Yo
Hey. Sorry about the unannounced hiatus. Back in Chapel Hill for the Summer, but don't have home web access yet. Blogging to resume shortly, but lightly, as Job One this summer is finishing this damn book.
Um, have I ever mentioned how Chapel Hill is the greatest town ever? It certainly is good to be back. (Actually Carrboro is cooler than Chapel Hill now, but they're virtually the same town and nobody but locals really distinguish between the two.)
Been blissfully ignorant about politics for the last week (some might say much longer than that...). It's refreshing to be disconnected from that swamp.
Heard a real gem on NPR the other day, though. In response to a question about the NSA collecting phone records and suchlike, Tony Snow went on a little tirade in defense of the administration that included the claim that "al Qaeda doesn't care about transparency." That was apparently supposed to constitute a defense of this administration's not caring enough about transparency... Under other circumstances, that would be funny... (The Economist had the best line about Snow being appointed...they asked whether he'd be getting back pay...)
Anyway, the thing that's been plaguing my thoughts most during my break has been this question: why are there not massive protests against this administration every day? I mean, when you back away from the hustle and bustle of internet news and analysis and give yourself some time to think about what's happened over the last 5.5 years...you start to realize how truly amazing, frightening and angrifying it is.
Anyway, I'm at Davis library right now, surrounded by several million books. So obviously I have better things to do than to subject you guys to more of my typing.
Be back online soon.
"WS"
Hey. Sorry about the unannounced hiatus. Back in Chapel Hill for the Summer, but don't have home web access yet. Blogging to resume shortly, but lightly, as Job One this summer is finishing this damn book.
Um, have I ever mentioned how Chapel Hill is the greatest town ever? It certainly is good to be back. (Actually Carrboro is cooler than Chapel Hill now, but they're virtually the same town and nobody but locals really distinguish between the two.)
Been blissfully ignorant about politics for the last week (some might say much longer than that...). It's refreshing to be disconnected from that swamp.
Heard a real gem on NPR the other day, though. In response to a question about the NSA collecting phone records and suchlike, Tony Snow went on a little tirade in defense of the administration that included the claim that "al Qaeda doesn't care about transparency." That was apparently supposed to constitute a defense of this administration's not caring enough about transparency... Under other circumstances, that would be funny... (The Economist had the best line about Snow being appointed...they asked whether he'd be getting back pay...)
Anyway, the thing that's been plaguing my thoughts most during my break has been this question: why are there not massive protests against this administration every day? I mean, when you back away from the hustle and bustle of internet news and analysis and give yourself some time to think about what's happened over the last 5.5 years...you start to realize how truly amazing, frightening and angrifying it is.
Anyway, I'm at Davis library right now, surrounded by several million books. So obviously I have better things to do than to subject you guys to more of my typing.
Be back online soon.
"WS"
posted by Winston Smith at
6:03 PM
13 Comments:
why are there not massive protests against this administration every day?
Because we're all venting on the internet, and so feel as if we've done our civic duty, when instead we have accomplished next to nothing?
(And that we included me in it.)
You can elect a Democrat congress and impeach Bush, Miz K.
I do not think this is likely, nor do I think there's any national consensus for much change at all. The point we often miss is that we Americans are more alike than different.
Bush got us into Iraq, it's so, but we had a referendum on that back in 2004. Only the fringes maintain we should now abandon the Iraqis to their oppressors. (As Dubya's father did.)
The rest, solar power, tofu for the poor, icecaps melting (but inland snowfall increasing), tax cuts for rich bastards who employ so many others that we need illegal immigrants to fill the void, the economy sustaining when it should be by all fears sinking and shrinking---well, the outraged American street remains noticably vacant.
No surprise that the only decent protests in this country in years relied on illegal immigrants. ;-)
(Stay away, WS. You're happier and more fully human outside the swamp than in it. There's a reinforcing quality to echoing misery and science has proven it. You could look it up.)
I think you're onto something Michelle...
Tom,
Oh, come on. Basically everybody in the world admits that Bush sucks except for partisan American Republicans. You're not fooling anybody with that rap, dude. He's an embarassment to the country, and *you guys nominated him*. (Though he *was* elected once...)
Nice work.
Anyway, the important issue in this context isn't whether we should abandon Iraq now that we're in (as you know, I don't think we should). The important issue here is that Bush lied us into the war in the first place by distorting intelligence. That's why he deserves to be impeached (and, God willing, will be). Well, that's ONE reason, anyway...
But you're right about me being happier and more productive off-line...
Oh, the lying thing again. (DO NOT REPEAT DO NOT FOLLOW LINK!)
Win elections and impeach him or stop making us all miserable.
