listen to this.
these motherfuckers are pissing me off. and i dont know what the response is. the bastards bash aid agencies and foreign aid workers, all the while they wont let them help. i want to say 'we tried, you wouldnt let us help, so go fuck yourself.' but its the Junta thats being a piece of shit, not the people. the people are the innocent victims.
so what do we do? they claim not only that the elections held a week ago were in favor of the constitution at a 92% approval rating. they also say that 98% of eligible voters turned out for it. theres no fucking way.
im really at a loss. we could easily invade and bring the relief help, but that could easily mire us in yet another unending occupation. we could walk away and wash our hands of it, but that leaves untold thousands, hundreds of thousands, on their own with no homes or reliable food sources. the incompotence after Katrina was a debacle on a huge scale, but this intentional deprivation of aid and attacks on those providing it is insane.
you tell me. what now?
Friday, May 30, 2008
you want misongyny?
to the claims of misogyny leveled by Hilary supporters, i say go straight to the source. dont blame Americans at large. dont say we live in an inherently sexist society. point the finger at the Vatican.
they recently upped the misogyny anti in automatically excommunicating any women ordained and the bishop who ordains them. they say this is because Christ only chose men as apostles. this can be argued on many points starting from the bits of the bible that were left out that looked more fondly on Mary Magdalen. also, misogyny was culturally engrained 2000 years ago, where today we are moving ever toward equality.
the catholic church refuses to move forward and allow female church leaders. why? whats the real reason? sure they can point to tradition, but what the reason they dont state?
oh, and catholics arent alone in this discrimination, they just make it so overt and easy to pick on them. you wonder why the church has a hard time finding willing people to take the collar, well youve made impossible for half of your faith to even try, which will make another fraction balk at the thought of preaching discrimination. i know i couldnt tow that line.
its time to feast on an atheist peace.
they recently upped the misogyny anti in automatically excommunicating any women ordained and the bishop who ordains them. they say this is because Christ only chose men as apostles. this can be argued on many points starting from the bits of the bible that were left out that looked more fondly on Mary Magdalen. also, misogyny was culturally engrained 2000 years ago, where today we are moving ever toward equality.
the catholic church refuses to move forward and allow female church leaders. why? whats the real reason? sure they can point to tradition, but what the reason they dont state?
oh, and catholics arent alone in this discrimination, they just make it so overt and easy to pick on them. you wonder why the church has a hard time finding willing people to take the collar, well youve made impossible for half of your faith to even try, which will make another fraction balk at the thought of preaching discrimination. i know i couldnt tow that line.
its time to feast on an atheist peace.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
one more time
lets review a couple of all too commonly held misconceptions.
Barack Obama is not a Muslim, but he probably understands it on a level most Christians and come close to.
Muslim does not equal terrorist. Muslim does not equal extremist.
read this.
Barack Obama is not a Muslim, but he probably understands it on a level most Christians and come close to.
Muslim does not equal terrorist. Muslim does not equal extremist.
read this.
please, Kwame
Kwame Kilpatrick vetoed the city council's resolution to ask Governor Granholm to oust him. its a gesture at bast. it didnt set anything into law, and Councilman Cockerel already sent the letter to the Governor's office.
Granholm's office responded quickly by asking both parties to provide information on legal representation etc. this mess keeps getting worse. Kilpatrick now faces 8 felony charges and a Gubernatorial trial. its ridiculous.
when Nixon resigned he said he did so because the battle would not only consume him but also both houses of the legislature putting their real jobs on the back burner. this reason alone should be enough to make Kwame leave office. nothing can or will get done til this is resolved and the only way to resolve it once and for all is for Kwame to leave office.
just let Detroit move on, Kwame. please.
Granholm's office responded quickly by asking both parties to provide information on legal representation etc. this mess keeps getting worse. Kilpatrick now faces 8 felony charges and a Gubernatorial trial. its ridiculous.
when Nixon resigned he said he did so because the battle would not only consume him but also both houses of the legislature putting their real jobs on the back burner. this reason alone should be enough to make Kwame leave office. nothing can or will get done til this is resolved and the only way to resolve it once and for all is for Kwame to leave office.
just let Detroit move on, Kwame. please.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
yup.
i dont think i can say it any better or add anything to make the point: Michigan's government is broken and no one in it is doing a damned thing to fix it.
Daniel Howes' article.
Daniel Howes' article.
Monday, May 19, 2008
just keep proving me right...
W has proven the point i made in the last post to some degree.
he praised Israel and scolded the Arab nations in continued botched diplomacy, or lack there of, in the middle east. Bush obviously doesnt understand the culture and continues to insult it. we could stand to have a fresh and more understanding leader. maybe one who knows what Islam is about and is willing to talk.
he praised Israel and scolded the Arab nations in continued botched diplomacy, or lack there of, in the middle east. Bush obviously doesnt understand the culture and continues to insult it. we could stand to have a fresh and more understanding leader. maybe one who knows what Islam is about and is willing to talk.
don't break the stick.
