When ‘intelligent’ means ‘you must think like me’…
I read a political post on another blog the other day from a supposed free thinker who believes Bush has actually done a good job and McCain is the right choice this fall. Silly me – I took his Intelligent comments welcome ending to mean that he actually welcomed intelligent comments. Seemingly not – the one comment posted was written the day after my attempted comment – and it happens to be someone who doesn’t clearly disagree with the author.
Fie on me for not noticing that 1) the author credits Curious George with keeping the US safe, 2) he’s got a pet peeve against people who vote based on a single issue – which he will do himself (recognizing his hypocrisy doesn’t mean anything he’s right about the problem and wrong for not looking at the big picture) and 3) bugs about Obama’s lack of international affair knowledge (somehow Curious George kept the country ‘safe’ despite lacking any worthwhile knowledge whatsover).
Good thing I’m in the habit of making copies of any lengthy blog comments. I can’t let some decent politcal musings go to waste, so here’s my seemingly unintelligent response. If I would change anything it’s the growing feeling that McCain will toe the party line throughout a potential presidency – my gut tells me his moderation will disappear if he’s in power. (I have a thing about going with the gut…) You can read Einstein’s post at http://www.hisfault.com/2008/03/25/the-expat-life-and-views-on-us-politics/
El Response Stupido:
At one point, I went through the I want to leave the US because it’s sucking phase, but that’s passed. I think that attitude does Costa Rica wrong as there are plenty of good reasons to move instead of a mediocre reason to get out.
I do thing that ‘the simple life’ (say, a life involving a lot less stuff) is a valid attractor – so long as one is aware that there is plenty that won’t be that simple (ICE, etc.). You definitely have to be prepared to go with the flow and consider the realities.
Politically, McCain is an odd bird as he’s obviously been a neocon gadfly, but lately he seems to be toeing the party line. I personally don’t think Bush is responsible for keeping the country safe for the past seven years – anyone leading the country after 9/11 would have reamed everyone involved (ie security, intelligence, etc) to make sure it didn’t happen again. Anyone could, which is certainly not limited to a man who invaded a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 (something I sincerely believe has made the world less safe). Bin Laden is alive and that is an absolute injustice. I was in full support of our operations in Afghanistan but absolutely opposed to invading Iraq.
I’ve voted Democratic 4 times and this will be #5. However, if Ron Paul actually got the nomination, I would have given serious consideration to voting for him. I never thought I would vote Republican, but Paul made a lot of sensible points. I’m definitely feeling the libertarian viewpoint more and more.
For this election, I’ve decided on Obama. I don’t think the preacher issue is that big of a deal as I don’t believe that he’s hate-mongering every minute of every sermon. I frankly doubt he’d be able to keep his flock if he was like that 24/7. Obama’s speech on race showed me that he believes in facing an issue rather an avoiding. He had the guts to be publicly against invading Iraq at a time when everyone else folded in the face of jingoistic fervor. That – along with not dropping the preacher like a hot potato over one incident – tells me that he is not afraid to stand by his beliefs.
His lack of foreign policy experience doesn’t bother me because he’s intelligent. Bush is not (cunning yes, intelligent no). Obama has the acumen to learn and understand. Why would McCain, for being so experienced, not know who’s on what side in Iraq (with Lieberman there to point it out)? McCain’s not a terrible man, by any means, but I think the way he’s been toeing the party line since Huckabee dropped out gives me cause for concern.
I was feeling Ron Paul for a bit, but he seems to hate women and anyone with darker skin than his own. Lost my vote instantly.
Summer’s last blog post..Stuff I Want To Win
I searched a lot for the racist stuff a few months back and had a hard time finding anything. I dunno where I was looking because it seems to be all over the place now. Ugh. Ah well – Mike Gravel’s now a Libertarian and back in the race. Let’s see if the media gives him any coverage at all.
One more reason to hate bloggers. Why bother posting up a blog at all if you’re not going to let people disagree?
Ron Paul is a non-religious Pat Buchanan… a very intelligent and well-spoken ideologue. And they’re both like an Ayn Rand novel – at a certain point in your life the rhetoric can be intoxicating, but when you extract the principles behind the rhetoric and attempt to apply it to situations outside of the narrowly constructed confines of the novel, it all goes to hell. Much like neo-conservatism.
Paul gives a great interview, though.
Jeffrey’s last blog post..Run Fatboy Run
PS – Is that Long Duk Dong?
Where’s grandpa’s automobile?
I’d still like to a see a stricter interpretation of the constitution, tho. Just not from a racist. I recently learned that the government constitutionally can’t print money. So stuff like the stimulus package is just newly printed money, devaluing the existing currency and increasing inflation. The poop has only started hitting the fan methinks.
btw – who the hell is Ted Feeney?
Ted Feeney is my internet spam-catching personna, and autocorrect sometimes fills it in automatically.
The stimulus package has me frothing at the mouth with anger. It is just ‘made up money’… What makes me even more sad is that the government could just offer to pay off $600 of every American’s credit card debt. The money they’re spraying around is just piss in the wind that they’re hoping funnels into the coffers of Visa and WalMart.
What makes me really angry is that responsible, credit-debt free homeowners who have worked hard to not bite off more than they can chew get nothing, while overspending idiots get a pat on the back and a reward.
I don’t need a stricter interpretation of the constitution, but a dramatic scaling back of the government services and sunset clauses for some of the bigger programs would be a good start.
Too bad we didn’t meet up when you were back around the city – we could’ve had a competition to see who could froth more.
A stricter interpretation of the constitution would result in a dramatic scaleback of government services. I’m finding the notion of more state autonomy to be better – there is an insane amount of government waste now, and that might be better if states did more of the stuff the government does now. At least I think concerned citizens would have an easier time dealing with their state than the federal government.
Of course, there would be negatives too – like Kansas probably deciding to teach evolution as fact, or some other Southern state banning abortion. Still, the one-size-fits-all doesn’t work in reality. Just like public edumacation.
We’ll meet up next time I’m in town… hopefully this summer.
As for states rights… Not just Kansas. I live in a state where everybody complains about high taxes and yet votes for every tax-increasing public bond proposal a special-interest group can get on the ballot. We have some of the worst schools west of the Mississippi, and a teachers union that adamantly refuses to take responsibility for that. Most of our legislation gets passed with hard budget caps and no sunset clauses, so the state is required by law to squander money on ridiculous and no longer necessary programs.
And the best part about state government is Governor Arnold Scharzenegger. So, no, I really can’t get behind states autonomy….
Jeffrey’s last blog post..Run Fatboy Run
You’ve got a point about state’s autonomy, but I’d still give it a shot. It’s not like idiotic decisions won’t be made, and some states will invariably end up being run better than others. It’s like 10 people with the same job and only 1 of whom manages to save money and plan ahead.
On the plus side, at least your governor isn’t a former pro wrestler.
Automobile? AUTOMOBILE?
Yes, that was Long Duk Dong. Jumping out of the tree. I just switched to famed Egyptologist Zahi Hawass, star with Bill Pullman of the famed Opening the secret room under the Sphinx’s feet that turned out to be empty like Al Capone’s tomb show.
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