin likes to talk up the value of her small town mentality. George W's administration will go down in history as the most corrupt, most incompetent administration in this nation's history. Yet more awaits. It is not enough to be glib. That didn't save anyone who died in New Orleans. It is not enough to be tough. The lives of young soldiers are much too sacred to sacrifice. It isn't enough to lie to get the job. Because in the end, all the bluster and lies serve only to install but another bumbler who thinks that a Christian God is on his side. I had often thought that a common man would be the best president. But the job is much too complex and the world is a stew of dangerous complexities. It is interesting that the red Americans have long for the iconic Ronald Reagan to reappear on the scene. And give the Republicans operators credit for they found a young brazen shallow woman who speaks with the ease that only confidence in one's own ignorance can provide.
Friday, September 12, 2008
On Hubris and Humility
Hubris and humility, which would you prefer in a leader? It is clear hubris is a character flaw so deeply ingrained into the psyche of an individual as to bring its subject to the brink of a grand disaster. When it is time for reason and judgment to prevail, hubris is that which sends its victim over the top an into the pit of failure. The Greeks who knew human nature saw the dark and disturbing aspect of this disease of the ego. While not a psychologist or a psychiatrist for that matter, I would think overconfidence plays an important role in the development of this character trait. Humility, on the other hand, is a characteristic that curtails the over development of an ego. The person with this personality trait often recognizes the trust people place in them. They assume their role with a sense of obligation to those who bestow that trust. Lincoln in his many words often understood the responsibility that comes along with trust.
Last night we got a glimpse of Ms. (oh, I guess she prefers Mrs.) Palin. When asked about her being called upon to serve as Vice Presidential candidate she responded without a bit of humility, she plunged right into saying she was ready. Mr. Gibson was struck with the response. Now, I am not sure she wouldn't be able to do the job. Let's face it as along as McCain is vertical no problem. She can get her passport and see the world, provided, of course, she brings the spin masters around with her. Heck it's better than joining the Navy especially with the old warrior waiting to deploy the forces in any theater he may believe to be a real or imagined threat.
Heck, coming from Alaska and shooting moose and gutting them, makes one cocky. Heck standing there with an assault rifle gives one confidence beyond common sense. But high office demands a different skill set. Humility allows a person to learn and grow and understand. Hubris, on the other hand, drives a person to a place beyond redemption or success. It is a flaw so ingrained in human nature that not many survive its devastating consequences. Its root cause I suspect comes from overconfidence and lack of understanding of the complex nature of many aspects of life. For the average person, the consequences are bankruptcy, firings, or failed relationships. For leaders, their personal fortunes fail but also those who blindly follow them.
Both McCain and Palin have demonstrated evidence of budding hubris: McCain with his incessant call for victory in a land we have no right to be in, and Palin with her smug acerbic tongue who equates seeing Russia from the remote corners of Alaska with expertise in foreign affairs. These are the times that should cause every person to look closely at two who are diving head first down the perilous rabbit hole of self indulgence and entitlement.
Last night we got a glimpse of Ms. (oh, I guess she prefers Mrs.) Palin. When asked about her being called upon to serve as Vice Presidential candidate she responded without a bit of humility, she plunged right into saying she was ready. Mr. Gibson was struck with the response. Now, I am not sure she wouldn't be able to do the job. Let's face it as along as McCain is vertical no problem. She can get her passport and see the world, provided, of course, she brings the spin masters around with her. Heck it's better than joining the Navy especially with the old warrior waiting to deploy the forces in any theater he may believe to be a real or imagined threat.
Heck, coming from Alaska and shooting moose and gutting them, makes one cocky. Heck standing there with an assault rifle gives one confidence beyond common sense. But high office demands a different skill set. Humility allows a person to learn and grow and understand. Hubris, on the other hand, drives a person to a place beyond redemption or success. It is a flaw so ingrained in human nature that not many survive its devastating consequences. Its root cause I suspect comes from overconfidence and lack of understanding of the complex nature of many aspects of life. For the average person, the consequences are bankruptcy, firings, or failed relationships. For leaders, their personal fortunes fail but also those who blindly follow them.
Both McCain and Palin have demonstrated evidence of budding hubris: McCain with his incessant call for victory in a land we have no right to be in, and Palin with her smug acerbic tongue who equates seeing Russia from the remote corners of Alaska with expertise in foreign affairs. These are the times that should cause every person to look closely at two who are diving head first down the perilous rabbit hole of self indulgence and entitlement.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Palin and the Kool Aid
Just what this country needs a pit bull along side a senile president. Sort of like having a dim-witted president with a dark devious one at his side. One can imagine the scenarios that will evolve out this current “miracle match.”
