Monday, August 15, 2005
And life goes on...
I just can't neglect this blog, even though I've got positive feedback that I'm now posting on the more-conveniently-accessed-for-some xanga site. I'm eager to eventually get to 100 posts and have a big celebration. So if you want please let me know if you are still reading this site. If not, I'll move my operations mostly to xanga with the occasional post here when I feel like writing as if I was writing in a private journal with all the juicy sexy details omitted in case I run for political office and the oppositions googles my name and finds this.
Anyway, I wonder if people other than political junkies have heard of Cindy Sheehan. She is the mother of one of the 1800+ soldiers (some of them my age or younger) who were killed in Iraq. While our Commander-in-Chief is taking one of the longest presidential vacations in U.S. history in a time of war, Ms. Sheehan is camping out on the street leading up to Bush's Crawford ranch, hoping to meet face-to-face with President Bush and ask him basically "What was the noble cause my son died for in Iraq?" Some anti-war activists and others are joining her and it is quite a poignant demonstration.
Lots of commentary on the blogs of course, and what is surprising is how respectful both sides whether pro-war and anti-war, liberal and conservative, are at least respecting both Ms. Sheehan's grief and her right to a political opinion that is strengthened and sharpened by that grief. The policy of the Iraq war can still be debated with passion, but at least pro-war types haven't sunken so low as to attack Ms. Sheehan's humanity, to attack her as a person, and bring up all sorts of details about her personal life to some how delegitimize her and her important question. Kudos for them...
I'm kidding of course! Ms. Sheehan's fair game because her personal story is making Bush look bad! I actually would argue that Bush is making Bush look bad in this particularly situation. Here's how he responded at his ranch when asked about the pesky grieving mother"
"But whether it be here or in Washington or anywhere else, there's somebody who has got something to say to the president, that's part of the job," Bush said on the ranch. "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say."
"But," he added, "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."
Mr. Sensitivity right there. Mr. Bush, can't you just freakin' talk to her in private? But nothing puts a bummer on a vacation as being reminded of the job your neglecting. I've been there but I didn't make decisions on my job that resulted in death and destruction.
Anyway, who other than John from Powerline to sink to another low. I've quoted him 3 times in a row, and I think I now why. There's nothing entirely bad about being a complete party-line hack, but there are a few that are just jerks about it, and toss out extreme accusations like they don't mean anything. Anyway in a post titled "Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism: An Old Brew In a New Bottle" he cites other ultra right-wing research websites to smear Sheehan and then concludes:
Cindy Sheehan: is she a poor, benighted woman unhinged and rendered irrational by grief, or is she a calculating, vicious anti-Semite and anti-American like the extremists with whom she associates? I don't know, and I'm not sure there is any way to know. But either way, is there any reason why she should be glorified by virtually every American media outlet?
He does like nuance doesn't he? Dear readers, which characterization would you choose? You've only got two choices. Evidence for her vicious anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism? Well if you read the post she mentioned how Americans have slaughtered people in this country and she says that Palestinians are being slaughtered by Isrealis. I don't like the inflammed rhetoric on both sides on the Palestinian Israeli conflict because it simplifies an issue way too much and dismissing a spiritual relgious connection Jews and others have to that area. But her statements are no more than what a good portion of die-hard liberals say regarding their view of the world and American history. Does that make her vicious? And more importantly, does that make her demonstration on behalf of her dead son less important? Can she dismissed as a hippie anti-war freak when she has suffered so much? A lot of conservative bloggers when attacking Sheehan graciously added a clause that she has suffered a devasting loss. Some, like Powerline are done with that wussy game and are no longer offering any condolences, just depraved smears. Again, she's not attacked as a symbol of the anti-war movement, she's attacked as a person.
And it gets worse. Another one of the most popular conservative blogs is Michelle Malkin. She has just been terrible during this whole thing and there's too much to document. She recently put some sort of divorce-related papers of Cindy Sheehan up on her website. Why? Apparently to show that some of her family isn't behind her, thereby demonstrating that she shouldn't be taken seriously. I found the link to her post at a very enlightening post at This Modern World, especially to conservatives and Bushists who might be astounded that I can't respect their wholly consistent worldview.
You can read it or not. But remember smearing someone personally is not good if your a Democrat, OK if your Republican. Speaking for someone other than yourself to make a political point is BAD is you are a Democrat, OK if your Republican. And digging hard and long for personal details to prevent the perfect President from looking bad, OK if your Republican, very very bad and inexusable if you're a Democrat.
Grieving mothers who lose their sons in armed conflict are entitiled to their political views and any way they wish to express them, that is if you identify yourself as a COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING. Let's all agree on that, and move on to making fun of the verbal slipups of Dubbya. Of course I guess to some he speaks very eloquently, but you get my drift.
