Saturday, November 06, 2004

Posted here Saturday, November 06, 2004 at 6:48:12 AM     There are two problems Iraq and economy. The cure in Iraq is a multinational policing of terror The cure for the economy is to recognize that too many are in jail, widely weak education, too few good jobs, and skewed income and wealth are all intertwined, and a goal of better distribution is essential., and a new business model that is small scale, regional, hi-tech, entrepreneurial and environmentally rigorous. Politics now is a power game with spoils to the winner: no incentive for a really good social solution. The democrats had no answer to Bush's "everyone wants freedom and democracy." Kerry did not offer any actual alternative on Iraq, nor on the economy. He avoided all the real issues, mirroring rather than countering Bush. Kerry did offer a more reasoned style, but it appeared weak and inconsequential. It did not appear to be gentle,warm, humane and related. Kerry offered nothing that appealed  to the red counties. These are mostly people who are traumatized by change, and losers in it, left behind. They are motivated by fear and resentment and their need is primarily to make their failing families work. They cling to the only "community" offering them anything: the church. Outside are drugs, pregnancies, job threat, seductive media, which shows them a world of danger not of promise. A straightforward proposal for policing terror (and corporate crime), and for vigorous environmentally friendly economy, with the education to get everyone there, would have appealed, and won if it were presented with tolerance, even affection, for regional differences. ********