The thing that bugs me the most with a smug politician is the arrogance of their questionable beliefs. It is most interesting that Cindy McCain thinks that creationism should be taught along with evolution. Obviously a Palin tenet. Curious, isn't it? I wonder if she believes medical schools should teach voodoo along with medicine? And how about the arcane American principle, the separation of church and state?
And Sarah, the hockey mom with engaging rhetoric and a acerbic tongue, rises in the polls because Americans are indeed enamored by celebrity. They also want change. You can't sell these Republicans short. They steal a good thing when they see it.
I really don't give a hoot if she is from a small town. I couldn't care less if she has no experience. The thing that troubles me about this person is that she is a product of the people who gave us this current mess. The inability to examine one's belief in the face of conflicting ones is problematic. Standing up for one's conviction is one thing, doing so in the face of evidence to the contrary is a serious problem. It is not so much that certain fundamentalists (all of them regardless of creed) persist in their beliefs but that they denigrate even destroy those who hold different ones. Pluralism is essential for a free society. People who believe that their practices give them a direct link to a power greater than the world is a group that will destroy whatever is in its path including the world itself.
So, this is what bugs me about this woman. The people she followed can take us into a reckless and ill advised act like the Iraq Adventure and then she sees a connection between it and her Christian beliefs. Is this any different than the residents of Jones Town drinking down the Kool-Aid?
The thing that bugs me the most with a smug politician is the arrogance of their questionable beliefs. It is most interesting that Cindy McCain thinks that creationism should be taught along with evolution. Obviously a Palin tenet. Curious, isn't it? I wonder if she believes medical schools should teach voodoo along with medicine? And how about the arcane American principle, the separation of church and state?
And Sarah, the hockey mom with engaging rhetoric and a acerbic tongue, rises in the polls because Americans are indeed enamored by celebrity. They also want change. You can't sell these Republicans short. They steal a good thing when they see it.
I really don't give a hoot if she is from a small town. I couldn't care less if she has no experience. The thing that troubles me about this person is that she is a product of the people who gave us this current mess. The inability to examine one's belief in the face of conflicting ones is problematic. Standing up for one's conviction is one thing, doing so in the face of evidence to the contrary is a serious problem. It is not so much that certain fundamentalists (all of them regardless of creed) persist in their beliefs but that they denigrate even destroy those who hold different ones. Pluralism is essential for a free society. People who believe that their practices give them a direct link to a power greater than the world is a group that will destroy whatever is in its path including the world itself.
So, this is what bugs me about this woman. The people she followed can take us into a reckless and ill advised act like the Iraq Adventure and then she sees a connection between it and her Christian beliefs. Is this any different than the residents of Jones Town drinking down the Kool-Aid?
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Rx Disaster
I guess it is a sign of the time that folks can't really afford to go to the doctors. It must be the case because the drug companies are by passing the normal channels in their efforts to push their drugs. That must be the reason why that there are so many commercials on television diagnosing our ills and the pills to remedy the situation.
From weak bones, to big prostrates, to bronchial issues, to anxiety, to depression, and of course, the limp penis. We are obviously not going to the doctors with our symptoms. Otherwise our family practitioner would know when our mister happy wasn't responding. She would know that we have difficulty breathing. But when 42.6 million ( http://www.govspot.com/know/insurance.htm) of us are without coverage, the drug companies have taken upon themselves to promote the public good with helpful diagnosis of conditions and the cure for them. You see the drug companies are really public servants and not really capitalists who gouge individuals while promoting their less than effective and sometimes dangerous products. Yeah right.
The irony of this country is that its health system is based on enriching stock holders and the corporate elite. The sheer volume of paperwork required to administer this monstrosity is beyond reason. The outrageous salaries of drug company executives and the insurance moguls defy common sense. The entire system is laden down with complicated procedures designed to restrict the delivery of health care.
The question that baffles me is, Why do some people profit off of health care? Yes, I can see doctors and others getting a just reward for their labor. But please do we really need some sleazy company in Hartford to issue the check? Why?
Let's get to an economic issue. One of the biggest expense employers face is the provision of medical care. The fact that this issue is uppermost in the minds of any employer indicates that something is awry. Now let us say we had a single pool of money. All employers would contribute and then take away the private insurance plans, wouldn't that eliminate costs. Wouldn't that system allow a company not to worry about this particular aspect of hiring? Wouldn't that make the company more competitive?