John McCain has gone on the offensive. and effectively joined the media in calling Obama the presumptive nominee of the Democratic Party in the process. he attacked Obama's promise to be open to talks with leaders such as Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran. he calls Obama inexperienced and naive to think that open talks without preconditions would weaken the US position. however, by cutting down Obama he also builds him up. by addressing his policy statement and not Hilary's, he seems to be acknowledging, as have the media at large, that Obama will be the nominee. while nothing has been decided yet, it certainly looks that way.
on to what McCain said: "It is likely such a meeting would not only fail to persuade him to abandon Iran's nuclear ambition, its support of terrorists and commitment to Israel's extinction. It could very well convince him that those policies are succeeding in strengthening his hold on power, and embolden him to continue his very dangerous behavior."
i dont see it. i just dont agree with it. ive said it before, you cant ignore a problem away. Obama hasnt said that he'll concede anything to Iran. he hasnt given any details of how he wants that talk to go. thats the brilliance of it. theres no agenda. its just opening up a diplomatic dialog that hasnt existed. there is no substance that to criticize, just the idea of talking to 'a bad man.'
Obama wants to find common ground with him. he also notes that the US military could crush Iran if need be, but the idea is to talk. Teddy Roosevelt said famously in 1903 that "There is a homely old adage which runs: 'Speak softly and carry and big stick; you will go far.'" which is the very point Obama is making. lets try talking to them. if the spit in our face and stomp on our toes we'll club 'em over the head with that big stick.
this is a reversal of Bush policy, that McCain has adopted a great deal of. we have all seen and are seeing the problems of the 'shoot first, ask questions later' policy of the Bush white house. i think McCain makes a very effective argument against his own policy here. if we open a friendly channel then there is more space to maneuver. have you ever tried to convince a foe to do anything for you? not only is it an awkward task, but they are unlikely to respond with much zeal in helping you. but a friend is much easier to approach and much more likely to see your side.
if you just start swinging the big stick at everyone who disagrees with you eventually the stick will break and youll have a bunch of pissed off people looking to draw blood. meaning the Bush policy wont work in the long run. the military will break down and lots of people will want to kick us while we are down. talking makes you friends and keeps your stick in good shape in case you need to use it.
on a somewhat related issue, i think we need to take off Israel's training wheels and let them confront the big bad world on their own if they are going to be so confrontational with their neighbors. i certainly dont agree with Ahmadinejad, and believe that Israel has the right to exist. Israel just needs to back off to its 1967 borders and just try and be nice to the neighbors. i think they would be more likely to back down if the US and EU backed off in their support a little.
but i digress. Obama's positions on talking to the world and listen to people in general is why i like him for president. hes got ideas, and is willing to hear others out. Bush II scares me. Obama is young and inexperienced and open minded. kinda like Kennedy was. Obama is our best hope to get back on track. in my opinion, anyway.
on to what McCain said: "It is likely such a meeting would not only fail to persuade him to abandon Iran's nuclear ambition, its support of terrorists and commitment to Israel's extinction. It could very well convince him that those policies are succeeding in strengthening his hold on power, and embolden him to continue his very dangerous behavior."
i dont see it. i just dont agree with it. ive said it before, you cant ignore a problem away. Obama hasnt said that he'll concede anything to Iran. he hasnt given any details of how he wants that talk to go. thats the brilliance of it. theres no agenda. its just opening up a diplomatic dialog that hasnt existed. there is no substance that to criticize, just the idea of talking to 'a bad man.'
Obama wants to find common ground with him. he also notes that the US military could crush Iran if need be, but the idea is to talk. Teddy Roosevelt said famously in 1903 that "There is a homely old adage which runs: 'Speak softly and carry and big stick; you will go far.'" which is the very point Obama is making. lets try talking to them. if the spit in our face and stomp on our toes we'll club 'em over the head with that big stick.
this is a reversal of Bush policy, that McCain has adopted a great deal of. we have all seen and are seeing the problems of the 'shoot first, ask questions later' policy of the Bush white house. i think McCain makes a very effective argument against his own policy here. if we open a friendly channel then there is more space to maneuver. have you ever tried to convince a foe to do anything for you? not only is it an awkward task, but they are unlikely to respond with much zeal in helping you. but a friend is much easier to approach and much more likely to see your side.
if you just start swinging the big stick at everyone who disagrees with you eventually the stick will break and youll have a bunch of pissed off people looking to draw blood. meaning the Bush policy wont work in the long run. the military will break down and lots of people will want to kick us while we are down. talking makes you friends and keeps your stick in good shape in case you need to use it.
on a somewhat related issue, i think we need to take off Israel's training wheels and let them confront the big bad world on their own if they are going to be so confrontational with their neighbors. i certainly dont agree with Ahmadinejad, and believe that Israel has the right to exist. Israel just needs to back off to its 1967 borders and just try and be nice to the neighbors. i think they would be more likely to back down if the US and EU backed off in their support a little.
but i digress. Obama's positions on talking to the world and listen to people in general is why i like him for president. hes got ideas, and is willing to hear others out. Bush II scares me. Obama is young and inexperienced and open minded. kinda like Kennedy was. Obama is our best hope to get back on track. in my opinion, anyway.
Friday, May 16, 2008
hey, sweetie, fuck you.
