Lights, Tunnels, and 6 Months

If you're not old enough to remember the Vietnam mantra out of Washington, it was "We can see the light at the end of the tunnel."

The new mantra is "The next six months will be critical."

War on Terror
Mantras

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It's the Language, Stupid

Forgive the play on Mr. Clinton's 1992 slogan, but the time has come for everyone to slow down and think about the language which is being used in the current debates engaging our "divided" country.

David Brooks has an interesting column in today's NYTimes (unfortunately, it's a "Times Select" column, which means it'll cost you on line). He writes about the slow development of democracy in Europe after the 1848 "revolutions." He thinks a similar growth of democratic principals is due in the various trouble spots across the world. Money quote:

"We’re out of the period of mass rallies and toppling regimes and orange revolutions. We’re coming into a period of, at best, a gradualist conservative reform. It’s time to come up with a strategy for helping today’s unimaginative autocrats to become new and improved Bismarcks. "

A cursory review of history suggests Mr. Brooks is onto something, but he is unlikely to have much effect. The neo-cons will dismiss him as soft and irrelevant; the liberals will ignore him because he sits in the NY Times' "conservative" seat, and the liberals are really Mr. Brooks' intended audience--because he truly is, for the most part, an Eisenhower Republican.

The problem is that conservative has taken on so much negative baggage recently, that the word gets almost as much knee-jerk response as "right wing-nut" or "tax and spend liberal."

Somehow we need to establish some "givens." For instance, most "conservatives" are not Neanderthals, nor are "liberals" tax and spend fiscal fools.

Everyone, it could be argued, is a conservative in that no one wants chaos; no one wants change which has not been carefully considered and debated.

Everyone, it could be argued, is a supporter of taxes. Responsible people know that government has a place in society. Everyone knows the government must be funded by citizens. No one wants government funds to be spent foolishly. Government programs and the taxes which fund them must be debated openly, and social benefits clearly established.

Who could possibly argue with these points?

There really is little difference between conservative and liberal.

We need major pundits, not bloviators, to establish guide lines about the meaning of conservative and liberal in order to be able to establish a point without having to spend "ink" in clarification of terms.

Once we rid ourselves of the linguistic baggage and bombast in which we find ourselves mired, we will be better able to debate and address the problems of the day.
David Brooks
Liberal
Conservative
Language
Taxes

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Pope Benedict XVI and the Ersatz Family

In Spain the Pope continues his attacks against gay marriage, and one wonders why.

Each social benefit derived from committed heterosexual marriage is also a social benefit which would derive from gay marriages. If stability is the goal, then stability should be encouraged at all levels.

The Pope and his cohorts know this. It is to their everlasting shame they continue their opposition to giving social sanction to committed relationships.
Gay Marriage
Pope Benedict
Family Values

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When did the flag become "sacred?"

In order for something to be "desecrated," it must first be "sacred."

Republican senators, in arguing for the odious flag protection amendment, use "desecrated" ad nauseum.

Why?

When did the flag become elevated to the status of "sacred?" Which religion, of which, of course, there is none officially for the United States, has it in its dogma that the flag of the United States is worthy of adoration?

Republicans have long misused the language for their political ends.

This is, as yet, the most unpatriotic contortion of language of the year. One shudders to think what gross misapplications of words await during the forthcoming mid-term elections.

Flag Amendment
Republicans
Patriotism

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"Burn, Baby, Burn!"? Maybe

Regardless of Republican senatorial leadership bloviating, burning a flag in protest of a government policy is an honorable, patriotic act. Very few other acts so give thanks to the men and women who have given life or limb to the protections of the U.S. Constitution.

If you think the government is violating the Bill of Rights, using the Bill of Rights to protest is the most logical action you can take.

Shame on Frist/Hatch for their pandering to ignorant Yahoos at the expense of our nation's most basic law.

Flag Amendment
Frist
Hatch
Republicans

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Alice in Wonderland Repentance

The Episcopalian Church is debating whether or not it should apologize to the worldwide Anglican Church and repent for elevating Gene Robinson to bishop in 2003.

The wrong church sect is debating repentance. The worldwide Anglican Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Southern Baptists, Islamic congregations, and all other religious communions should be debating how soon they should be apologizing and repenting for their proscriptions on same-sex sexual orientation.

Jesus taught nothing about the issue. The proscriptions are based on the Old Testament and upon Paulist writings.

Meanwhile two allegedly gay teens were hanged a few weeks ago in Teheran.

Galileo was forced to recant his observations about our heliocentric planetary system, but he is reported to have muttered, "It moves" as he left the official proceedings. The American Episcopal Church might be forced to this shameful "apology" and "repentance," but "it moves."

American Episcopalians are on the side of God on this one.