Things are going to get busy, with classes and two jobs starting next week. So enjoy the long rants while they last.
Anyway, I wonder if people other than political junkies have heard of Cindy Sheehan. She is the mother of one of the 1800+ soldiers (some of them my age or younger) who were killed in Iraq. While our Commander-in-Chief is taking one of the longest presidential vacations in U.S. history in a time of war, Ms. Sheehan is camping out on the street leading up to Bush's Crawford ranch, hoping to meet face-to-face with President Bush and ask him basically "What was the noble cause my son died for in Iraq?" Some anti-war activists and others are joining her and it is quite a poignant demonstration.
Lots of commentary on the blogs of course, and what is surprising is how respectful both sides whether pro-war and anti-war, liberal and conservative, are at least respecting both Ms. Sheehan's grief and her right to a political opinion that is strengthened and sharpened by that grief. The policy of the Iraq war can still be debated with passion, but at least pro-war types haven't sunken so low as to attack Ms. Sheehan's humanity, to attack her as a person, and bring up all sorts of details about her personal life to some how delegitimize her and her important question. Kudos for them...
I'm kidding of course! Ms. Sheehan's fair game because her personal story is making Bush look bad! I actually would argue that Bush is making Bush look bad in this particularly situation. Here's how he responded at his ranch when asked about the pesky grieving mother"
"But whether it be here or in Washington or anywhere else, there's somebody who has got something to say to the president, that's part of the job," Bush said on the ranch. "And I think it's important for me to be thoughtful and sensitive to those who have got something to say."
"But," he added, "I think it's also important for me to go on with my life, to keep a balanced life."
Mr. Sensitivity right there. Mr. Bush, can't you just freakin' talk to her in private? But nothing puts a bummer on a vacation as being reminded of the job your neglecting. I've been there but I didn't make decisions on my job that resulted in death and destruction.
Anyway, who other than John from Powerline to sink to another low. I've quoted him 3 times in a row, and I think I now why. There's nothing entirely bad about being a complete party-line hack, but there are a few that are just jerks about it, and toss out extreme accusations like they don't mean anything. Anyway in a post titled "Anti-Americanism and Anti-Semitism: An Old Brew In a New Bottle" he cites other ultra right-wing research websites to smear Sheehan and then concludes:
Cindy Sheehan: is she a poor, benighted woman unhinged and rendered irrational by grief, or is she a calculating, vicious anti-Semite and anti-American like the extremists with whom she associates? I don't know, and I'm not sure there is any way to know. But either way, is there any reason why she should be glorified by virtually every American media outlet?
He does like nuance doesn't he? Dear readers, which characterization would you choose? You've only got two choices. Evidence for her vicious anti-Americanism and anti-Semitism? Well if you read the post she mentioned how Americans have slaughtered people in this country and she says that Palestinians are being slaughtered by Isrealis. I don't like the inflammed rhetoric on both sides on the Palestinian Israeli conflict because it simplifies an issue way too much and dismissing a spiritual relgious connection Jews and others have to that area. But her statements are no more than what a good portion of die-hard liberals say regarding their view of the world and American history. Does that make her vicious? And more importantly, does that make her demonstration on behalf of her dead son less important? Can she dismissed as a hippie anti-war freak when she has suffered so much? A lot of conservative bloggers when attacking Sheehan graciously added a clause that she has suffered a devasting loss. Some, like Powerline are done with that wussy game and are no longer offering any condolences, just depraved smears. Again, she's not attacked as a symbol of the anti-war movement, she's attacked as a person.
And it gets worse. Another one of the most popular conservative blogs is Michelle Malkin. She has just been terrible during this whole thing and there's too much to document. She recently put some sort of divorce-related papers of Cindy Sheehan up on her website. Why? Apparently to show that some of her family isn't behind her, thereby demonstrating that she shouldn't be taken seriously. I found the link to her post at a very enlightening post at This Modern World, especially to conservatives and Bushists who might be astounded that I can't respect their wholly consistent worldview.
You can read it or not. But remember smearing someone personally is not good if your a Democrat, OK if your Republican. Speaking for someone other than yourself to make a political point is BAD is you are a Democrat, OK if your Republican. And digging hard and long for personal details to prevent the perfect President from looking bad, OK if your Republican, very very bad and inexusable if you're a Democrat.
Grieving mothers who lose their sons in armed conflict are entitiled to their political views and any way they wish to express them, that is if you identify yourself as a COMPASSIONATE HUMAN BEING. Let's all agree on that, and move on to making fun of the verbal slipups of Dubbya. Of course I guess to some he speaks very eloquently, but you get my drift.
Things are going to get busy, with classes and two jobs starting next week. So enjoy the long rants while they last.