I realize this is a simplistic look at a very big national issue. But can't Ockham's razor apply in this matter? Why not make the health care deliver system simple? Make it possible for every one to have a doctor who knows them and can prescribe medication. It would be a lot better than someone scratching their crotch and wondering if a dose of Viagra is the cure he needs?
From weak bones, to big prostrates, to bronchial issues, to anxiety, to depression, and of course, the limp penis. We are obviously not going to the doctors with our symptoms. Otherwise our family practitioner would know when our mister happy wasn't responding. She would know that we have difficulty breathing. But when 42.6 million ( http://www.govspot.com/know/insurance.htm) of us are without coverage, the drug companies have taken upon themselves to promote the public good with helpful diagnosis of conditions and the cure for them. You see the drug companies are really public servants and not really capitalists who gouge individuals while promoting their less than effective and sometimes dangerous products. Yeah right.
The irony of this country is that its health system is based on enriching stock holders and the corporate elite. The sheer volume of paperwork required to administer this monstrosity is beyond reason. The outrageous salaries of drug company executives and the insurance moguls defy common sense. The entire system is laden down with complicated procedures designed to restrict the delivery of health care.
The question that baffles me is, Why do some people profit off of health care? Yes, I can see doctors and others getting a just reward for their labor. But please do we really need some sleazy company in Hartford to issue the check? Why?
Let's get to an economic issue. One of the biggest expense employers face is the provision of medical care. The fact that this issue is uppermost in the minds of any employer indicates that something is awry. Now let us say we had a single pool of money. All employers would contribute and then take away the private insurance plans, wouldn't that eliminate costs. Wouldn't that system allow a company not to worry about this particular aspect of hiring? Wouldn't that make the company more competitive?
I realize this is a simplistic look at a very big national issue. But can't Ockham's razor apply in this matter? Why not make the health care deliver system simple? Make it possible for every one to have a doctor who knows them and can prescribe medication. It would be a lot better than someone scratching their crotch and wondering if a dose of Viagra is the cure he needs?
Saturday, September 6, 2008
No Mas for the Operatives
Well, there I was trying to get some information on a Saturday morning. I subscribe to XM and tuned to “potus” dial 130. Usually, there is some discussion of politics which is an area that interest me. Who is on the air? None other than Karl Rove. Of all the people given air time he is the last to offer anything objective. On another station, I caught the ending of a discussion with Marvin Kalb. His point was the media and the politicians and their minions are too close, and it is not serving the First Amendment.
These two incidents caused me to think. Has any operative or candidate ever said anything off message? The handlers have mastered the art of the interview. How many times have you heard a question posed to one of these politicians and the answer has nothing to do with the question? Many times a compliant interviewer will move on. Even if pushed the candidate or operative will go on and on till they win the tete a tete. Enough already.
Let us separate the press from the politician. It is not getting at the truth if all we are going to get is the same old baloney. I know that the press will have to work harder, but heck isn't there an inherent responsibility to get at truth.
Getting back to Rove and his ilk, they continue to propagandize at every opportunity. Their insights are designed for a specific purpose and that is to promote their agenda. Their blatant attempts at manipulating public opinion defy description. The sad thing is to see the media kowtow to their pronouncements as if they were actually insights or legitimate observations. How many times at both conventions was blather presented as insight?
The darker more nefarious and certainly troublesome phenomenon is the movement of press folks from the dark corner of governments to the studios. There are any number of current personalities who owe their start to politicians. The press folks for politicians are not objective observers. Their job is to manipulate and manage news. One wonders about the ease of the flow from one role to the other. The late Tony Snow moved from the rankest of conservative bastions to the press room of the White House. I recall the talking heads all commenting this would be a boost for the presidency. Curious, that the other poor fellow Scott McClennan was lambasted by those who graduated from propagandists to political commentators. The lesson is simple. Outsiders need not breach the current movement between the so called legitimate press and the offices of public affairs.
What does that mean? There is no room for anyone who tells the truth about an administration who were all about managing the news to act on their devious, if not criminal, plans? Loyalty is one thing; exposing lies and their damn lairs is an act that should be lauded. More ludicrous is to allow propaganda to be aired as if it is information.