Susan Ager is over-sensitive if someone calling another journalist sweetie is too much for her to stomach. since when does an over used term of endearment constitute and insult?
after moving to the DC area i was taken aback a bit by the use of terms of endearment by total strangers. terms like hun, sweetie, dear, darling, etc. in this area wait staff use those terms with just about everyone. its a southern thing im told. im not fond of it. to me its overly personal for a person i dont know to call me those things, but its not demeaning. at most its mildly annoying. ive never heard of anyone before the Detroit media freak out about being called sweetie.
we have all seen that Obama can address diplomats, senators, congressmen, etc in an appropriate manner, so who cares if he is a little overly familiar with some local media? dont we have better things to criticize candidates about, like say policy or record? i mean, if you want to cut down Obama, why no do it on something like the fact that hes a junior senator with little to no experience?
i have a solution. Susan Ager is a fucktard for getting so worked for someone else being called sweetie. shes fucktarded.
there, now she has something to complain about.
after moving to the DC area i was taken aback a bit by the use of terms of endearment by total strangers. terms like hun, sweetie, dear, darling, etc. in this area wait staff use those terms with just about everyone. its a southern thing im told. im not fond of it. to me its overly personal for a person i dont know to call me those things, but its not demeaning. at most its mildly annoying. ive never heard of anyone before the Detroit media freak out about being called sweetie.
we have all seen that Obama can address diplomats, senators, congressmen, etc in an appropriate manner, so who cares if he is a little overly familiar with some local media? dont we have better things to criticize candidates about, like say policy or record? i mean, if you want to cut down Obama, why no do it on something like the fact that hes a junior senator with little to no experience?
i have a solution. Susan Ager is a fucktard for getting so worked for someone else being called sweetie. shes fucktarded.
there, now she has something to complain about.
oh, thats why i hated high school...
my high school, well the one i graduated from 7 years ago, if freaking the fuck out. some seniors wore t-shirts saying the following: "Puschin' It To The Limit" on the front and "Class of .08 Seniors" on the back. the front i didnt even get til, the freep explained it was a play on Busch beer.
so anyway, the school suspended 44 students the day they wore the shirts and are threatening not to allow them to attend the prom or graduation ceremony. what the fuck? is Livonia so isolated that they have nothing else to worry about than a passing reference to drinking by high school seniors? we all know they do it. what are the grounds for this? i think the suspension got the message across.
i know i for one did way worse stuff than wear a stupid shirt and nothing happened to me. prom and graduation are events that you look forward to for four years of high school and to take that from them for some silly t-shirts that didnt do harm or offend anyone is ridiculous and im guessing not legal. i hope at least one parent is savvy enough to challenge this, even if they go so far as to hire a lawyer. its a free speech matter to me. IF, and its a big if, these type of shirts are against the rules, i think the suspension is the punishment and that barring these kids from prom and graduation is well beyond the schools rights.
when i was in the same high school people wore shirts with alcohol references all the time, especially after spring break. my friends and i were also harassed for having odd hair cuts and wearing odd clothing. i hung out with skaters and punks most of the time, and we did some fun stuff to stir up the pot, but i never was suspended. you better beleive i would make a hell of a scene if they tried that shit on me.
i hope that these students take this as a message to learn their rights and stand up for them. once they can vote, hopefully they will pick candidates who respect people's rights and the Constitution. and i hope the administration can stick to making the schools better and nor persecuting people for wearing a shirt that could be construed as controversial.
so anyway, the school suspended 44 students the day they wore the shirts and are threatening not to allow them to attend the prom or graduation ceremony. what the fuck? is Livonia so isolated that they have nothing else to worry about than a passing reference to drinking by high school seniors? we all know they do it. what are the grounds for this? i think the suspension got the message across.
i know i for one did way worse stuff than wear a stupid shirt and nothing happened to me. prom and graduation are events that you look forward to for four years of high school and to take that from them for some silly t-shirts that didnt do harm or offend anyone is ridiculous and im guessing not legal. i hope at least one parent is savvy enough to challenge this, even if they go so far as to hire a lawyer. its a free speech matter to me. IF, and its a big if, these type of shirts are against the rules, i think the suspension is the punishment and that barring these kids from prom and graduation is well beyond the schools rights.
when i was in the same high school people wore shirts with alcohol references all the time, especially after spring break. my friends and i were also harassed for having odd hair cuts and wearing odd clothing. i hung out with skaters and punks most of the time, and we did some fun stuff to stir up the pot, but i never was suspended. you better beleive i would make a hell of a scene if they tried that shit on me.
i hope that these students take this as a message to learn their rights and stand up for them. once they can vote, hopefully they will pick candidates who respect people's rights and the Constitution. and i hope the administration can stick to making the schools better and nor persecuting people for wearing a shirt that could be construed as controversial.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
always twirling, twirling, TWIRLING TOWARD FREEDOM!!!
i was happy to see this in the Times today. it seems that some states, well Cali, anyway, is moving forward, rather than backward as so many did a couple years ago. theres no good reason to keep homosexuals from marrying. none. just like theres no reason to keep interracial couples from marrying. none. if you dont like it, then dont, but you have no right to tell someone you dont know or understand who they can or cant marry.
good work, California, i hope more states follow suit, but i have my doubts. but once a again, people with boats seem to get it...
"forward, not backward, upward, not downward, and always twirling, twirling, TWIRLING TOWARD FREEDOM!!!"
good work, California, i hope more states follow suit, but i have my doubts. but once a again, people with boats seem to get it...
