September 28th 2007 18:44
I first wrote this in the summer of 2006, but it seems even more important a topic now, with America coming near to the 2008 election cycle, and the problems highlighted only having deepened.
President Bush has an approval rating hovering in the 30% to 37% range, with the Republican controlled congress scoring even lower. He manages to keep his failed policies moving, in spite of an incredible lack of competence at all levels of the Administration. Why? Because of that core support. It might seem like a small number, but this President is confident it will be enough to keep him and his party in power this November. If he can interest them in voting in sufficient numbers, that is.
How can this be, you ask? 30% of the voting age population is more than enough, if they all support him. When only around half of those adults that are of voting age care enough to even bother, 30% percent becomes a majority. The last time more than 60% of those old enough to vote did so was in 1968. And the pathetic excuses run the gamut. "It doesn't matter."
"They are all the same." And perhaps the most pathetic of all, "I'm too busy." Too damn busy to give a few moments over to an exercises that many died to obtain, so that today's lazy asses could have the option? As far as I am concerned, there is no excuse for not voting this November. The country is facing what is likely the most important election in its history this fall-so important that its very future might hang in the balance. At least the future of an America that we would want, and would be proud of. An America that once again could be looked to by the rest of the world for sound leadership, instead of them waiting with baited breath to see what the yahoo in charge might do next.
And what about the 30%? Can we change their minds? Probably not. Most of them will follow the President over the cliff as long as he says he is in favor of a ban on gay marriage, against abortion, and for the pledge. Why do you think these issues are at the forefront of debate in Washington now? With so many desperately important situations around the globe and at home, those are the issues the Republicans want to talk about.
Here are some numbers that support what I am talking about. When it comes to stem cell research, around 70% of Americans favor it. In John Dean's new book "Conservatives without Conscience" points to a study indicating that around 23% of Americans are pure right-wing authoritarian followers, who will blindly follow what they perceive as a strong authority figure. He states that America is in a state of "proto-fascism" or pre fascism, in its formative stages. It's no coincidence that the 23% he reported is close to the numbers of hard core Bush supporters. And the fact that 30% is the approximate number that opposes stem cell research points to the same conclusions. This President claims that the reason he vetoed stem cell research is because, according to propaganda minister Snow, is this: "The simple answer is-he thinks murder is wrong." Well, it is a simple answer. The civilian population of Iraq might have a different view surrounding how the President feels about murder.
In closing, it is imperative that we use good old fashioned math to beat them. 30% is not a majority, if enough people vote. Even if they try to use the same dirty tricks again to swing the vote, it cant' work if we overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Everyone would do well to remember that the Nazi Party wasn't a majority in Germany. Saddam's Baath Party was a minority in Iraq. The screaming Mullahs of Iran are in the minority too. Without a decisive election that will hold this President accountable, we could find America in the same boat.
September 26th 2007 02:56
In place of religious wars, let's have a game show!
Through all of recorded history, religion has played a part in war. As our ancestors began to walk upright, they started to wonder about the amazing world around them. As time went on, they began to contemplate the cosmos. And because they didn't have an understanding of the science around them, they developed and assigned various mythologies with assuring explanations. And just a couple of minutes later, they started fighting about which one was right. And it hasn't stopped yet. In fact, it seems to be increasing as more nations find themselves being ran by religious zealots. (Iran and America are two good examples) and the world is far less equipped to handle the strife as more nations acquire nuclear weapons capability.
So what can we do? How about a reality tv show? When I saw the AC contest, I knew I saw the answer staring me in the face. Put 'em on an island, and let 'em sort it out. Let each major religion pick a team. Well, maybe not the Buddhists or Wiccans, they seem pretty mello-so just the "hell raising' ones. Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, any religion that is involved in strife or persecution anywhere in the world would be required to compete. So instead of thousands of people being killed in religious wars, we can contain the loss to a few of the most ardently nutty.
How will it work, you ask? Each religion will have a lottery to choose its teams from those interested in taking part. Teams will be taken to an island with cameras placed all over, so that no part isn't viewable. No producers or support personnel will be on the island, teams will have to totally fend for themselves. After six months (or when only one team survives, whichever comes first) the game ends. The team that wins can report back to its Mullahs or Priests or Pastors that God smiled on them, and they are the best religion. to make them feel better, we can declare the winners the officially right religion for the next year, until the game is played again. To ensure that no one goes beyond the game, We would have to establish severe penalties for religions that fail to acknowledge the winner. As far as the game rules go, there will only be one-those who survive, win.
Can you imagine how big the game would get? There would be sponsorships, worldwide television coverage, and billions of dollars of advertising. The endless litany of religious warfare could be ended, and the world would be down a few fruitcakes every year. Of course, it's only wishful thinking, we can't end religious warfare until we end fundamentalism. But we can dare to dream, eh?
September 16th 2007 03:30
Dissent has and always will be crucial to a country that wishes to be anything other than totalitarian. Those who would wish that upon a people are quick to do their best to shout down dissent, and they expect their leaders to do the same. Rudy Guliani, being the self-serving demagogue he is, was quick to try to turn dissent by moveon.org into a bludgeon he could use against Hillary Clinton. Why Hillary? Well, because she is the perceived front runner for the Democratic Party's nomination for the 2008 American Presidential elections and as such is subject to unfounded attacks and allegations. Never mind that Hillary Clinton has nothing to do with moveon.org, and the organization has even expressed mixed emotions about her as a candidate. All the matters to the vitriolic right is the chance to try to "swift boat" her the way they did John Kerry with unfounded and ludicrous allegations.
What happened to them is only symptomatic of a much wider problem that occurs at every level of discourse in America. If you are not blindly adhering to the failed policies of the Bush Administration and its cronies, you are labeled unpatriotic. If you dare to question the vile and unholy alliances between the Christian right and the corporatism and gross consumerism pushed in America, you are attacked. Of course, I do my own counter-punching, never flinching in the face of their pathetic attempts to silence dissent. What I will never do is to try to deny them their right to say anything, or to not be censored in any way. More power to them, for hopefully, in the near future, theirs will be the voices of dissent, complaining against a socially progressive American government. I welcome them, and work for that day.
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