Random Points

Mon, 10 May 2004 16:14:23 GMT

The best portrait I have seen of GWB is in this Slate piece by Jacob Weisberg. I came across that link in this thoughtful entry by Josh Marshall, written in the wee hours this morning.

I'm thankful there are such articulate people saying things that need to be said.

Fri, 07 May 2004 02:55:32 GMT

Hello reader. I know you're there because sitemeter.com tells me that this site has one visitor per day, week after week - for months, now.

I read today that there are 20,000 contract personnel in Iraq - an even larger force than the British army. This carries the traditional Republican goal of privatization of government services to a ridiculous extreme, don't you think?

Here's a sentence that stopped me dead in my tracks: "... the arrogance of virtuous certainty masks the egotism of power." This is from the same Sidney Blumenthal article in Salon, in which the author writes briefly, but devastatingly, about the torture of Iraqi prisoners. This seems to me to sum up the whole problem of the Bush administration, not just in Iraq but in all areas foreign and domestic.

And this brings me to my next subject: the need to vote these diabolical dunderheads out of office. Much has been written lately about the perception that the Kerry campaign is not doing well, has yet to take off. I suppose it's to be expected that now there would be a spate of articles about the need to settle down, be patient, there's still plenty of time. Here's one, also in Salon ( my main reading today) that I liked.

Stop back by here again. Maybe this will be the beginning of a new burst of activity around here.

By the way, here are the blogs I try to read daily: Josh Marshall's Talking Points Memo; Altercation, by Eric Alterman; Eschaton, by Atrios; Liberal Oasis, by (I don't know the writer's name, but he/she sure is good!); and Political Animal, by Kevin Drum, who formerly had his own blog as Calpundit.

Sun, 09 Nov 2003 03:59:32 GMT

Another thought about Dean's remarks about wanting to represent southern white guys: he certainly could have presented the issue with greater finesse, but I think he's visionary to have raised the issue at all. I can't remember any Democrat at any level of government who has openly addressed the reality of the Republicans' strategy of appealing to the prejudices of blue collar white voters over their economic interests. I'm thinking Dean's ability to speak the truth plainly is one of his greatest strengths.

Sun, 09 Nov 2003 03:49:02 GMT

Maureen Dowd has a nice way with the language here:

Mr. Rumsfeld thought the war could showcase his transformation of the military to be leaner and more agile. Paul Wolfowitz thought the war could showcase his transformation of Iraq into a democracy. Dick Cheney thought the war could showcase his transformation of America into a dominatrix superpower. Karl Rove thought the war could showcase his transformation of W. into conquering hero. And Mr. Bush thought the war could showcase his transformation from family black sheep into historic white hat.

Wed, 05 Nov 2003 03:41:25 GMT

Back again . . . .

Jack Balkin has an excellent piece putting in perspective the flap about Howard Dean's remarks about "...guys with confederate flags in their pickup trucks." The best part is his analysis is to show how Dean's comments relate to what Jack sees as the Republicans' long-term strategy which has appealed to blue collar folks based on values and wealthy folks based on economics. Dean, he says, seeks to bring the working people back in the Democratic tent:

For some time now, the Republican Party has successfully taken a two-track approach to cultural and economic politics, pushing populist appeals on social issues while promoting economic policies that benefit largely the well-to-do, defending the latter on the grounds that a rising tide will lift all boats. Democrats, on the other hand, have long stood for economic policies that, I believe, are more in the interests of poor and working class Americans. Republican cultural appeals on issues like abortion, the flag, gun control, feminism, homosexuality and affirmative action have sought to prevent a multiracial coalition of working class Americans from forming; they have repeatedly pulled white working class voters, and particularly white working class men, away from the Democrats. Simultaneously, the Republican party has tried to cast the Democrats as the party of elitist snobs out of touch with mainstream values. I have always believed that such accusations are deeply unfair: it is clear from the last Presidential election that the vast majority of the people who vote Democrat are middle class and working class people. Nevertheless, the accusation of cultural elitism has been extremely valuable for the Republican Party's electoral chances. Perhaps in the long run the Democrats may win the fight over values, but in the short run they will lose a lot of elections.

