Together?

John McCain quoted by Keith A Fournier at the Catholic Online said, “we are seeing for the first time in a long time Republicans and Democrats together sitting down trying to work out a solution to this fiscal crisis that we’re in.” Mr. Fournier prefaced McCain’s quote with “However, it was the older McCain who seemed steady in response, finding even a silver lining”.  Putting aside the pro-McCain spin my question goes deeper. What Mr. Fournier and Senator McCain see as a positive ignores the cause of this crisis. The GOP and their conservatives supporters have pushed the line for 30+ years that government is bad, free markets are good, unbridled capitalism is the goal. Now those policies are crashing down on all our heads.  The current situation reminds me of a fire in an apartment house where one tenant was reckless and “played with matches”.  Not only did his apartment burn but the whole building was engulfed and threatened with collapse. While the fire raged all the tenants including the source worked together to douse the flames. McCain praises the joint fire fighting  and conveniently skips the perpetrator in causing  the fire in the first place.

Just a short presentation for those still savoring the kool-aid

my-way 04:35

Turn up the sound, click the link above, relax and recall what this mindset leads to.

Apologies for the large file size (48 MB)

Questions from Cattle Country

I’m confused. McCain/Palin are presented as “Mavericks”. But mavericks from what? From fiscal responsibility, non-interventionist foreign policy, and civil liberties? From the GOP, which we are told is the party of fiscal responsiblity, non-interventionist foreign policy, and civil liberties? Or is it  the GOP the maverick from its own core principles? Do we want “mavericks” in charge? Who are they going to work with? If it’s the herd, will they still be “mavericks”?

Cornyn’s Shame

Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has brought shame to the great state of Texas by his vote against the “McCain Amendment”, SA1977. This amendment to the Defense Authorization Act for 2006 would have prohibited the torture of persons held by our armed forces. Sen. Cornyn was  one of just nine Senators to oppose this amendment, while 90 voted in favor.  Was he pandering to the Neocons? Did he learn nothing of the principles of this country while on the Texas Supreme Court? Since Sen Cornyn’s cohorts in the House prevailed in approving torture in the final act, there is NO moral retribution for our enemies who torture captured American military. The lessons of Abu Graib and the renditions will return to haunt Sen. Cornyn as he runs for re-election in 2008. He counting on you forgetting all about his shame.

 http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00249

     

It’s time for him to go.

Simple Lessons Unlearned

1. Southerners - worshipping the oil and gas funded GOP is not favorable to God and Mother Earth. Witness the hurricane onslaughts on Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.

2. Sarah Palin/Barbara Bush - two million years of human sexuality cannot be overcome with an “Abstinence Only” education and sex is not “Death”.

3. Investors (both foreign and domestic) selling out the America worker will not payoff in the long run for the assets you hold dear.

4.  Iraq war supporters – the Middle East is not West Germany. The final victory will be won by consumerism, not firepower and torture.

5. NAFTA whiners – the North American economies are now integrated and reaching out globally. You cannot put Humpty Dumpty together again.

6.  Newly involved voters – politics ain’t beanbag.

URGENT Call to all Evangelicals and Religious Fanatics of all types

Travel with all haste to New Orleans, Louisiana. Proceed to the water’s edge of the Gulf coast before noon on September 1!  This notice includes Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Praise-dent Bush, Gov Palin, and all full mooners. Once on station at the beach begin praying for hurricane Gustav to go back into the Gulf. Pray as hard as you can. Do not be deterred by the winds and rising tide. Ignore the calls to evacuate for you have the power. Raise your hands, close your eyes and shout until the seas calm. The lives and property of hundreds of thousands of people depend on YOU. Do not let them down. Go NOW!

This directive brought to you by the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives.

Thanks!

Thanks for those kind wishes while I was ill.  I have returned and will begin posting again soon.

Now reading:  The Dark Side by Jane Mayer and Baldwin Collection of Essays.