"forward, not backward, upward, not downward, and always twirling, twirling, TWIRLING TOWARD FREEDOM!!!"
ready your pointing fingers...
yesterday i posted about the underlying racism that the Obama campaign has faced. today there is another article in the Post about the misogyny facing the Clinton campaign. i was kind of taken aback, because i hadnt heard any of the various examples Marie Cocco lists on and on and on. for me this has been largely the same as the racism facing Obama, isolated and unpublicized. and thats as it should be in my opinion. i dont think that we need to be publishing and making a big deal out of it. there are always going to be stupid and bigoted people and i dont think we should be focusing the spot light on them, because in all likelihood, thats what they want. they want their message of ignorance and intolerance broadcast to the world.
after reading Marie's article i see that there are some misogynist messages in popular media that would not fly if they were made against a black man. but some of the stuff she takes as misogyny to me is not. like the 'bros before hos' t-shirts. its a joke. it takes a saying that frat boys use and makes it a political slogan that frat boys wear. you cant take a bad joke seriously. and you cant place any stock in shirts sold online or anywhere really, because any jerk with $100 can print up a bunch of stupid shirts that a bunch of other jerks will buy.
she accuses the media at large of 'unrelenting, sex-based hate' and the democratic leadership of ignoring it and being silent about. all this is new to me, and she points out a few isolated incidents and the repeated abuse by Chris Matthews. dont we all know that Matthews is an idiot who will undermine anyone he disgarees with by any means available? Matthews is the only one who has been unrelenting about it. the rest of the media occasionally has made sexist comments, just as the all questioned if Obama would be such a figure were he white.
to me she comes off as whiny. much like Hilary has been. i feel like her taking exception to a few crackpots is just silly when Obama supporters have been assaulted with epithets and had campaign headquarters vandalized. dont get me wrong, its not right to disperse hateful and sexist messages. but everyone gets called names that are unjustified. take a cue from Clinton herself and let it roll off your back. you cant fix stupid, but you can ignore it and marginalize those who promote stupid. who cares that Chris Matthews is an idiot? he can call me whatever he wants because every ignorant word that comes out of his mouth discredits him more. the the idiots dig their own graves. just look what happened to Don Imus. no one even knew who he was until the media made a hoopla out of his stupidity, now he has a larger audience and more fame.
im waiting for the ageism article defending McCain's cognitive ability....
after reading Marie's article i see that there are some misogynist messages in popular media that would not fly if they were made against a black man. but some of the stuff she takes as misogyny to me is not. like the 'bros before hos' t-shirts. its a joke. it takes a saying that frat boys use and makes it a political slogan that frat boys wear. you cant take a bad joke seriously. and you cant place any stock in shirts sold online or anywhere really, because any jerk with $100 can print up a bunch of stupid shirts that a bunch of other jerks will buy.
she accuses the media at large of 'unrelenting, sex-based hate' and the democratic leadership of ignoring it and being silent about. all this is new to me, and she points out a few isolated incidents and the repeated abuse by Chris Matthews. dont we all know that Matthews is an idiot who will undermine anyone he disgarees with by any means available? Matthews is the only one who has been unrelenting about it. the rest of the media occasionally has made sexist comments, just as the all questioned if Obama would be such a figure were he white.
to me she comes off as whiny. much like Hilary has been. i feel like her taking exception to a few crackpots is just silly when Obama supporters have been assaulted with epithets and had campaign headquarters vandalized. dont get me wrong, its not right to disperse hateful and sexist messages. but everyone gets called names that are unjustified. take a cue from Clinton herself and let it roll off your back. you cant fix stupid, but you can ignore it and marginalize those who promote stupid. who cares that Chris Matthews is an idiot? he can call me whatever he wants because every ignorant word that comes out of his mouth discredits him more. the the idiots dig their own graves. just look what happened to Don Imus. no one even knew who he was until the media made a hoopla out of his stupidity, now he has a larger audience and more fame.
im waiting for the ageism article defending McCain's cognitive ability....
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
how to help?
the commentary on Burma or Myanmar (it seems no one can decide what to call it) has been all over the place. theres been Laura Bush wagging her finger at the Junta, which is not only completely unnecessary, but completely outside of her role as First Lady. there have been those who say, let them starve and die if they dont want our help, but i think most of us want to help out those in need.
at any rate, Robert Kaplan has thought through the ideas of how to get aid to the victims of the cyclone. i dont know what to do. someone needs to help. something to think about...
at any rate, Robert Kaplan has thought through the ideas of how to get aid to the victims of the cyclone. i dont know what to do. someone needs to help. something to think about...
madness!
i just read an editorial my Michael Gerson, who typically has the exact opposite opinion that i do on everything ever, and i agreed with the whole damn thing! then again, it is hard to dispute finding for AIDS/HIV relief and prevention. yet somehow, as Gerson lays out in his editorial, seven senators have joined together to block a Bush bill to renew the funding we already give.
HOLY FUCK, i agree with W!?!? i guess that just says what a no brainer this is. reducing suffering and making a dent in the AIDS toll on people is, well, good. and why not? the $50 billion thats proposed sounds like a lot, but thats less than 5 months cost of the current war. (the Congressional Budget Office estimates the war costs $9 billion a month.) and thats not a set number either. the current bill is just saying, yes, lets help out with this whole 'AIDS' thing. there would be another bill to hammer out the financials.
and as Gerson says, these guys (Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions, Saxby Chambliss, David Vitter, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr) are all supposedly pro life. woulndt it be a grand pro-life thing to do to prevent lots of babies from getting HIV to being with? these motherfuckers are directly contributing to the suffering of thousands, if not millions, of people.
im too enraged and shocked that i dont know how to sum this up. its obvious to begin with. its cold, its heartless, and wrong to cut this support.
