I used to laugh at the people who were so passionate about HATING George W. Bush. Actually, I still do. I think that to hate a president just because you don't agree with his decisions is an immature reaction. Having said that, I am starting to think he has lost his mind lately. The things he is asking for are just incredulous.
Now... I realize there is a healthy dose of left-wing spin placed on lots of media headlines. There are many ways to say the same thing that have a tendency to slant it one way or the other. For example, a headline such as "Bush Defends Demands for CIA 'torture' Power". But those are not his words at all. Suggesting it was said in that manner is irresponsible reporting and I wish that more people would keep their own goddamn opinions out of reporting the NEWS. Just the facts, ma'am. I am happy to read your editorial elsewhere, however. Opinionate that up as much as you want... but can we keep the personal politics out of the headlines?
No, I sort of doubt we can. I've come to prefer the BBC for my news lately. Perhaps the fact that it isn't an American institution makes it feel... at least to me... somewhat more credible. I have always liked NPR, but you need to listen with an objective perspective because not everything there will be presented that way. Excellent quality though, despite.
I'm so sick of talking heads.
So righto... George W. Bush. Any W "haters" who happen to work in the news are making what he said sound as if it emminated from the mouth of satan himself. Lets not get carried away. BUT... passionate left-wing projections aside... what W is suggesting is outrageous. We are becoming that which we (supposedly) hate. When has it ever been considered "ok" to torture? Oh, I'm sure it has happened quite a lot... but it has never been acceptable. It is disgusting to me that the country is even having this conversation. And at LEAST half of us are going along like blind little sheep accepting that Big Brother is in fact here to guard our best interests.
What exactly ARE our best interests?
We're in Vietnam, Part Deux. What the hell are we still doing in Iraq? Things get worse and worse every day... and the more resources and American lives we spend... the less focused we are on that little thorn in our side called terrorism. And speaking of terrorism... we CREATED the situation in Iraq where it has become a hotbed for al-Qaida. It's OUR fault. And it is a recent development. Yeah Saddam is an evil bastard, but he and (foreign) terrorism were certainly not in bed together. I'm of the opinion that George Senior was actually "taking one for the team" in the early 90s by leaving him in power. An enemy in a cage is much safer than the vacuum we have now created. GHWB took a lot of shit and lost re-election largely due to a perception that we didn't "finish the job" over there. Funny, but I think that ending was preferable to what we now know is the alternative.
We eventually got the hell out of Vietnam. How long will it take before we realize that we are just spinning our wheels in Iraq as well? The only accurate answer is "too long".
Anyhow, I'm having a little dilemma today. Not sure if I should work an 11 hour day and get all the way home... just to pretty much do nothing on Sunday. OR, just take it easy and split the drive over two days and not bother going home. I have no particular need to go home at this time. I've faced this choice before. Is it actually more restfull to work a little bit over two days or work your ass off for one long day then take one off? See... I could always go to the local Renaissance Faire on Sunday. But working all friggin' day today just to get there and then do that tomorrow sounds exhausting.
Now... I realize there is a healthy dose of left-wing spin placed on lots of media headlines. There are many ways to say the same thing that have a tendency to slant it one way or the other. For example, a headline such as "Bush Defends Demands for CIA 'torture' Power". But those are not his words at all. Suggesting it was said in that manner is irresponsible reporting and I wish that more people would keep their own goddamn opinions out of reporting the NEWS. Just the facts, ma'am. I am happy to read your editorial elsewhere, however. Opinionate that up as much as you want... but can we keep the personal politics out of the headlines?
No, I sort of doubt we can. I've come to prefer the BBC for my news lately. Perhaps the fact that it isn't an American institution makes it feel... at least to me... somewhat more credible. I have always liked NPR, but you need to listen with an objective perspective because not everything there will be presented that way. Excellent quality though, despite.
I'm so sick of talking heads.
So righto... George W. Bush. Any W "haters" who happen to work in the news are making what he said sound as if it emminated from the mouth of satan himself. Lets not get carried away. BUT... passionate left-wing projections aside... what W is suggesting is outrageous. We are becoming that which we (supposedly) hate. When has it ever been considered "ok" to torture? Oh, I'm sure it has happened quite a lot... but it has never been acceptable. It is disgusting to me that the country is even having this conversation. And at LEAST half of us are going along like blind little sheep accepting that Big Brother is in fact here to guard our best interests.
What exactly ARE our best interests?
We're in Vietnam, Part Deux. What the hell are we still doing in Iraq? Things get worse and worse every day... and the more resources and American lives we spend... the less focused we are on that little thorn in our side called terrorism. And speaking of terrorism... we CREATED the situation in Iraq where it has become a hotbed for al-Qaida. It's OUR fault. And it is a recent development. Yeah Saddam is an evil bastard, but he and (foreign) terrorism were certainly not in bed together. I'm of the opinion that George Senior was actually "taking one for the team" in the early 90s by leaving him in power. An enemy in a cage is much safer than the vacuum we have now created. GHWB took a lot of shit and lost re-election largely due to a perception that we didn't "finish the job" over there. Funny, but I think that ending was preferable to what we now know is the alternative.
We eventually got the hell out of Vietnam. How long will it take before we realize that we are just spinning our wheels in Iraq as well? The only accurate answer is "too long".
Anyhow, I'm having a little dilemma today. Not sure if I should work an 11 hour day and get all the way home... just to pretty much do nothing on Sunday. OR, just take it easy and split the drive over two days and not bother going home. I have no particular need to go home at this time. I've faced this choice before. Is it actually more restfull to work a little bit over two days or work your ass off for one long day then take one off? See... I could always go to the local Renaissance Faire on Sunday. But working all friggin' day today just to get there and then do that tomorrow sounds exhausting.
I'm inclined to think that GHWB out to have dispatched Saddam the first time round. At the time we had a pretty good reason for being there and the Iraqis were showing considerable willingness to abandon Hussein's cause. I also suspect that an Iraqui civil war has always been inevitable, given the menas whereby the Baath party was hodling onto power. Whatever; opinions are like assholes, everybody's got one.