These two incidents caused me to think. Has any operative or candidate ever said anything off message? The handlers have mastered the art of the interview. How many times have you heard a question posed to one of these politicians and the answer has nothing to do with the question? Many times a compliant interviewer will move on. Even if pushed the candidate or operative will go on and on till they win the tete a tete. Enough already.
Let us separate the press from the politician. It is not getting at the truth if all we are going to get is the same old baloney. I know that the press will have to work harder, but heck isn't there an inherent responsibility to get at truth.
Getting back to Rove and his ilk, they continue to propagandize at every opportunity. Their insights are designed for a specific purpose and that is to promote their agenda. Their blatant attempts at manipulating public opinion defy description. The sad thing is to see the media kowtow to their pronouncements as if they were actually insights or legitimate observations. How many times at both conventions was blather presented as insight?
The darker more nefarious and certainly troublesome phenomenon is the movement of press folks from the dark corner of governments to the studios. There are any number of current personalities who owe their start to politicians. The press folks for politicians are not objective observers. Their job is to manipulate and manage news. One wonders about the ease of the flow from one role to the other. The late Tony Snow moved from the rankest of conservative bastions to the press room of the White House. I recall the talking heads all commenting this would be a boost for the presidency. Curious, that the other poor fellow Scott McClennan was lambasted by those who graduated from propagandists to political commentators. The lesson is simple. Outsiders need not breach the current movement between the so called legitimate press and the offices of public affairs.
What does that mean? There is no room for anyone who tells the truth about an administration who were all about managing the news to act on their devious, if not criminal, plans? Loyalty is one thing; exposing lies and their damn lairs is an act that should be lauded. More ludicrous is to allow propaganda to be aired as if it is information.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Stop Election BS
Well, the conventions are over. Now the serious bs begins. Jackson Browne observed in one of his songs that we elect our president like we buy our soap. I think, however, the soap manufacturers might be subject to truth in advertising while the political operatives conjure up tv and radio spots based on the latest polling data. Truth has nothing to do with the crafting of the message. Falsehood seems to be standard.
What is most disturbing about this American election is that we are asked if we want to contribute to this travesty of democracy on out tax forms. John McCain is getting 84 million in public funding. Obama declined figuring he could get more through contributions. And now the game gets serious. And tv and radio and print salesmen can't help but salivate at the prospects. Overseeing this circus of circumvention is a host of regulatory bodies.
Let's stop for a moment and ask some simple questions. Who grants licensing to tv and radio stations? Aren't stations ask to demonstrate and provide time for the public good? Public service announcement and the like are required. How come stations can make millions and millions of dollars and yet the most important and certainly central event in a democracy is the elections is not considered in this category.
I offer a simple solution. First, no political advertising. Is this a curtailment of the First Amendment? Well, I remember that argument that the First Amendment gives no one the right to shout out “fire” in a theater. Certainly, the bs that parades as information can be questioned. But how about if we skirt this touchy issue.
Let's give all candidates a set amount of time. I don't care what it is. It certainly can be substantial, say fifty hours a piece. Also, let's use one of the public, non-partisan watch dog group to review the candidates' message. Any statement that fails a veracity test will be so noted. Now I would prefer a simple “BS” in red flashed across the screen anytime an outright fabrication is utter by a candidate. There could be various other warnings, like “fudging the statistics.” What I am suggesting is that outright deceptive statements need to be called for what they are. Isn't it more important we protect our freedom by exposing any all bs from the information receive upon which we vote for a candidate than to allow some group or candidate to lie.
I find it interesting that the press for the most part talks of the aura of a candidate statements. “Oh she was striking in her presentation.” The time for serious politics is at hand. We can't rely on the media for they are engaged in deceptive dance with the politicians. They talk to each other so much that they start to believe the bs of each other and further promote their own welfare.
The public needs to be saved from this display of political bs. We need to have intelligent presentations of issues not sixty seconds of bs designed to dupe us into believing what we are inclined to believe.
And oh by the way. Let's get the media out of the debates. Pontificating personalities have no place in our public debate. If the media had pursued a course of the public good, perhaps. But each and every news outlet promotes itself. My recommendation is to have a reputable college polemics department hold the debate and make sure the participants stick to the format. No more one liners that stay on message.
We need a serious election based on issues and positions.
What is most disturbing about this American election is that we are asked if we want to contribute to this travesty of democracy on out tax forms. John McCain is getting 84 million in public funding. Obama declined figuring he could get more through contributions. And now the game gets serious. And tv and radio and print salesmen can't help but salivate at the prospects. Overseeing this circus of circumvention is a host of regulatory bodies.