Although this may have been said before, it's the first I've seen of it. Looks like yet another reason why Howard Dean is not just another McGovern.

Nice to be back!

Wed, 09 Jul 2003 21:59:42 GMT

Good day for Random Points! I find this blog mentioned by skippy the bush kangaroo (actually a few days ago) and included by The Lefty Directory - company I'm glad to be in. Thanks, folks!

Mon, 07 Jul 2003 22:34:02 GMT

The following is from a comment by Crow (crow@msn.com) to a thoughtful post on Moderation by Kevin Drum:

The point is that the neocon-led culture war (we can't lay the blame on all Republicans) and complicit national press have created the false impression that this country leans much further right than it really does, and worse, has redefined what it means to be a "conservative".

If these same forces can convince Americans that:
- Saddam was responsible for 9/11
- the biggest deficits in our history are the result of a Democratic recession
- tapping our meager remaining oil reserves will put us on the road to energy independence
- stem cell research is equivalent to human cloning
- evolution has no scientific basis and should be removed from school books
- lying in court about personal transgressions is impeachable but lying to start a war that kills thousands is not

And in general:

- the truth in such matters lies not with reality, but with a cynical, politically motivated, but broadly promoted front story,

Then surely we can be convinced that the American center, as represented in our "liberal media", is reflected in the views and policies of the Bush Administration.

Crow's belief that the country does not lean as far to the right as the neocons and the press think it does is what makes me nervous. I'm older than some who might be reading this, and I remember vowing I would move to Canada if Richard Nixon ever became President. I also remember the intense feeling of loneliness I felt after Reagan's second election; knowing that, despite all the harm he had done, a large majority of the people all around me every day, neighbors, co-workers and everyone, were so different from me. I'm sure many of us felt that way when Shrub was elected by the Court, too.

I have been certain that the conservatives would be repudiated, only to be repudiated myself. It sucks, and I will do everything I can to avoid feeling that way again. Most of my effort will be devoted to getting a Democrat, any Democrat, elected; a little of my effort will be devoted to remembering that it might not go the way I want.

Mon, 30 Jun 2003 05:07:22 GMT

I went to a Fourth of July celebration last night. It was held at the University of South Carolina football stadium and it was quite an affair. It was put on by the biggest white and black Baptist churches in the area, and there was lots of military stuff (with Fort Jackson here in town). Special tribute was paid to a Marine who died recently in Iraq and his family and, of course, much was made of the death of Strom Thurmond.

There were cannons and American flags and balloons, and pretty girls twirling batons, and several marching bands. The occasion was intended to honor veterans and there were many present. I got to sit in a special "VIP" section ('way up under the upper deck) with WWII vets because of my father-in-law's service. The older I get the easier it is for me to feel grateful to these guys who fought in that war and in later wars. Whatever I may think of the premise of the war, what they endured on behalf of their country is incredible.

I got to stand up, too, when the announcer asked those who served "at other times" (not wartime) to stand. I felt more proud than I thought I might. I spent three years in the Army in the '60's. I was stationed in Germany the whole time and mostly had a good time. Viet Nam was just beginning then - JFK was shot while I was there. This was when the US was just sending "advisors" over there. At the same time, there was an aviation battalion stationed at my post, and they sent all the aircraft and almost all the troops to Viet Nam. They left only enough troops so they could say the unit was still stationed in Germany and that they were not "sending any Army units" to Viet Nam.

In those days I actually thought about volunteering for Viet Nam. At the time it seemed like a way to feel like I was doing something interesting for my country, but there was no sense that it was dangerous. I probably would not have volunteered if it had seemed dangerous, but on the other hand, if I had been sent there I would have done whatever they told me to do.

I realize that the difference between me and those WWII vets is that, although I would have fought if necessary, they really did. When my mother-in-law talks about the things my father-in-law, a paratrooper on D-Day, actually did, I am in awe. And I feel grateful.

So, liberal pacifist that I still am, at this stage in my life my thoughts and feelings about the military, and war, are more complicated than they were when I was younger. Maybe there are others out there who have some of the same feelings.