HOLY FUCK, i agree with W!?!? i guess that just says what a no brainer this is. reducing suffering and making a dent in the AIDS toll on people is, well, good. and why not? the $50 billion thats proposed sounds like a lot, but thats less than 5 months cost of the current war. (the Congressional Budget Office estimates the war costs $9 billion a month.) and thats not a set number either. the current bill is just saying, yes, lets help out with this whole 'AIDS' thing. there would be another bill to hammer out the financials.
and as Gerson says, these guys (Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Jeff Sessions, Saxby Chambliss, David Vitter, Jim Bunning, Richard Burr) are all supposedly pro life. woulndt it be a grand pro-life thing to do to prevent lots of babies from getting HIV to being with? these motherfuckers are directly contributing to the suffering of thousands, if not millions, of people.
im too enraged and shocked that i dont know how to sum this up. its obvious to begin with. its cold, its heartless, and wrong to cut this support.
seriously, people, its the 90's
i read this article yesterday, and was completely incredulous at the unfounded hate that people can harbor. i just dont understand how you can hate someone so much just because of the color of their skin. evidently there are quite a few out there who will not vote for Obama, not because hes a liberal, but because hes black. thats no surprise to anyone with a toe hold on reality, but what surprised me was the unbridled hate that some have spewed at Obama supporters.
perhaps its my roots that have me open minded as i am. i grew up in the nearly 100% white city of Livonia just a couple miles from Detroit which happens to be about 80% black. we were also a just a few miles from Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, and Dearborn with large Jewish and Arab populations respectively. my parents both taught in Southfield and watched the demographic shift from a mostly white Jews and Christians to a predominantly black community. i wont lie and say that my parents never disparaged minorities, but they did dole it out in equal portions. i never got the impression that my parents were hateful. it always appeared to be in jest and noting cultural differences, like when black comedians make fun of white people.
my parents always encouraged any sort of cultural growth, be it ethnic food or going to slummy bars to see bands i liked(once i was old enough, of course...). this all one generation removed from a grandfather who was one of the first whites to flee Detroit for the suburbs in what would become the "white flight." the same grandfather who disowned my aunt, his daughter, for marrying a black man. the change in my family from the 50's to today is, at risk of a bad pun, black and white.
dont get me wrong. im not Stephen Colbert. i see race just like everyone else. i still have preconceived notions to some degree. i think its impossible not to. where i differ is that i dont let stereotypes and preconceived notions define how i look at people. rather than assuming the worst, i give people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that people in general are good. i think we owe it to each other to give one another a chance. you cant write someone off based on how they look.
a friend of mine has a goofy mohawk-ish haircut and piercings and tattoos and generally looks like a dude who is up to no good. the person he is is completely different from that assumption. hes probably the smartest person i know at my own age, he works for a non-profit community outreach company and volunteers on the side.
ive been talking for a while, but the point is as the old adage goes: dont judge a book by its cover.
sure Barack Obama is black. but hes also been a community activist and is Harvard educated. hes a US senator as we speak. or, rather, as i write. i simply cant wrap my mind around what people are afraid of. how do they come to hate and fear other races and religions. i laugh and cry every time someone calls Obama a Muslim. his father was a Muslim, but was not militant. Obama was educated in Muslim schools as a boy, but is openly Christian. Couldnt we stand to benefit from someone who has an understanding of both sides of that divide? Couldnt we stand to benefit from a president with a white mother from Kansas and a black immigrant father? to me, Obama's past is not a liability, it is what made him who he is, it is an asset in many of the challenges that would face him if he were to become our president.
i am glad that Obama and his staff have persevered through the hate and ignorance that have been flung at them. i am also glad that they didnt make a big deal of it. they turned the other cheek and soldiered on. what else can we do. i dont know that it is possible to change those racist and bigoted beleifs. all we can hope for is that they are a dying breed and that the rest of us can prove little by little that there is more than race. that the substance of a person is what matters, not his haircut, his skin color, or his faith, its the character of his person by which he should be judged.
perhaps its my roots that have me open minded as i am. i grew up in the nearly 100% white city of Livonia just a couple miles from Detroit which happens to be about 80% black. we were also a just a few miles from Southfield, Bloomfield Hills, and Dearborn with large Jewish and Arab populations respectively. my parents both taught in Southfield and watched the demographic shift from a mostly white Jews and Christians to a predominantly black community. i wont lie and say that my parents never disparaged minorities, but they did dole it out in equal portions. i never got the impression that my parents were hateful. it always appeared to be in jest and noting cultural differences, like when black comedians make fun of white people.
my parents always encouraged any sort of cultural growth, be it ethnic food or going to slummy bars to see bands i liked(once i was old enough, of course...). this all one generation removed from a grandfather who was one of the first whites to flee Detroit for the suburbs in what would become the "white flight." the same grandfather who disowned my aunt, his daughter, for marrying a black man. the change in my family from the 50's to today is, at risk of a bad pun, black and white.
dont get me wrong. im not Stephen Colbert. i see race just like everyone else. i still have preconceived notions to some degree. i think its impossible not to. where i differ is that i dont let stereotypes and preconceived notions define how i look at people. rather than assuming the worst, i give people the benefit of the doubt, and assume that people in general are good. i think we owe it to each other to give one another a chance. you cant write someone off based on how they look.
a friend of mine has a goofy mohawk-ish haircut and piercings and tattoos and generally looks like a dude who is up to no good. the person he is is completely different from that assumption. hes probably the smartest person i know at my own age, he works for a non-profit community outreach company and volunteers on the side.
ive been talking for a while, but the point is as the old adage goes: dont judge a book by its cover.
sure Barack Obama is black. but hes also been a community activist and is Harvard educated. hes a US senator as we speak. or, rather, as i write. i simply cant wrap my mind around what people are afraid of. how do they come to hate and fear other races and religions. i laugh and cry every time someone calls Obama a Muslim. his father was a Muslim, but was not militant. Obama was educated in Muslim schools as a boy, but is openly Christian. Couldnt we stand to benefit from someone who has an understanding of both sides of that divide? Couldnt we stand to benefit from a president with a white mother from Kansas and a black immigrant father? to me, Obama's past is not a liability, it is what made him who he is, it is an asset in many of the challenges that would face him if he were to become our president.
i am glad that Obama and his staff have persevered through the hate and ignorance that have been flung at them. i am also glad that they didnt make a big deal of it. they turned the other cheek and soldiered on. what else can we do. i dont know that it is possible to change those racist and bigoted beleifs. all we can hope for is that they are a dying breed and that the rest of us can prove little by little that there is more than race. that the substance of a person is what matters, not his haircut, his skin color, or his faith, its the character of his person by which he should be judged.
