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gurdonark"So let's skip the news boy (I'll go and make some tea)
Blood on the rooftops (too much for me)
When old Mother Goose stops--and they're out for 23
Then the rain at Lords stopped play
Seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again".
---Collins/Hackett
The recent news highlights the twin dangers. On the one hand, complacent inaction will not succeed, unless we want to acquiesce in a world in which the barbarities of the past are enshrined by force. On the other hand, headlong rushes into unilateral adventures threatens to engulf this country in yet another round of war without an exit strategy. I find myself longing for our country to find a middle course, based on integrity, democracy and pragmatism, rather than the extremes from both right and left I see today.
On the political question, I'd love to see this country become a supporter of democracy, rather than a supporter of merely its own corporate economic agenda. Contrary to the most dovish among us, though, this will not mean that we can refrain from all conflict.
We will face conflict, whether military or terrorist, even if we pull back within our own borders altogether. This is because our pluralistic way of life is anathema to some of those who oppose us.
A concerted effort by democratic nations to deal with those who deny all human rights to dissidents in general and women in particular may be required in the long run no matter how many banners we fly to the contrary. Although I am in agreement with those who march in Washington as to this current US policy, we must always be ready to intervene when basic human rights are being denied, even if this involves military commitment of resources and loss of life.
Contrary to our current policy, however, we must learn from the mistakes of the Cold War. In our quest to preserve our way of life, we must not support regimes which are anti-democratic and anti-human rights. The Saudi regime is an oppressor of women and denies democracy to its citizens. Saudi citizens actively fund terrorist cells. Yet we maintain our "close relationship" with Saudi Arabia because we have pursued an energy policy amenable to corporate America which places us at the economic mercy of despotic regimes. Although this president campaigned on engaging China on its human rights record, in fact, this administration curries favor with China through economic concessions in order to pursue our current wartime agenda. Our allies in Israel now raze the homes of non-combatant family members in direct violation of international human rights conventions, and yet we do not stint in our support of that nation.
I'm not naive enough to believe that we can always have allies with perfect records on human rights and democracy. I'm not naive enough to believe that we can refrain from all conflict except those in which we are pure as the driven snow. But while the war on terrorism began with a difficult but laudable goal--rooting out the perpetrators of those acts of which 9/11 was only the most palpable, we are now badly off course into pre-emptive adventure.
We need to redefine everything in our lives to work to create a more just society. This will mean not only idealistic notions, but the elimination of foreign oil dependency, pragmatic efforts to promote justice and equity among our allies, and dramatic efforts to battle our own internal national security issue--the disenfranchised in our society. As the bubble bursts from our economic boom, we see the sorry run of greed and law-flaunting that has become the norm rather than the exception in so many corporations. I am a big believer in our nation's economic model, and not a knee-jerk fiscal leftist. But it's time to get integrity back into our system. I'm bored of pious platitudes about Heaven, from right or left, by people lacking any form of integrity.
But the odd thing is the war and anti-war effort become just one more television program, which flickers by between commercials.
The election is in less than fourteen days. We are not seeing the polling numbers match what I believe is the true national mood. Although I am firmly convinced that over one half of our electorate does not want a foreign pre-emptive war, the anti-war people don't turn up at the polls. We elect far too many hawks and not nearly enough doves, because the hard core hawk voters vote, and the peace-loving people don't vote. We saw the left in our last national election permit the right to take power, by pulling the critical margin to Nader's Green campaign when a concerted effort on behalf of the Democrats would have defeated Bush. We are now reaping the fruits of this folly.
Do we really want to be marginalized into marches, when we are the majority and we have the economic and political power to change our nation's course? I pray not.
In Congress now, the margin of Republican majority is razor-thin in both houses. The problem is that people are willing to march, but they aren't willing to vote. They aren't willing to write their congresspeople. They aren't willing to fund liberal candidates at the grassroots. All we have to do to have a world more like Paul Wellstone's vision is to elect more Paul Wellstones. We don't have to be "on the outside" on these issues. We just have to vote. We have to take seriously the fact that this country is not living up to its highest ideals. We need to move beyond the failed sloganeering of the left and right and work for a society that takes seriously the problems of equity at home and abroad.
I live in an area in which my vote will only be token because Republicans are a clear majority. I have always been a spotty voter on by elections, although I did vote for Gore. But this latest set of political events makes me realize that I must be active for my values, so that the pendulum will swing left again.
It's just too easy to turn off the news and turn on ESPN and look to see who is the cute actress featured on my on line service entertainment hyperlinks today. But no more. No more.
Blood on the rooftops (too much for me)
When old Mother Goose stops--and they're out for 23
Then the rain at Lords stopped play
Seems Helen of Troy has found a new face again".