McCain’s Heroism, peeling the onion

We have all heard the story of John McCain’s military service during the Vietnam War. His valor is evidenced by trying to rescue a trapped pilot on the USS Forrestal during a fire on deck that killed 134 sailors. His streak of 23 bombing missions was terminated when he was shot down and captured by North Vietnamese civilians. Not exactly an accomplishment on the level of Sgt York, so we turn to his refusal to provide propaganda despite long beatings, torture and deprivation. He finally did make a “confession” after years when he reached the breaking point. Human beings each have a individual tolerance for physical torture. I do not think any less of him for breaking. He demonstrated superlative tenacity to hold out for as long as he did. But perhaps there is more to why he could endure the unspeakable than just his military training and family history. Does John McCain have a force of will power that is rooted in stubbornness? The stubbornness that once fixed on a path will not be deterred. A stubbornness of the current administration that has brought our nation into disrepute in much of the world. To be sure McCain has made numerous changes in policy positions over in a long career, but these were mostly out of political expediency and not a reversal of a core value. In a multi power centered world where much of the world population does not agree with American hegemony a U.S. President who sees a hundred years struggle focused on projecting military might will be at a severe disadvantage in spreading Americas values and no amount of bluster and bullheadedness will improve the performance. The heroism of withstanding prolonged torture does not in itself imply wisdom.

Ask not

Will we ever again hear a candidate ask us to give to our country rather than promise what our country will give us? Was it all that long ago?

http://www.jfklibrary.org/Asset+Tree/Asset+Viewers/Audio+Video+Asset+Viewer.htm?guid={F13B7798-7E4F-482C-9BF4-9E66EA6C1E56}&type=Video

Rather than “I feel your pain” pandering can we get at least one candidate who has a plan? Someone who honestly lays out our current situation and plainly says what has to be done. The Manhattan and Apollo projects showed what this country can accomplish when challenged. Telling the country to “go shopping” after the tragedy of September 11 or promising a gas tax holiday only leads us further from the vision of America as the shining city on the hill. How can we spend $1.6 Billion per day on gasoline and not have even a long range plan to move to sustainable alternative energy. How can the FBI counter terrorism unit only have 9 Arabic speakers? Closer to home should we expect the next generation to borrow to fully pay for in-state higher education and at the same time inherit a massive public debt? Just like the Minnesota bridge collapse our infrastructure is in disrepair. Are we going to fix it? Americans are an independent lot, but they will come together when shown a job to be done. They can take the bitter medicine if they know we’re trying to make our country better.  Enough asking for now.

L’l Tim

Let me say up front I don’t believe I ever watched a full episode of Meet the Press while Tim Russert was the moderator.  I did catch a few snippets and some excepts over the years.  I am so old I remember Meet the Press with Lawrence Spivak.  My thoughts are with his family in their time of loss. Being only two days younger than Mr. Russert I am again faced with that ruthless fact of life, our fragile mortality.

The current homilies to Mr. Russert show him as a relentless researcher and a good civic-minded family man. The professional performance of Mr. Russert brings to mind that some career strengths, e.g. President Carter, that are not well suited to their position. Just as the nuclear engineering mind of President Carter was not optimal for leading the American people in the malaise of the Post Viet Nam era, the legal training of Mr. Russert missed a critical aspect of the journalism trade. The preparation technique of vigorously researching both sides of legal case leads the journalist to present both sides of the news as plausible, despite the fact that there is no acceptable side in favor of torture or corruption. As a former Democratic staffer Mr. Russert may have felt the need to show absolute balance, to never let his personal political beliefs hint to the viewer that he was biased. Mr. Russert is lauded for asking the tough questions to those in power. The problem as I see it is that when he allowed the interviewee in response to spin or bolster their case he did not then forcefully point out they were wrong and that their defense was based on their own personal ego and enrichment. As an NBC News Vice President Mr. Russert certainly knew that if he rubbed the comfortable noses in the raw truth, they would avoid appearing again, thus risking the ratings competition. The MSM struggles to be affable to both sides to avoid offending known perpetrators of malfeasance to maintain their precious access. Promoting the story of McCain the maverick may make good business sense but it betrays the journalists’ pursuit and publication of the truth.