Monday, May 12, 2008
choices
Bob Barr has thrown his hat in the presidential race. a former republican turned libertarian has decided to run because he thinks we need more choices, and i couldnt agree more. too bad we stuck in this restrictive two party system. the last libertarian candidate finished behind Nader four years ago with less the one percent of the popular vote.
heres the keys to the article:
article.
heres the keys to the article:
If he wins the White House, he said he would immediately freeze discretionary spending in Washington. He also would begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and consider slashing spending at federal agencies such as the departments of education and commerce as well as at overseas military bases.
Barr, 59, quit the Republican Party two years ago, saying he had grown disillusioned with its failure to shrink government and its willingness to scale back civil liberties in fighting terrorism.
I like libertarians on some level, but i will never support a cut to educational spending. if we need any one thing as a country, i would say its a more educated and involved citizenry. the small govt and the utmost respect for personal liberties and rights i like. a lot.article.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
fucking Gerson
i doubt i could be in a room with Michael Gerson for more than 10 minutes without shouting erupting at best and blood being spilled at worst. the guy seems to be anti-liberal above all else, which i find stupid. cant you find something to stand for rather than just stand against something based on faulty premises?
Hillary has said that there is a war on science in this country, and while i probably wouldnt go that far, it certainly hasnt been encouraged. what stands out most prominently in my mind is the road blocks thrown up in the way of stem cell research. many many people could benefit from this. its very promising and should be able to use cast aside cells from fertility clinics to further research and development and in my opinion, funded robustly.
Gerson portrays the liberal push for more and better science as a new push for eugenics. in fact many liberal ideals involve taking care of the weakest members of our society. scientific advances in stem cell research could help millions with cancer, diabetes, RA, and the four of us with Still's Disease. progressive health care policies would make it easier and cheaper for those with any health issue get the treatments that would vastly improve their quality of life. the end of a pointless never ending war would reduce the hardship on families, eliminate unnecessary death and casualties. not to mention save us $5000 a second that could help those downtrodden folks. it would also help us shake off trillions that we as a nation have accrued in foreign debt, much of which is to the Chinese, which i am told we are to despise and keep from joining the G8.
the conservative plan as i understand it involves staying in Iraq until everyone is dead, im guessing. i dont see how fighting there will otherwise result in peace. they also want keep around our unfair, inneficient, and overly costly health care system. they want to continue to tax the middle class and lower class and make the tax cuts to the super rich permanent. not only that but thier candidate has told us first person that he hasnt a clue what to do with the economy(see gas tax holiday, for one) and that he intends to appoint more judges like Alito and Roberts seriously unbalancing the courts.
i think Mr Gerson is making quite a leap in demonizing the liberal side of things. i find the actual conservative agenda without embellishment to be scary enough. and ill say this, while im not a Hillary fan, i will take her over McCain any day. thats not to say if it came down to it i wouldnt vote for Nader. again...
Hillary has said that there is a war on science in this country, and while i probably wouldnt go that far, it certainly hasnt been encouraged. what stands out most prominently in my mind is the road blocks thrown up in the way of stem cell research. many many people could benefit from this. its very promising and should be able to use cast aside cells from fertility clinics to further research and development and in my opinion, funded robustly.
Gerson portrays the liberal push for more and better science as a new push for eugenics. in fact many liberal ideals involve taking care of the weakest members of our society. scientific advances in stem cell research could help millions with cancer, diabetes, RA, and the four of us with Still's Disease. progressive health care policies would make it easier and cheaper for those with any health issue get the treatments that would vastly improve their quality of life. the end of a pointless never ending war would reduce the hardship on families, eliminate unnecessary death and casualties. not to mention save us $5000 a second that could help those downtrodden folks. it would also help us shake off trillions that we as a nation have accrued in foreign debt, much of which is to the Chinese, which i am told we are to despise and keep from joining the G8.
the conservative plan as i understand it involves staying in Iraq until everyone is dead, im guessing. i dont see how fighting there will otherwise result in peace. they also want keep around our unfair, inneficient, and overly costly health care system. they want to continue to tax the middle class and lower class and make the tax cuts to the super rich permanent. not only that but thier candidate has told us first person that he hasnt a clue what to do with the economy(see gas tax holiday, for one) and that he intends to appoint more judges like Alito and Roberts seriously unbalancing the courts.
i think Mr Gerson is making quite a leap in demonizing the liberal side of things. i find the actual conservative agenda without embellishment to be scary enough. and ill say this, while im not a Hillary fan, i will take her over McCain any day. thats not to say if it came down to it i wouldnt vote for Nader. again...
back to the USSR
today Dmitry Medvedev takes office as president of Russia. a Russia that has taken on more and more appearances that hearken back to the USSR. relations have bee strained lately as Moscow demands respect from the west and backs more oppressive regimes. but its not all that simple.
