Thursday, October 14, 2004
Election 2004 (November 2nd) - The Third Debate and Women Voters
Again, the consensus was that Kerry was the winner of the third (and final) debate on October 13th. No surprise. After scowling, sighing, and displaying petulance in the first debate, Bush appeared with what seemed like a grin (smirk) frozen on his face. According to reports, he was coached to appear affable no matter what.
Yet, most of the polls continue to show Bush in the lead in the presidential race.One reason for Bush's lead is support from women voters! I don't personally know any woman who is going to vote for Bush but they must be out there somewhere. The reason for their pro-Bush position----he is perceived as the more strong leader in protecting them (and the country) from terrorism! Following the tragic events of 9/11, Team Bush recognized this fear in a large segment of Americans and did all they could to keep fanning the fire.
It has paid off for George Bush. Despite the exposure of lies; lies for which almost 1,100 American soldiers have paid with their lives; and high cost ($120 billion and mounting), President Bush is considered to be dependable!
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security."
----Benjamin Franklin
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Bill Clinton's "My Life"
I am about halfway through the book.Cannot help thinking about the difference between Bill Clinton and the elected politicians now in power in Washington. The book gives a fascinating look at how the political process works.
President Clinton's Achilles' Heel was his failure to control his libido. He displayed bad taste and judgment in diddling with Ms. Lewinsky. And, his administration was far from squeaky clean. Quid pro quo is built into our system of government. Ideally, government should be attentive to their needs but not influenced by corporations. Unfortunately, in the real world, that kind of government is unattainable. Campaign contribution and its insidious effect is a fact of life. An intellectual giant, Bill Clinton possessed the knowledge and ability to negotiate the labyrinths of legislative process; absolutely essential for a president to succeed. His cabinet was staffed by bright men and women who believed in his vision of an America in which it was not only the rich got richer. Unlike George Bush, he did not pay lip service to the "have nots"; he spent time and efforts to help them move up. This, of course, is anathema to the rabid promoters of free market economy who see nothing wrong with creating tax loopholes for the very wealthy but cry "foul" every time there is a move afoot to raise the minimum wage.
Historians will not forgive (or should I say not be allowed to forgive) the Lewinski episode when reviewing the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton. But those eight years were full of hope, promise, and quite a few accomplishments.
"Hypocrisy is the homage which vice renders to virtue"
----Francois Duc de la Rochefoucald
***************
Iraq Today
Horrendous incidents are still taking place on a daily basis. We are losing soldiers caught in an unjust war. Many more Iraqi civilians, including women and children, are dying and possibly providing the incentive for others to become "insurgents". Our media give prominence to discovery of mass graves of Kurds killed during Saddam Hussein's regime, but news about Iraqi civilian casualties in our war against the insurgents is hard to find. It is a vicious circle. The leaders, as usual, are doing what they do best---issuing platitudes.
"VIOLENCE can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by VIOLENCE. Any man who has once proclaimed VIOLENCE as his method is inevitably forced to take the lie as his principle."
----Alexander Solzhenitsyn
*******************
Yet, most of the polls continue to show Bush in the lead in the presidential race.One reason for Bush's lead is support from women voters! I don't personally know any woman who is going to vote for Bush but they must be out there somewhere. The reason for their pro-Bush position----he is perceived as the more strong leader in protecting them (and the country) from terrorism! Following the tragic events of 9/11, Team Bush recognized this fear in a large segment of Americans and did all they could to keep fanning the fire.
It has paid off for George Bush. Despite the exposure of lies; lies for which almost 1,100 American soldiers have paid with their lives; and high cost ($120 billion and mounting), President Bush is considered to be dependable!
"They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security."
----Benjamin Franklin
*************************
Bill Clinton's "My Life"
I am about halfway through the book.Cannot help thinking about the difference between Bill Clinton and the elected politicians now in power in Washington. The book gives a fascinating look at how the political process works.
President Clinton's Achilles' Heel was his failure to control his libido. He displayed bad taste and judgment in diddling with Ms. Lewinsky. And, his administration was far from squeaky clean. Quid pro quo is built into our system of government. Ideally, government should be attentive to their needs but not influenced by corporations. Unfortunately, in the real world, that kind of government is unattainable. Campaign contribution and its insidious effect is a fact of life. An intellectual giant, Bill Clinton possessed the knowledge and ability to negotiate the labyrinths of legislative process; absolutely essential for a president to succeed. His cabinet was staffed by bright men and women who believed in his vision of an America in which it was not only the rich got richer. Unlike George Bush, he did not pay lip service to the "have nots"; he spent time and efforts to help them move up. This, of course, is anathema to the rabid promoters of free market economy who see nothing wrong with creating tax loopholes for the very wealthy but cry "foul" every time there is a move afoot to raise the minimum wage.
Historians will not forgive (or should I say not be allowed to forgive) the Lewinski episode when reviewing the presidency of William Jefferson Clinton. But those eight years were full of hope, promise, and quite a few accomplishments.
"Hypocrisy is the homage which vice renders to virtue"
----Francois Duc de la Rochefoucald
***************
Iraq Today
Horrendous incidents are still taking place on a daily basis. We are losing soldiers caught in an unjust war. Many more Iraqi civilians, including women and children, are dying and possibly providing the incentive for others to become "insurgents". Our media give prominence to discovery of mass graves of Kurds killed during Saddam Hussein's regime, but news about Iraqi civilian casualties in our war against the insurgents is hard to find. It is a vicious circle. The leaders, as usual, are doing what they do best---issuing platitudes.
"VIOLENCE can only be concealed by a lie, and the lie can only be maintained by VIOLENCE. Any man who has once proclaimed VIOLENCE as his method is inevitably forced to take the lie as his principle."
----Alexander Solzhenitsyn
*******************
