e-Claire

Crossroads

It is my considered opinion and observation that there are people out there in the wide, wide world who want to kill Americans -- and America, itself. That sentiment was not limited to those 19 who died on 9.11.2K1. Therefore this December statement by John Kerry to the Council on Foreign Relations scares the crap outta me:

Kerry promised to spend the first 100 days of his administration traveling the world to denounce his predecessor, apologize for his "radically wrong" policy, and seek "cooperation and compromise" with friend and foe alike.

On the other hand, the Bush administration, who seems committed to keeping the fire fight against terrorism off of American soil has made some other moves which worry me considerably.

At issue is the future of stem cell research, which seeks to harness the body's master cells to create new tissues to treat diabetes, Parkinson's, cancer and a range of other ills. ...President Bush reshuffled his advisory council on cloning and related medical issues on Friday ... Daniel Perry, executive director of the Alliance for Aging Research and president of the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research, also expressed reservations. "We are concerned with this sort of Friday night late decision to replace what we know is at least one of the stronger voices on behalf of moving the research forward and replacing her with what appear to be more ideological soulmates who would reflexively oppose this research," Perry said in a telephone interview. Earlier this month 60 leading scientists and philosophers, including Nobel laureates, backed a Union of Concerned Scientists report that accused the Bush administration of distorting scientific advice to fit ideological goals. One prominent scientist told the Los Angeles Times that during a screening interview for committee membership he was asked his views on abortion and whether he'd voted for Bush.

Sounds like a theory in search of support, to me. That is not a rational approach to discovering facts and making a decision based thereupon: it is the very definition of prejudice. [judgment or opinion formed beforehand or without knowledge or examination of the facts.] Add into the mix, Bush's $1.5 billion program to "convince" people to marry, his proposed Constitutional Amendment, and the serious issues about Rumsfeld's management strategies, and State Department funded promotion of Islamist Organizations, and Justice Dept. invasions of privacy, and the Patriot Act II, and the fact that the term culture war even exists in this nation, and, and, and. And that ain't all -- just all I have time for at the moment. And, that's just too damn many "ands." I am finding that I am completely uncomfortable with every option I see. Not that this is such an unusual position . . . How do you handle it? Hold yer nose? Drop out? Vote for Nadir?!? [oh, sorry: redundant...] Granted, if we can keep ourselves alive and intact as a nation, we are in a position to un-do asshated moves with which we disagree. But. If this trend is allowed to continue, the freedoms which define us as a nation will be so seriously eroded that we will have turned ourselves into a technologically developed third world theocracy. Oxymorons do not survive long in Nature. Battles between theologies serve neither -- especially the "pagans" and/or "infidels" caught in the middle.

1. I’m voting Republicans into Congress and a Whatever Democrat into the presidency. Hopefully, gridlock will prevent too much asshattery.

   And pray for the country.

   Posted by Dave  on  03/02/04  at  11:24 AM

2. I am willing to sacrifice foibles at home to re-elect a President who won’t go to Syria to denounce the former President.  The most pressing issue of our time is our War against Radical Islam.

   The ability of gays to marry is not even on the same radar screen.

   Posted by Tim  on  03/03/04  at  06:35 AM

3. Look, I’m no fan of GWB, but announcing that your first priority in office during your first hundred days is going to be to travel around the world to denounce your predecessor is one of the more astoundingly clueless things ever said by a candidate.

   Andy, did I not tell you that Kerry was not a serious candidate???!!!

   A plague on both your parties!

   Posted by  on  03/03/04  at  11:12 AM

<< Back to main