Episcopalians
Anglicans
Roman Catholicism
Southern Baptists
Religion

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Constitutional Balance of Power

Here's a "signing statement" which Mr. Bush issued upon the occasion of reauthorizing the "Patriot Act:"

President's Statement on H.R. 199, the "USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005"
Today, I have signed into law H.R. 3199, the "USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005," and then S. 2271, the "USA PATRIOT Act Additional Reauthorizing Amendments Act of 2006." The bills will help us continue to fight terrorism effectively and to combat the use of the illegal drug methamphetamine that is ruining too many lives.

The executive branch shall construe the provisions of H.R. 3199 that call for furnishing information to entities outside the executive branch, such as sections 106A and 119, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information the disclosure of which could impair foreign relations, national security, the deliberative processes of the Executive, or the performance of the Executive's constitutional duties.

The executive branch shall construe section 756(e)(2) of H.R. 3199, which calls for an executive branch official to submit to the Congress recommendations for legislative action, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to recommend for the consideration of the Congress such measures as he judges necessary and expedient.

GEORGE W. BUSH
THE WHITE HOUSE,
March 9, 2006.

Note the italicized words. What these words mean is that the Executive will decide whether or not to obey sections of this law, not Congress.

Where is the Congressional outrage?

What happened to a three-part governance?

What happened to checks and balances?


Signing Statements
Congress
U.S. Constitution

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Satisfaction Tempered

Zarqawi's death presents us with an unusual phenomenon: a certain sense of satisfaction, but tempered with certain knowledge that it will most probably be a very small success in the larger picture.

What does a confirmed death at 9:15 EDT on June 7, 2006, mean? Does it mean the suicide killings which were "in the pipeline" are going to be canceled? Or does it mean there will be a diminishing of suicide killings after the currently planned atrocities are completed? Or is there, at this moment (5:40 a.m., PDT, June 8, 2006), someone who has already assumed the mantle of terrorist-in-chief?

Finally, at what moment in time will the thinkers of the planet decide to study the early lives of perpetrators of horrors in order to try to determine when those lives changed from laughing toddlers to paths which would lead to bloodied monsters?
Zarqawi
War on Terror

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Balance of Power

In his speech on June 5, Mr. Bush takes a shot or two at "activist judges." He makes a point of stressing that Federal judges are not elected.

What he doesn't mention is that the Founding Fathers intentionally wrote the Constitution in such a way that the federal judges would be unelected, as a third element of power which would be apart from electoral politics, and, ostensibly, neutral in their deliberations and decisions.

Federal judges who rule against legislation or administrative dicta which runs counter to the Constitution are doing their jobs.

Surely Mr. Bush knows that.
Marriage Amendment
U.S. Constitution
Civics Lesson

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The Ol' Stopped Clock Syndrome

OK, so he regrets saying things like "Bring 'em on" and "dead or alive." Says he's learned something about how language can send "wrong signals."

Absolutely! It's good that he has learned something.

The problem is that he learned "on the job." Now, learning OTJ is a time tested worthy concept, especially if you're a teenager learning how to fry potatoes at McDonald's. This guy, however is learning OTJ about how to be the man with his finger on the button!

Other pertinent question arise: Why did this man and party win the past two national elections? Why did the American public, according to polls, think they would be safer with this party and its leaders than they would have been with Democratic leaders?

Well, at least, the occasions of the stopped clock being correct twice a day are increasingly frequent.

Mr. Bush
Republicans

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The Stopped Clock's Correctness

Thus spoke Zarabushtra:

"May 15,2006

5. We Must Honor The Great American Tradition Of The Melting Pot
The Success Of Our Country Depends Upon Helping Newcomers Assimilate Into Our Society And Embrace Our Common Identity As Americans. "

The above is taken from news reports the day after Mr. Bush's speech on immigration.

Giving the stopped clock its due, Mr. Bush is correct. Multi-culturalism has not been a success. We are more Balkanized today than we were pre-Civil Rights Act of 1964. A return to the "melting pot" is indicated. If assimilation is not part of the impending policies on immigration, they will eventually prove to be dangerous to the Union.

E pluribus unum.

We should do away with hyphenated Americans. We can start with the elimination of racial/ancestral heritage questions on any form which goes to the government.
Mr. Bush
Immigration
Multi-Culturalism

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Views of Paris, Chateaux, Churches, a Butt

From the Mona Lisa to Paul Bettany's butt, The Da Vinci Code is a feast for the eyes. What's not to like? A few pot shots at some of the woeful aspects of Christianity, an eerily effective use of grey memory figures and scenes, Paul Bettany's butt, a wonderfully landscaped church or two, Paul Bettany's butt, a few moments of Tom Hanks not-quite-getting-it-across in his final tete-a-tete with the leading lady, Sir Ian being charming as well as dastardly, as complete a showing of the Louvre's pyramid entrance, a few choice bets about current RCC hierarchical machinations, and you know what all make for a quick 2+ hours.

Critics who gave this movie a cool reception either see too many movies or have lost their sense of fun or forget it's only a movie.
Da Vinci Code
Butt Shots

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Religious Brouhaha

Michael Connelly writing in the Los Angeles Times' "Book Review" of May 7, 2006, offers this tidbit: "There is a saying that if you want to know the facts, read a newspaper, but if you want to know the truth, read a novel. I don't know where I first heard that phrase, but after many years I am beginning to see the light in it."