I think there's a US consensus for either and/or both. The man will be out in 2 1/2 years. Any sooner and it's hello, President Cheney. Next is President Condi. Even the most dedicated Jacobin couldn't get their heads into the National Razor with the time remaining.
I hope you come back with a 2006 or 2008 head than the 2004 head you still got on, WS. The vision thing. Always willing to listen, but Gore2000 feels like a million years ago, and he continues to reinforce his reputation as a sanctimonious fool.
President McCain. Sounds good...
Y'know, WS, just heard my favorite religio-pop-philosopher radio talker Dennis Prager (conservative Jew, his show's on up against Rush) riffing on something like this.
He said he's observed almost a total disconnect between people's politics and their worthiness as human beings. I've heard him in the past say that his liberal neighbors seem like nicer folk on the whole than his political/philosophical allies.
Food for thought, is all. If we are attracted to people more than ideas, which is not uncreditable in itself, then our attractions will influence our thoughts rather than our thinking.
Which is why I try to treat the members of our karrass/granfaloon with equanimity, in a Golden Rule sort of way. Just because I'm wrong doesn't mean I'm a bad person.
And vice-versa, it should be needless to say. Brother Dennis frequently ends up on the side of people he doesn't even particularly like. The pursuit of truth and wisdom can be a lonely life, which I think you've been discovering.
Go with it. You are powerless to go any other way. You're cynical, but you're not a cynic. Good for you.
3 posts in a row is boorish, and my apologies. But I had to set the record straight about the line of succession to the prezdicy:
Demos win the House & Senate, impeach Bush, Cheney dies of a heart attack, and it's Prezdint Pelosi. Sounds like a drama on ABC, fated for cancellation. And I'd rather take my chances with Gina Davis.
You can elect a Democrat congress and impeach Bush, Miz K
All by myself?
I realize that vote early and vote often is a motto on some places, but really.
And I already have two Democratic Senators (both of whom I adore), and a Democratic Congressman (who is a weasel, but better than the opposition).
Any other useful suggestions?
And for what it's worth, we never should have gone into Iraq. However, it would be stupid and foolish to pull out now. Lest we create another Afghanistan. (Or another Iran. Also, to a great extent, our fault. I may like Theodore Roosevelt, but his son did us a disservice in deposing the democratically elected government in Iran.)
Or Carter could have supported the Shah. Which government, his or the mullahs', would have the greatest chance for liberalization?
As to the rest of your frustrations, sometimes you're just outvoted. That democracy thing. The question is how we conduct ourselves when we're in the minority, especially if we hope to regain the majority.
Of course at their present rate, the GOP seems to be trying hard to regain its minority status. But it's my opinion that if the Democrats hadn't acted wack or been MIA on virtually every pressing issue of the day, gaining control of congress would be a cinch in 2006.
But hey, they might anyway. But I don't perceive a groundswell to impeach Bush, and indeed Demo party leaders have been pushing the guillotine offstage of late.
"However, it would be stupid and foolish to pull out now."
This is probably silly on its face - the situation being so complex and difficult to investigate - but in any case too many smart informed people believe that either it's a tossup or it's a good idea not to try to buy back our money to reasonably make this claim.
E.g., read the article linked here.
Via Drum, who agrees.
What astounds me is how little conservatives seem to care about a semi-stolen election and repeated, important dishonesty (e.g. to get us into the war).
Despite all their flag-waving and patriotic patter, they don't seem to really give a damn about the idea of America.
Stolen election? No big deal. Government wrapped in secrecy? So what? Non-stop stream of lies? Hey, it's the real world. Dishonest and irrational war costing thousands of lives and trillions of dollars? Just get over it.
People like to talk about "knee-jerk liberals," but I'm also interested in what I call "no-jerk conservatives." Nothing is heinous enough in their eyes to count as an important violation of principle.
Except for blowjobs of course. Let's not forget the blowjobs...
(You're exempted from that one, Tom...I know you were against the Clinton witch hunt.)
Conservatives are mellow, happy people. You could look it up.
They didn't get all that worked up when Democrats stole the Washington gubernatorial election, or when Clinton "lied" about the massacres that weren't taking place to justify his invasion of Kosovo.
But yes, they were jealous about the blowjobs.
Belgravia Dispatch heading for "stupid and foolish".
A few of Clinton's claims can plausibly be said to be exaggerations. That's quite different from an orchestrated campaign of lies, supplemented by a strategy of calling those who reveal the lies 'unpatriotic.'
Furthermore, Clinton genuinely intervened for humanitarian reasons, so the war was just. We STILL don't know why we intervened in Iraq, and the humanitarian rationalizations didn't even kick in until the other reasons sputtered out.
Quite different situations indeed.
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