(no subject)
Hmmm. Seems like ranting about the election is the thing to do.
I voted. I voiced my opinion in the way that counts most. Enough said.
I'm honestly not too worried Bush won. Yes, his position on virtually every important social issue (gay rights, reproductive rights, etc) is almost completely incompatible with mine. But I take heart in history. We've had some utterly disastrous decisions at the federal level (Plessy v. Fergesun anyone?) yet we've turned it around. The great beauty of our political institutions is they have the ability to correct themselves when they screw up. Court cases can be overturned. Constitutional amendments can be repealed. I have confidence America will right itself even if Bush manages to stack the courts. Might not be a fun place to live for a while, especially if you're a woman or gay, but we'll veer away from this course eventually. We're not about to become Nazi Germany. Our government has too much built in inertia - 3 branches of government, separation of powers, and federalism all ensure it's a pain in the ass to get much done. Bush can fuck with the beaurocracies, but he's going to have to go through Congress and/or the states to get much else done.
The only other real area of concern that the President has real authority over is foreign policy. And well, who's to say how that will end up? I'm not a fan of the war in Iraq, but I don't think it's going to bring doom on our head either. Maybe we'll succeed in bringing democracy to these people. Maybe not. Bush's people are shrewd. They aren't going to keep us in there long enough to cause a revolt back home. At any rate, we can't back out now. Not until Iraqi security forces are trained and the country is rebuilt enough that we aren't leaving it totally fucked. I doubt we can turn to the UN either - that'll just turn into one big feeding frenzy because anti-Americanism is so en vogue right now. Don't think for a moment those politicos give a rat's ass about the people of Iraq.
In a way I think this war has been good, as misguided as I feel its inception was. And as bloody as it has been, it has (or should have) reminded us that no amount of technological wizardry can replace good old fashioned boots on the ground or eliminate the cost in human lives. If 9/11 was our wake up call that Bad Juju is happening in other parts of the world and we cannot afford to be complacent or bury our heads in the sand, the Iraq war is our wakeup call that we cant go off crusading and expect it to be pretty. War is brutal, bloody business, folks. Sanitize it as much as you like, you can't escape the basic reality that people die. I just hope the chuckleheads in Washington learn this. War is not a child's toy. Liberating a country is not a fucking video game. It's messy business. The people aren't going to react with universal awe and admiration. Treat it with the gravity it deserves, and be prepared for the substantial investment in blood and money, or don't bother at all. We probably have different perspectives, but I agree with my roommate that we need a real knock down drag out war once in a while just to keep us from getting soft and sloppy.
I guess the point of this ranting is, despite being rabidly libertarian on social issues I'm really very moderate otherwise, maybe even turning slightly conservative in some areas. Listening to people like my parents, who are staunch Democrats, makes the bile rise in my throat. The shrill hysterics, fear mongering and presumption that anyone who's conservative must be stupid or misguided just rankles. It really just comes down to differing values and priorities. People on ALL sides have good faith, perfectly reasonable opinions. It's the nasty "the country is going to hell if X wins!" rhetoric and extremism that's stupid and misguided. It's especially disingenouos coming from upper middle class WASP types who likely aren't going to feel anything one way or another no matter who's president.
So chill. America isn't going anywhere. The vast majority of us aren't likely to notice much fallout from this election, other than idiotic pundits bloviating about post election polls and the historical significance of this election. Things will settle out eventually. The tanks aren't going to roll down Pennsylvania Ave. anytime soon.
Ugh, rant over.
I voted. I voiced my opinion in the way that counts most. Enough said.
I'm honestly not too worried Bush won. Yes, his position on virtually every important social issue (gay rights, reproductive rights, etc) is almost completely incompatible with mine. But I take heart in history. We've had some utterly disastrous decisions at the federal level (Plessy v. Fergesun anyone?) yet we've turned it around. The great beauty of our political institutions is they have the ability to correct themselves when they screw up. Court cases can be overturned. Constitutional amendments can be repealed. I have confidence America will right itself even if Bush manages to stack the courts. Might not be a fun place to live for a while, especially if you're a woman or gay, but we'll veer away from this course eventually. We're not about to become Nazi Germany. Our government has too much built in inertia - 3 branches of government, separation of powers, and federalism all ensure it's a pain in the ass to get much done. Bush can fuck with the beaurocracies, but he's going to have to go through Congress and/or the states to get much else done.
The only other real area of concern that the President has real authority over is foreign policy. And well, who's to say how that will end up? I'm not a fan of the war in Iraq, but I don't think it's going to bring doom on our head either. Maybe we'll succeed in bringing democracy to these people. Maybe not. Bush's people are shrewd. They aren't going to keep us in there long enough to cause a revolt back home. At any rate, we can't back out now. Not until Iraqi security forces are trained and the country is rebuilt enough that we aren't leaving it totally fucked. I doubt we can turn to the UN either - that'll just turn into one big feeding frenzy because anti-Americanism is so en vogue right now. Don't think for a moment those politicos give a rat's ass about the people of Iraq.
In a way I think this war has been good, as misguided as I feel its inception was. And as bloody as it has been, it has (or should have) reminded us that no amount of technological wizardry can replace good old fashioned boots on the ground or eliminate the cost in human lives. If 9/11 was our wake up call that Bad Juju is happening in other parts of the world and we cannot afford to be complacent or bury our heads in the sand, the Iraq war is our wakeup call that we cant go off crusading and expect it to be pretty. War is brutal, bloody business, folks. Sanitize it as much as you like, you can't escape the basic reality that people die. I just hope the chuckleheads in Washington learn this. War is not a child's toy. Liberating a country is not a fucking video game. It's messy business. The people aren't going to react with universal awe and admiration. Treat it with the gravity it deserves, and be prepared for the substantial investment in blood and money, or don't bother at all. We probably have different perspectives, but I agree with my roommate that we need a real knock down drag out war once in a while just to keep us from getting soft and sloppy.
I guess the point of this ranting is, despite being rabidly libertarian on social issues I'm really very moderate otherwise, maybe even turning slightly conservative in some areas. Listening to people like my parents, who are staunch Democrats, makes the bile rise in my throat. The shrill hysterics, fear mongering and presumption that anyone who's conservative must be stupid or misguided just rankles. It really just comes down to differing values and priorities. People on ALL sides have good faith, perfectly reasonable opinions. It's the nasty "the country is going to hell if X wins!" rhetoric and extremism that's stupid and misguided. It's especially disingenouos coming from upper middle class WASP types who likely aren't going to feel anything one way or another no matter who's president.
So chill. America isn't going anywhere. The vast majority of us aren't likely to notice much fallout from this election, other than idiotic pundits bloviating about post election polls and the historical significance of this election. Things will settle out eventually. The tanks aren't going to roll down Pennsylvania Ave. anytime soon.
Ugh, rant over.