---Collins/Hackett
The recent news highlights the twin dangers. On the one hand, complacent inaction will not succeed, unless we want to acquiesce in a world in which the barbarities of the past are enshrined by force. On the other hand, headlong rushes into unilateral adventures threatens to engulf this country in yet another round of war without an exit strategy. I find myself longing for our country to find a middle course, based on integrity, democracy and pragmatism, rather than the extremes from both right and left I see today.
On the political question, I'd love to see this country become a supporter of democracy, rather than a supporter of merely its own corporate economic agenda. Contrary to the most dovish among us, though, this will not mean that we can refrain from all conflict.
We will face conflict, whether military or terrorist, even if we pull back within our own borders altogether. This is because our pluralistic way of life is anathema to some of those who oppose us.
A concerted effort by democratic nations to deal with those who deny all human rights to dissidents in general and women in particular may be required in the long run no matter how many banners we fly to the contrary. Although I am in agreement with those who march in Washington as to this current US policy, we must always be ready to intervene when basic human rights are being denied, even if this involves military commitment of resources and loss of life.
Contrary to our current policy, however, we must learn from the mistakes of the Cold War. In our quest to preserve our way of life, we must not support regimes which are anti-democratic and anti-human rights. The Saudi regime is an oppressor of women and denies democracy to its citizens. Saudi citizens actively fund terrorist cells. Yet we maintain our "close relationship" with Saudi Arabia because we have pursued an energy policy amenable to corporate America which places us at the economic mercy of despotic regimes. Although this president campaigned on engaging China on its human rights record, in fact, this administration curries favor with China through economic concessions in order to pursue our current wartime agenda. Our allies in Israel now raze the homes of non-combatant family members in direct violation of international human rights conventions, and yet we do not stint in our support of that nation.
I'm not naive enough to believe that we can always have allies with perfect records on human rights and democracy. I'm not naive enough to believe that we can refrain from all conflict except those in which we are pure as the driven snow. But while the war on terrorism began with a difficult but laudable goal--rooting out the perpetrators of those acts of which 9/11 was only the most palpable, we are now badly off course into pre-emptive adventure.
We need to redefine everything in our lives to work to create a more just society. This will mean not only idealistic notions, but the elimination of foreign oil dependency, pragmatic efforts to promote justice and equity among our allies, and dramatic efforts to battle our own internal national security issue--the disenfranchised in our society. As the bubble bursts from our economic boom, we see the sorry run of greed and law-flaunting that has become the norm rather than the exception in so many corporations. I am a big believer in our nation's economic model, and not a knee-jerk fiscal leftist. But it's time to get integrity back into our system. I'm bored of pious platitudes about Heaven, from right or left, by people lacking any form of integrity.
But the odd thing is the war and anti-war effort become just one more television program, which flickers by between commercials.
The election is in less than fourteen days. We are not seeing the polling numbers match what I believe is the true national mood. Although I am firmly convinced that over one half of our electorate does not want a foreign pre-emptive war, the anti-war people don't turn up at the polls. We elect far too many hawks and not nearly enough doves, because the hard core hawk voters vote, and the peace-loving people don't vote. We saw the left in our last national election permit the right to take power, by pulling the critical margin to Nader's Green campaign when a concerted effort on behalf of the Democrats would have defeated Bush. We are now reaping the fruits of this folly.
Do we really want to be marginalized into marches, when we are the majority and we have the economic and political power to change our nation's course? I pray not.
In Congress now, the margin of Republican majority is razor-thin in both houses. The problem is that people are willing to march, but they aren't willing to vote. They aren't willing to write their congresspeople. They aren't willing to fund liberal candidates at the grassroots. All we have to do to have a world more like Paul Wellstone's vision is to elect more Paul Wellstones. We don't have to be "on the outside" on these issues. We just have to vote. We have to take seriously the fact that this country is not living up to its highest ideals. We need to move beyond the failed sloganeering of the left and right and work for a society that takes seriously the problems of equity at home and abroad.
I live in an area in which my vote will only be token because Republicans are a clear majority. I have always been a spotty voter on by elections, although I did vote for Gore. But this latest set of political events makes me realize that I must be active for my values, so that the pendulum will swing left again.
It's just too easy to turn off the news and turn on ESPN and look to see who is the cute actress featured on my on line service entertainment hyperlinks today. But no more. No more.
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no subject
Date: 2002-10-26 10:02 pm (UTC)There's nothing more subversive these days than Reason. Keep the faith and keep the strength required to defend it.
The way to get the vote out on the Left and Left-center is for candidates to get aggressive about consolidating the winning base of those proportionally few white liberals and the proportionately many liberal minorities. And the way for that to happen is for candidates to be pressured by those of us on the Left who ARE active already. Candidates like Louisiana's Mary Landrieu need to be convinced that they don't win by embracing Bush as they're doing. THey win by forming stable coalitions that stay in place and grow.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 05:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 06:06 am (UTC)Of course politicians are like those people in high school who talked a good game, and then actually were elitists and untrustworthy. I'll never forget the fresh faced young man who was a high up officer in our college campus' politics--he had to drop out when the United Way funds went missing, and turned up working for a well-noted liberal's campaign!
