Monday, May 10, 2004

Posted here Monday, May 10, 2004 at 2:46:39 PM     The deeper difficulty with Iraq is that circumstances of american politics allowed a painful moment of crisis, 9/11, to define an andministration, and to allow all actions to be governed by that emerging definition (war on terror), at the expense of all the other real issues that should have been the defining framework for the first administration of the 21st ccentury. ********

Posted here Monday, May 10, 2004 at 12:52:22 PM     Rove gave a commencement address at Jerry Falwell University (the mind boggles). A short Washington post report has the following.. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A11035-2004May8.html Rove also shared how he persevered in politics from an early age. "At the age of 9, I put a Nixon bumper sticker on the wire basket in the front of my bicycle. Unfortunately the little Catholic girl down the street was a couple years and about 20 pounds on me. She was for Kennedy. "When she saw me on my bike with my bumper sticker for Nixon, she put me on the ground, flattened me out and gave me a bloody nose," he said. "Despite that beating I never lost interest in politics." The insertion of "Catholic" hints at a style in American life of deep and natural" disdain for "others". In this case he takes a swipe at Kennedy, Catholics, and uppity women. I think he thinks his followers are in easy alignment with this story. I've been in several conversations that included "an Arab guy in Denver screwed us in the deal," "blacks are getting worse, not better, but at least they seem to have a lower profile," "women just don't get it,", and many others in the last few weeks with some travel. It seems as if many Americans are deeply insecure in personal identity and feeling surrounded by hostile economic forces that are "racially embodied". Many Americans it seems are too insecure to be more interested in the world than prejudiced. ********

Posted here Monday, May 10, 2004 at 9:56:34 AM     Part of the Iraq problem is that the number of actual "terrorists" has been very very small. Even the vast majority of the schools have not turned to terrorism. The problem with the Bush approach from the day of 9/11 has been to treat many as the enemy when it was only a few. That makes those treated as enemies - like detainees in Iraq most of whom are Innocent of any action toward the US - or were because pushed to it by immediate circumstances created by US presence - into confused normal people who are trying to get by. In Iraq, instead of befriending as many as possible, the attempt has been to define many as "the enemy" when they should Be just folks caught up in circumstances. ********

Posted here Monday, May 10, 2004 at 9:17:10 AM       Overheard   By refusing to hold anyone accountable, the president has also shown he is not really in control.   Pasted from <http://www.crookedtimber.org/>   This is part of the story: the lack of a modern management style - learning and participatory -. Also lacking is a sense of history, such as Rome's collapse and the British in Iraq in the 20's.   This begins to suggest a voters guide   On a scale of 1-5, how   1. Adequate is the candidate's management experience? 2. Adequate is the candidate's understanding of history 3. how good is the candidate's rounded education in relevant matters (politics economics, technology, etc). 4. How articulate is the candidate? 5. How values based is the candidate? 6. Are the candidates experience relevant to upcoming major issues? 7. How good is the candidate's circle of advisors and potential cabinet appointees? 8. Are the candidates values aligned with your own? ********