Shame

[spruceh0rn]

Only 5 years ago, I was still proud that I was an American. Proud of the United States -- what it was and had become in my memory. For the most part, we didn't fight pointless wars, never initiated military action without a good reason. Secular government, tolerance, and justice seemed to be better than ever and on the rise. We certainly didn't

Comments

[balancingforce]

One thing I had thought about, at the time, in the context of your former patriotism, was that perhaps your growing up overseas had a hand in this. Any thoughts on that? I'm not currently articulating well the reasons I am prompted to think this. Perhaps distance makes idealizing easier?

I've seen a similar phenomenon before in the ancient Greek world. A lot of the ones who were the biggest fans of the mainland had largely never been there.

[spruceh0rn]

I think it had less to do with living overseas than it had to do with the feeling that checks and balances favored overall reason. There are no checks and balances any more. The Republican congress only does things the president wants, the way the president wants to do it. Take this bill I mention above... A few Republicans, including McCain and Warner, objected to the president's bill, and drew up their own, which was endorsed by the Judicial Committee. But the presently avidly opposed that version, partly because it didn't give him unlimited, eternal, sole power, and maintained Habeus Corpus. So McCain et al. just went along with Bush's bill instead. McCain even voted against Specter's amendment to uphold Habeus Corpus (that amendment lost 51-48, with a few Republicans supporting it, including Specter but excluding McCain). Remember that Frist has said today and in the past that Congress should go along with everything the president says, be it Supreme Court nominations or bills legalizing torture. The Republican revolution

[spruceh0rn]

I should say that I just don't understand how people (so many people) can vote against their conscience when it's so clear that that's what they're doing. I recognize that there are people and Congresspersons who truly believe that torture and unjust imprisonment is OK in some cases, but I can not believe that every Republican, save Lincoln Chaffee, believes that.