Russia's elections were widely viewed as fixed. Medvedev won by a large margin as Putin's hand picked successor and running on the widely popular United Russia Party, which also controls both houses of the parliament. further consolidating power under Putin's party, Medvedev's first official act was to name Putin his Prime Minister, a formerly weak and mostly ceremonial position that Putin himself helped to strengthen in his last months in office.
the fear is that with so much power concentrated within one party under Putin, and his protege in the Kremlin that the ways of the old USSR will be back. Medvedev has a marked populist twist to his speeches, and that is encouraging to a Russia that lacks much of a middle class. so many struggle and the few that make it tend to become millionaires.
i heard a story on this on NPR this morning in which a Russian analyst said that the Kremlin is demanding to be heard out as a world power while their soviet era infrastructure crumbles and the bureaucracy stymies efforts to use Russia's vast oil and gas wealth to benefit the people. he even went so far as to call Russia a third world country. his words, not mine.
having been there, i am fascinated even more so. i wouldnt call it third world, but there is a definite stratification of their society and most small towns we passed through could be so classified. the cities didnt seem third world, but in comparison to what i know, there is some improvement to be made. Russia is still going through growing pains. its still trying to figure out how to operate. my fear is that the United Russia Party will end up with a strangle hold on the state and youll see the people suffer, the borders close, and a few elite rise to enormous wealth and keep the whole thing going.
i hope that Medvedev's more populist rhetoric comes to pass. i hope that the people who have suffered can truly become middle class and not have so much hardship. i hope that Russia becomes a truly great nation, not through bullying or cold war style posturing, but through progressive policies and real leadership by example that the rest of the developing world can follow. time will tell.
post
Russia's elections were widely viewed as fixed. Medvedev won by a large margin as Putin's hand picked successor and running on the widely popular United Russia Party, which also controls both houses of the parliament. further consolidating power under Putin's party, Medvedev's first official act was to name Putin his Prime Minister, a formerly weak and mostly ceremonial position that Putin himself helped to strengthen in his last months in office.
the fear is that with so much power concentrated within one party under Putin, and his protege in the Kremlin that the ways of the old USSR will be back. Medvedev has a marked populist twist to his speeches, and that is encouraging to a Russia that lacks much of a middle class. so many struggle and the few that make it tend to become millionaires.
i heard a story on this on NPR this morning in which a Russian analyst said that the Kremlin is demanding to be heard out as a world power while their soviet era infrastructure crumbles and the bureaucracy stymies efforts to use Russia's vast oil and gas wealth to benefit the people. he even went so far as to call Russia a third world country. his words, not mine.
having been there, i am fascinated even more so. i wouldnt call it third world, but there is a definite stratification of their society and most small towns we passed through could be so classified. the cities didnt seem third world, but in comparison to what i know, there is some improvement to be made. Russia is still going through growing pains. its still trying to figure out how to operate. my fear is that the United Russia Party will end up with a strangle hold on the state and youll see the people suffer, the borders close, and a few elite rise to enormous wealth and keep the whole thing going.
i hope that Medvedev's more populist rhetoric comes to pass. i hope that the people who have suffered can truly become middle class and not have so much hardship. i hope that Russia becomes a truly great nation, not through bullying or cold war style posturing, but through progressive policies and real leadership by example that the rest of the developing world can follow. time will tell.
post
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
pins and collars
its a slow day at work, so what do i do? read papers of course.
i read a couple of articles today, one on Obama's dismissal of the flag lapel pin and what it may symbolize. then i read a peice on Clinton's new look as a fighter and a blue collar candidate. you already know im for Obama, so i might as well cram some more reasons why im right and why you should listen to me in your bloated gullets. get out of the Fox News, mountebank is here, and i brought candy!!!
the lapel pin issue is a non issue. gluing a Cadillac hood ornament to a Geo Metro doesnt change the fact that its a Geo Metro. all it does is set Obama apart from those who play the pandering game. who say and do superficial things to gain popularity. the shitty thing is that it works. the good thing is that those who are paying attention realize that Obama is crafting his own brand, and not slapping on the sticker of a predecessor, or a vague ideal. patriotism is great. false patriotism is terrible. wearing a stupid pin or putting a 'these colors dont run' bumper sticker on your car dont make you a patriot. what makes you a patriot is defending what your country stands for and stands on.
Obama is willing to take a look at the ridiculous idea of a gas tax holiday, and call it what it is, a pander. he tells us that there is no easy answer. there is no quick fix. the country is in a rough spot. sure you can paint a rusty ass car, and it might look good, but 3 months down the line, the rust is worse and it looks like hell again. but if you take the longer and costlier path of body work and a good paint job, your ride will look nice for years.
have you noticed that i use a lot of car metaphors? its like im from detroit or something...
to me it seems that Obama is willing to take the hard look. to find the right path, not necessarily the easy path, and to tell us the truth. meanwhile mr straight-talk has flipped so many of his positions since 2000 that i have lost most of the respect that i had for him. he was once the rebel that Obama is now. and Hillary, Wellesley educated and Wife of a former president who has made $109 million since he left office 8 years age, has cast herself as blue collar, a woman of the people.
when Bill Clinton was running for office, he and Hillary were characterized as ivy league liberal elitists. now that label is being stuck upon Obama. the thing is, it can stick to both. i would say that Obama's past is much more connected to the blue collar, while Hillary's past is largely upper middle class. there is nothing wrong with either, but if were labeling things, lets apply the right one.