But until people like you are motivated to vote out the people whose values are the least like yours, the slide will continue.
I don't know your politics, but I have to imagine that you do not want to live in a world as conservative as this country will be if folks continue to refrain from voting.
You would be a very good benevolent dictator. But I prefer to think you're destined to be a very good novelist instead. Personally, though, I'm trying to figure out if there is a literary reference in the term "speck sparkles" that I'm missing.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 06:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 06:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 06:08 am (UTC)Everything you said is true true true--AMEN. And let me just comment on the very REALITY of that march yesterday--it's not just another television program between commercials if you take part. And one of the most positive things I saw and heard yesterday were people voicing exactly what you just voiced--the thrust of THIS public movement against the impending war is really coming from people like you and people like me. Sure, the hard core lefties were out there in numbers-- but FAR FAR more were middle of the road Americans who came out for the first time, because they were tired of being told that THEY were in support of something that they clearly WEREN'T.
There was GREAT emphasis on the upcoming election-- GREAT emphasis on VOTING---there was MUCH remberance of Paul Wellstone, and not forgetting that THIS is America, and this is our greatest freedom-- to publicly assemble and oppose the elected officials when there is no other recourse.
Please, Robert, try not to consider the people who march and demonstrate as being *marginalized*-- they will be marginalized only if people like you (and believe me YOU are the people we need the most) consign us to the margins. This is the most mainstream political protest I believe there has ever been--
There are many people calling for many different kinds of resolutions-- but the ONE resolution that unites this whole movement of opposition is to STOP THIS NOW---whatever resolutions we eventually agree on, whether they be covert removal of Saddam, a political junta, U.N. Peacekeeping forces or American peacekeeping forces or whatever--the important thing is to NOT allow this to begin. Because we all know what happens once something begins. It's very difficult to back out of.
WE ARE in the majority---and we WILL vote-- but what other than public demonstration can be done when leaders continue to proceed on a disasterous course??
no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 06:19 am (UTC)How did we get a country in which the Republican party moved right and suddenly went from completely marginalized to dominant? Well, part of the answer is in the economic meltdown during the oil crisis. But the other key part is the incredible grassroots movement that the far right put into place. When they started, they knew they could not elect prominent national politicians.
So they instead focused on putting people into local elections. They ran for everything down to and including dog catcher, in suburbs across the country. They eventually created an infrastructure--a real political base to support their current movement.
I'd like to see the left do the same thing, and in particular, I'd like to see a left which sees the system as a viable option, and not as merely a machine which dominates us all. The reason why Gore nearly won (and arguably did win) is that the left convinced the majority of people in this country of two simple facts--a left moderate government with reasonable fiscal policies will enhance prosperity and that a left moderate government with foreign affairs savvy is preferable to an isolationist post Cold War government. I think we've seen both premises proven true, although we certainly didn't quite get the isolationist part of the equation upon which Mr.Bush campaigned.
But I'm hopeful that we see a march to the polls like the march in Washington--and yet fearful those same people so strident yesterday will be at home in November.
Re:
Date: 2002-10-27 07:56 am (UTC)And it's been a rude awakening to me, that so many Americans could turn on Clinton and a 8year Presidency that saw the balancing of the national budget (something they said couldn't be done)--and a SURPLUS left over (a complete miracle), unemployment at the lowest probably since the 60's, an economy that was soaring-- what the hell did people have to complain about???
That he got a blow job from a 24 year old intern that was hot to trot?? Christ, whose business is that anyway? is that such a mortal offense that we trash all the positive work that's been done in 8 years?? I still cannot fathom the witch hunt of Kenneth Starr and his cronies. Nor that so many Americans were duped by it. What a nation of hypocrits we are.
In Maryland our campaign for Governor is crucial. Not only because if Ehrlich is elected we'll see a Reaganesque turn of politics that will decrease the quality of life for all Marylanders-- but because I see this as a stepping stone to the Presidency-- Ehrlich is young, good looking, and exactly the type that the the right would love to promote into that office.
Many people feel Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is a namby pamby nothing riding the coattails of her passionate and famous father. I'm among them. But I'd rather see a yellow dog in the office than Ehrlich.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 06:17 am (UTC)There were also MANY MANY petitions being signed yesterday--which is another benefit of public assembly-- I may not have hunted down the petitions on the internet (I'm not that obsessed) but if I'm out there in numbers, for a cause, I'll certainly sign the petition of something I believe in.
no subject
Date: 2002-10-27 05:48 pm (UTC)