Friday, October 15, 2004
Hi all.
There was an excellent Frontline on PBS last night called The Choice 2004. You can watch it (with a broad band connection) at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2004/
Does anyone else see what I call the enigma of George Bush? It's the fact that the voters or the American public will turn a blind eye to anything that Bush does. Just any one of Bush's past misdeeds would ordinarily bring down other candidates, i.e., his dubious military experience - not showing up to a physical examine apparently because of his cocaine use, his party-boy college days - challenging his father mano y mano, then drunkenly taking out the families trash cans as he sped away. His failed business attempts in the oil business in Texas, his borderline unethical treatment of Ann Richards in his run for governor of Texas. And the grandaddy of all - taking us into war with Iraq under false pretenses and then not having a proper exist strategy which leaves us in a world more unstable than before 9/11 (IMO).
All of these things, it seems would bring down any other presidential candidate, yet I shudder to say that most Americans are able to ignore all these facts and still vote for him. Polls have Kerry and Bush running neck and neck so this proves my point.
This past year, 2004, I have literally driven across the country. It is interesting what I've seen in that it has nothing to do with the country George Bush seems to say is on the way back. What I've seen is destitute - people standing in line for food, laying on the side walk waiting for help from the shelters. The candidates need look no further than near the site of the last presidential debate - Phoenix, AZ. I was appalled at the number of homeless people living in the parks in Phoenix on a recent trip out there.
Where is the country that is doing so good, as Bush will often say? I live in the richest county in one of the richest states in the country and you will get turned away at hospitals if you don't have health insurance. They will take you if you're dying, after you've been through their bill collection goons!
I'd rather see my tax dollars go towards revamping our healthcare system anyday than fighting an unjust war in the middle east. 100 Billion dollars, thousands of lives lost - American and Iraqi.
We'll pay 100B to go to war, but goddamn if we'll take that same money and revamp healthcare - this will get you labeled a "tax and spend Liberal"! Let's see - help our citizen or pay for an unjust war? hmmm.
There was an excellent Frontline on PBS last night called The Choice 2004. You can watch it (with a broad band connection) at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2004/
Does anyone else see what I call the enigma of George Bush? It's the fact that the voters or the American public will turn a blind eye to anything that Bush does. Just any one of Bush's past misdeeds would ordinarily bring down other candidates, i.e., his dubious military experience - not showing up to a physical examine apparently because of his cocaine use, his party-boy college days - challenging his father mano y mano, then drunkenly taking out the families trash cans as he sped away. His failed business attempts in the oil business in Texas, his borderline unethical treatment of Ann Richards in his run for governor of Texas. And the grandaddy of all - taking us into war with Iraq under false pretenses and then not having a proper exist strategy which leaves us in a world more unstable than before 9/11 (IMO).
All of these things, it seems would bring down any other presidential candidate, yet I shudder to say that most Americans are able to ignore all these facts and still vote for him. Polls have Kerry and Bush running neck and neck so this proves my point.
This past year, 2004, I have literally driven across the country. It is interesting what I've seen in that it has nothing to do with the country George Bush seems to say is on the way back. What I've seen is destitute - people standing in line for food, laying on the side walk waiting for help from the shelters. The candidates need look no further than near the site of the last presidential debate - Phoenix, AZ. I was appalled at the number of homeless people living in the parks in Phoenix on a recent trip out there.
Where is the country that is doing so good, as Bush will often say? I live in the richest county in one of the richest states in the country and you will get turned away at hospitals if you don't have health insurance. They will take you if you're dying, after you've been through their bill collection goons!
I'd rather see my tax dollars go towards revamping our healthcare system anyday than fighting an unjust war in the middle east. 100 Billion dollars, thousands of lives lost - American and Iraqi.
We'll pay 100B to go to war, but goddamn if we'll take that same money and revamp healthcare - this will get you labeled a "tax and spend Liberal"! Let's see - help our citizen or pay for an unjust war? hmmm.