Hillary was only able to adopt the blue collar label once Obama knocked her off her high horse. now that she's had to fight back from as an underdog, she has recast herself as a fighter and a blue collar voice. look, as i said before, i want my president to be better than me. to be above blue collar jobs, but to care about all of America. i want my president to be well educated so he or she is smart enough to make the right decisions. i want a president who doesnt pander to popular issues just because theyre popular. issues are generally much more complex than black and white. i want a president who can look at the whole issue, and make a decision on the reality, not on preconceived notions or just because its a hot button.
the gas issue is more complex than just people bitching about the prices at the pump. fuel is where it is because of global demands for it, and an ever dwindling supply. a summer hiatus on the tax will only serve to delay the inevitable and delay real action on a way forward. Obama has indicated that he is willing to adjust or remove the ethanol minimums in order to reduce food prices.
while McCain is busy selling out to the religious right and the Bushies and Clinton is playing the role of Rocky, Obama is out there being who he is and doing what he does, addressing the real issues.
E J Dionne
Richard Cohen
my opinions are mine, but they arent necessarily correct. if nothing else i hope that they make you think. if you want to prove me wrong, please do. do some research and show me where i went wrong. ultimately we need to have an intelligent and engaged electorate to get this country back on track. if you plan to vote in november, do your research and know why you vote the way you do. voting for the sake of voting and without knowing can do more harm than good. of course i want everyone to vote, but i want them to do so well informed.
i read a couple of articles today, one on Obama's dismissal of the flag lapel pin and what it may symbolize. then i read a peice on Clinton's new look as a fighter and a blue collar candidate. you already know im for Obama, so i might as well cram some more reasons why im right and why you should listen to me in your bloated gullets. get out of the Fox News, mountebank is here, and i brought candy!!!
the lapel pin issue is a non issue. gluing a Cadillac hood ornament to a Geo Metro doesnt change the fact that its a Geo Metro. all it does is set Obama apart from those who play the pandering game. who say and do superficial things to gain popularity. the shitty thing is that it works. the good thing is that those who are paying attention realize that Obama is crafting his own brand, and not slapping on the sticker of a predecessor, or a vague ideal. patriotism is great. false patriotism is terrible. wearing a stupid pin or putting a 'these colors dont run' bumper sticker on your car dont make you a patriot. what makes you a patriot is defending what your country stands for and stands on.
Obama is willing to take a look at the ridiculous idea of a gas tax holiday, and call it what it is, a pander. he tells us that there is no easy answer. there is no quick fix. the country is in a rough spot. sure you can paint a rusty ass car, and it might look good, but 3 months down the line, the rust is worse and it looks like hell again. but if you take the longer and costlier path of body work and a good paint job, your ride will look nice for years.
have you noticed that i use a lot of car metaphors? its like im from detroit or something...
to me it seems that Obama is willing to take the hard look. to find the right path, not necessarily the easy path, and to tell us the truth. meanwhile mr straight-talk has flipped so many of his positions since 2000 that i have lost most of the respect that i had for him. he was once the rebel that Obama is now. and Hillary, Wellesley educated and Wife of a former president who has made $109 million since he left office 8 years age, has cast herself as blue collar, a woman of the people.
when Bill Clinton was running for office, he and Hillary were characterized as ivy league liberal elitists. now that label is being stuck upon Obama. the thing is, it can stick to both. i would say that Obama's past is much more connected to the blue collar, while Hillary's past is largely upper middle class. there is nothing wrong with either, but if were labeling things, lets apply the right one.
Hillary was only able to adopt the blue collar label once Obama knocked her off her high horse. now that she's had to fight back from as an underdog, she has recast herself as a fighter and a blue collar voice. look, as i said before, i want my president to be better than me. to be above blue collar jobs, but to care about all of America. i want my president to be well educated so he or she is smart enough to make the right decisions. i want a president who doesnt pander to popular issues just because theyre popular. issues are generally much more complex than black and white. i want a president who can look at the whole issue, and make a decision on the reality, not on preconceived notions or just because its a hot button.
the gas issue is more complex than just people bitching about the prices at the pump. fuel is where it is because of global demands for it, and an ever dwindling supply. a summer hiatus on the tax will only serve to delay the inevitable and delay real action on a way forward. Obama has indicated that he is willing to adjust or remove the ethanol minimums in order to reduce food prices.
while McCain is busy selling out to the religious right and the Bushies and Clinton is playing the role of Rocky, Obama is out there being who he is and doing what he does, addressing the real issues.
E J Dionne
Richard Cohen
my opinions are mine, but they arent necessarily correct. if nothing else i hope that they make you think. if you want to prove me wrong, please do. do some research and show me where i went wrong. ultimately we need to have an intelligent and engaged electorate to get this country back on track. if you plan to vote in november, do your research and know why you vote the way you do. voting for the sake of voting and without knowing can do more harm than good. of course i want everyone to vote, but i want them to do so well informed.
Monday, May 5, 2008
the onion
those guys at The Onion are great.
this is a few years old, but still relevant, especially with President Carter's recent trip to meet with Palestinian leaders. i think we ought to listen a little closer to what Carter is saying.
i cant help but comment on the suspension of the federal gas tax for the summer. in short, its stupid and shortsighted. Obama is the only candidate to reject the idea. i commend him for it. we dont need any more bandaids and hasty decisions.
this is a few years old, but still relevant, especially with President Carter's recent trip to meet with Palestinian leaders. i think we ought to listen a little closer to what Carter is saying.
i cant help but comment on the suspension of the federal gas tax for the summer. in short, its stupid and shortsighted. Obama is the only candidate to reject the idea. i commend him for it. we dont need any more bandaids and hasty decisions.
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