The quote is offered to you as a way to look at the scriptural brouhaha(s) which are beginning to foment. I am especially taken with Andrew Sullivan's comment about Dan Brown's book and imminent movie: "[The DaVinci Code is] hack fiction. People might actually believe it."

Mr. Sullivan and others should ponder Mr. Connelly's epigram. The truth of Jesus' "ministry" is far more important than whether or not various people over the past two millennia engaged in this or than shenanigan in order to protect themselves.

Actually, there are precious "facts" about Christology. Virtually every bit of writing we have is 2nd or 3rd hand. Hardly admissible in a court of law. Besides, "faith" doesn't depend on "fact." Even Hans Kung, eminent Roman Catholic theologian (albeit one the Vatican et al., tried to disparage),questioned the fundamental relevance of the Nicean Creed which proclaimed the divinity of Jesus, but Mr. Kung sticks to his Roman Catholicism.

The DaVinci Code is entertainment--with a nugget or two of underlying truth.

Truth
Andrew Sullivan
DaVinci Code

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Assimilation, Si--Integration, Non

Over in the New York Times, Peter Salins has an op-ed piece which calls for assimilation rather than integration.

Absolutely!

Integration is a half-way measure towards good citizenship. If we don't share basics, we're too cautious; we don't trust what we can't fully understand. It's the very old primitive version of CYA.

We can start with everyone learning good (for the purpose of collective cogitation) English.
Assimilation
Immigration

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A Sad, Difficult Day

Joel Stein, in the Los Angeles Times pens this screecher: "Rex paused and gave Swanson and I..." The degradation of the language continues. Alas.

Carol Memmott, of USA Today, has a quote from Mary Cheney's book. Mary quotes her mother, "Your life will be so hard." Sounds sympathetic, doesn't it? Hmmm. Upon reflection, one must remember that Mrs. Cheney's husband is part of the election-winning team which nosed to power in 2004 running, in no small part, on a homophobic platform in "Middle America."

The Los Angeles Times failed the English language; Mrs. Cheney continues to fail her daughter.

You-know-who wept.

Grammar
Mary Cheney
Lynne Cheney

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Euphemisms

Don't you just love euphemisms?

"Annie's Mailbox," the successor to "Ann Landers," as printed in the Riverside, CA, Press-Enterprise, has a new one for me: "bikini hair."

Um...what?

Bikinis now are sold with hair?

Nah.

It's all about waxing one's privates in preparation for wearing a bikini in public.

Bikini hair. What'll they clean up next?

Euphemisms

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An Implied Penalty Recommendation?

When the jury recommended a lifetime in virtual solitary confinement for Moussaoui, it also, in effect, was condemning Islamic fundamentalism and denying it a martyr and shaming it for its practices of using easily manipulated personalities for ungodly purposes.

Ooops. That would also fit with certain alleged Christian sects, too, wouldn't it.
Islamic Fundamentalism
Christian Fundamentalism

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Wow! On the Mark!

Finally, someone has come up with a terse clause which goes far in explaining the vague sense which propels the words neo-cons interpret as "Blaming America First."

David Thomson, writing in the New York Times pens it. Money quote and bio info: "...in the end you have to understand the grievance of the aggrieved, whether you agree with it or not."
David Thomson is the author of "The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood."

Insisting on a discussion of as many of the events leading up to a particular moment in history does not mean one "blames America." It merely means we have to be more aware of the potential consequences of our actions and policies.

Blame America
dissent

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Flight 93

Flight 93 is said to have been the original title of United 93. See what a word change can do. See what a metaphor can do.
Watch in futility as a young man slits the throat of a middle aged woman in the name of "Allah." (The actual slashing is not shown.)

The metaphorical books of primitive peoples which have survived to guide us through our lives are rife with concepts which are antithetical to the needs of the 21st century.

We need to change them.

Whistling in the wind.
Religion
Religions of the Book
United 93

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Conscientious Awareness vs. Politically Correct

Before we had "politically correct," we had "conscientious awareness." We should've stuck with the original phrase.

Being aware meant nothing more than that. If you're going to say nigger, be aware that that word carries a lot of baggage for some people. If you have something positive to say, people in your audience might not listen if you're going to use hurtful language; other people might not give appropriate credence to your comments if it's peppered with language which is virtually guaranteed to make people stop listening and start reacting.

Of course by now, politically correct has lost any value. It has been used to justify behavior equally as onerous as intemperate language. Who makes the determination about what is "correct?" If we're all "correct," aren't we all in lock-step?

All government agencies should use language which is as culturally neutral as possible. The rest of us should be able to be as offensive as we wish, as long as we know what we're doing. (And if we don't know, then it's OK for someone to point it out--as inoffensively as possible, of course.)

It's time to do away with pc and return to ca.
Politically Correct
Conscientious Awareness

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