Let's stop for a moment and ask some simple questions. Who grants licensing to tv and radio stations? Aren't stations ask to demonstrate and provide time for the public good? Public service announcement and the like are required. How come stations can make millions and millions of dollars and yet the most important and certainly central event in a democracy is the elections is not considered in this category.
I offer a simple solution. First, no political advertising. Is this a curtailment of the First Amendment? Well, I remember that argument that the First Amendment gives no one the right to shout out “fire” in a theater. Certainly, the bs that parades as information can be questioned. But how about if we skirt this touchy issue.
Let's give all candidates a set amount of time. I don't care what it is. It certainly can be substantial, say fifty hours a piece. Also, let's use one of the public, non-partisan watch dog group to review the candidates' message. Any statement that fails a veracity test will be so noted. Now I would prefer a simple “BS” in red flashed across the screen anytime an outright fabrication is utter by a candidate. There could be various other warnings, like “fudging the statistics.” What I am suggesting is that outright deceptive statements need to be called for what they are. Isn't it more important we protect our freedom by exposing any all bs from the information receive upon which we vote for a candidate than to allow some group or candidate to lie.
I find it interesting that the press for the most part talks of the aura of a candidate statements. “Oh she was striking in her presentation.” The time for serious politics is at hand. We can't rely on the media for they are engaged in deceptive dance with the politicians. They talk to each other so much that they start to believe the bs of each other and further promote their own welfare.
The public needs to be saved from this display of political bs. We need to have intelligent presentations of issues not sixty seconds of bs designed to dupe us into believing what we are inclined to believe.
And oh by the way. Let's get the media out of the debates. Pontificating personalities have no place in our public debate. If the media had pursued a course of the public good, perhaps. But each and every news outlet promotes itself. My recommendation is to have a reputable college polemics department hold the debate and make sure the participants stick to the format. No more one liners that stay on message.
We need a serious election based on issues and positions.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Sorry State of TV News
So it begins. Another blog. Just what the world needs. Another raving lunatic with ideas on what is right and wrong in this world. I asked myself why would anyone want to join the ranks of the bloviators. Yet with the continuing nonsense that parades itself as news and commentary, one needs to yell, well in this case, write, “I am sick as hell and can't take it anymore.”
Let's just start with the recent hurricane, Gustav. Yeah, yeah, yeah, hurricanes are dangerous weather systems. No doubt. They should be covered but to send so many news people don't there is just about as foolish as national coverage of Brittany Spears. Let the weather channel cover it. Let a meteorologist give a straight forward account, but please get the pretty faces and empty heads off the tube. I know this is harsh, but once I would like to see a gust of wind sweep one of those non reporters into the deep. God standing out there – getting the “shot” is nothing short of drama. I guess that is why they give us drama queens.
There is no more news! We have only personalities who demonstrate their inability to comprehend the situations in which they are thrust. Tragedies are followed like vultures seeking carrion. The media prides itself on its sets. It is interesting that they spend as much time promoting their staff as they do the news. Each of these theatrical readers is attired in fine clothes, their hair immaculate, the smiles fixed as if they had just consumed a vial of some happy drug. And then, and this applies mostly to local broadcasts, commentary that demonstrates no insight whatsoever to history. At best, it is blather. At worst, it is idiotic. At its extreme is simply childish.
Then, we have the experts. The so called authorities who invariably are pushing an agenda. They parade before eyes one as empty as the next. Let us not forget the loudmouths like Chris Matthews who believe their shallow insights are profound so much so that they can interrupt their guests with louder and louder questions of no import and believe they are getting at the hard truth. And why is it these news personalities think it is ok to shift from fictional portrayals of themselves in the movies or television made fiction to actual authorities on the news? Shouldn't there be some commitment to their profession? But that is it in a nutshell. They have no profession. They are, well I would say whores, but that would denigrate a noble profession. They are merely there to self-promote their banal positions. The news departments are awash in corporate suits who simply keep on eye on ratings as opposed to fulfill their role in a democratic society. Freedom of the press is a corner stone of a representative democracy. It seems the network bosses have found the supermarkets tabloids marketing strategies to be the way to garner ratings. After all if they can increase their share, they can charge more. More revenues mean they can hire bigger personalities to blather on about the inconsequential. I find it ironic that many of these contemporary news personalities make comments about earlier icons, like Morrow and Cronkite, Huntley and Brinkley. Unfortunately, they are more akin to Buffalo Bill and Howdy Doody.
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