|
Archives
Contact
Advertisements
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Song in my head:
"We are the renegades of funk,
the renegades of funk…"
- Rage against the Machine -
Today's column is a day late and a dollar short. Normally it's
ready for editing by Thursday morning and posted by Friday morning, but not today. Here's my excuse:
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Whether we leave in five months, five years or fifty years, I'm afraid the
same thing will happen..." |
|
|
|
|
|
The ol' lady had to go out of town on business, leaving me home to tend to work, house and child. I just never
got it done. Thursday night I wrote an outline while baby gurl watched Scooby-doo, but by the time she was asleep.
It was time for me to retire. Friday night she's in bed and I end up watching Napoleon Dynamite instead of writing
the column. Now it's 11 pm and I'm just starting. That's my story.
World Events:
I'm glad Iraq finally got their elections, it's a start. I never
supported the Iraqi invasion, but at least all those folks didn't die for nothing. But it doesn't make it better
in my book. So many people died, Americans and Iraqi's…and for what? To put a stop to WMD's in Iraq? Turns out
they never had them, so it really was a wasted effort.
We put an end to Saddam's regime. That's nice and fine, but the guy's sixty-something years old. How long do
you think he'd live anyway? That's the thing about a dictatorship, it ends when the dictator dies. Seems like
a waste to loose all those lives and spend billions of dollars to end a regime whose years were numbered.
And now they have the foundation to build a democratic society, which is also nice and fine, but I feel most governments
will eventually evolve to a system with greater human rights. In short, a democratic-like society. It's the nature
of things.
For example the USSR moved to a democratic system all by themselves. In China, the public moved toward a democratic
system with no help from us. They failed, but the effort was made and that's important. Just give them time.
Likewise, left alone, when Saddam died, they may have moved toward a system with more human rights and may have
inched toward a democratic-like system. Sure it would have taken time. But in contrast, spending time is a much
lower cost that what we choose to do. Especially when the country posed no probable danger to the U.S.A.
But the tremendous mistake was made and if speeding up the democratic process is the only benefit, I'll take it.
Unfortunately, I feel we've done more harm than good. By invasion, we've left a horrible taste in the mouths
of the Middle East. What was once an idealistic dream of wonderful freedoms by some is now replaced with the idea
of a heavy sword of imperialistic aggression. This most logically will make people view our form of government
as a USSR-like evil empire.
We need to look at the past. A hundred years or so ago, when Great Britain occupied Iraq, they suffered casualties
every day for seventy-five years. When they finally left, they set up a puppet regime and week after leaving,
their appointed leader was beheaded and Iraq set up their own government.
I'm afraid history may repeat itself. Whether we leave in five months, five years or fifty years, I'm afraid that
it is highly probable the same thing will happen again. I feel it would be in our best interest to admit the mistake,
count our losses and leave as soon as possible.
Domestic Views:
Bush wants to "update" Social Security. When he was
first running for office I felt this was the only good idea he had. However, now that he's been in office and
has driven our economy from surplus to deficit, I have my doubts.
The whole Iraqi thing could have been avoided if he would have considered all the facts not just the facts he wanted
to see. I fear that with his past record, it is probable that the Social Security investment plan has not been
researched very well. Or if it has, he chooses to ignore variables that would prove it might not work, and make
adjustments.
I like the idea, but I wouldn't be comfortable with a version of it presented by someone who has made the wrong
choice at every fork in the road. This is something that is best left to someone more capable. However, the American
public doesn't exactly consist of rocket scientist, so It'll probably get passed and we'll have to figure out how
to make it work later.
In summary, I find it hard to be quiet about such things because it may be my child sent out to war someday to
accomplish a goal that will never be realized. If she survives that, it will be her retirement that has been flushed
down the toilet.
I hope I'm not the only one who chooses not to be quiet about potential blunders that will affect the life of my
child.
AND NOW YOU KNOW!
COMING NEXT:
Menthol!
Email Bob!
webmaster@theweirdcrap.com |
|
|