Source: http://cagle.com
Monday, October 31, 2005
Friday, October 28, 2005
Comment of the Day
From the U.S. Postal Service in regards to my costume:
"Well, ma'am, we couldn't find your package, but our International Tracking Department says that Thailand (yes, the country) has a shipping record of it."
Our government cannot keep up with a Halloween costume and yet it is shocking that they cannot find Osama bin Laden?
"Well, ma'am, we couldn't find your package, but our International Tracking Department says that Thailand (yes, the country) has a shipping record of it."
Our government cannot keep up with a Halloween costume and yet it is shocking that they cannot find Osama bin Laden?
The Sexual Revolution Produced Unhappy Offspring?
Few things amuse me more than when someone who cannot walk in my shoes insists that my feet are hurting.
An article by Meghan O'Rourke entitled Theories of the Erotic, shares the impassioned plea by Harvard government professor Harvey Mansfield that women should reevaluate their post-sexual revolution ideas because we are teaching males not to value commitment via our providing them sexual "samples." Dr. Mansfield believes that we are an unhappy, ringless generation - the unfortunate, illegitimate offspring of the Sexual Revolution. He borrows from the work of Leon Krass, The End of Courtship which claims that "young women strike [him] as sad, lonely, and confused" because of the new sexuality.
Here is my take on the situation: as someone who grew up in the sexually repressive bowels of the deeply religious deep South, I personally was miserable with the restrictions placed on women in terms of relationships, and now that I am back, it is still frustrating that you have to hide part of yourself in order to be respectful. Nevermind the people I encounter that will argue with me that I want a husband and children, as if I am somehow less of a woman if I choose not to. I do not believe that the Sexual Revolution really had anything to do with sex en generale as it did with women who were sick of the oppressive status quo. It was about the ability to have the freedom to express oneself. As a woman, no, I do not enjoy the games and rules that come with "courtship," no, I do not feel my biological clock ticking, (in fact, I have spent the last eight years trying to find a doctor that was willing to dismantle it), no, my ring finger has never itched, and no, I do not like it when middle-aged males tell me that the psychological weight I feel lifted off me when I do express myself is an illusion.
An article by Meghan O'Rourke entitled Theories of the Erotic, shares the impassioned plea by Harvard government professor Harvey Mansfield that women should reevaluate their post-sexual revolution ideas because we are teaching males not to value commitment via our providing them sexual "samples." Dr. Mansfield believes that we are an unhappy, ringless generation - the unfortunate, illegitimate offspring of the Sexual Revolution. He borrows from the work of Leon Krass, The End of Courtship which claims that "young women strike [him] as sad, lonely, and confused" because of the new sexuality.
Here is my take on the situation: as someone who grew up in the sexually repressive bowels of the deeply religious deep South, I personally was miserable with the restrictions placed on women in terms of relationships, and now that I am back, it is still frustrating that you have to hide part of yourself in order to be respectful. Nevermind the people I encounter that will argue with me that I want a husband and children, as if I am somehow less of a woman if I choose not to. I do not believe that the Sexual Revolution really had anything to do with sex en generale as it did with women who were sick of the oppressive status quo. It was about the ability to have the freedom to express oneself. As a woman, no, I do not enjoy the games and rules that come with "courtship," no, I do not feel my biological clock ticking, (in fact, I have spent the last eight years trying to find a doctor that was willing to dismantle it), no, my ring finger has never itched, and no, I do not like it when middle-aged males tell me that the psychological weight I feel lifted off me when I do express myself is an illusion.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
MIERS EXPIRES!
The Washington Post reports that Supreme Court nominee and fear-striker to the hearts of both parties Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination this morning due to the "stiff opposition and mounting criticism about her qualifications." That was nice of Bush to ask her to do it instead of admitting he made a mistake and withdraw her himself.
What a relief. The day is starting to look better. I have a sense of hope now about the future...and maybe UPS will find my missing package...
What a relief. The day is starting to look better. I have a sense of hope now about the future...and maybe UPS will find my missing package...
Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Torture for a Better America
I just finished the Washington Post's piece of how VP Cheney is aggressively pursuing the rewording of legislature proposed by McCain and Co. to prevent the abuse of detainees. Cheney's goal is to exempt the CIA from this amendment and he is so adamant in his efforts that he has already assured that the President will veto any defense spending bills that suggest condemnation of past and potential acts of torture. As of now, many of the detainees are not registered with the Red Cross and inspectors have been denied access to detainment facilities. Many are hidden and as the Post put it, '"disappeared," like the victims of some dictatorships."
What this administration fails to realize is that these torture tanks are making martyrs, not protecting Americans. While it is impossible to prevent every breach of our borders, tragedies such as 9/11 could have been prevented by a more attentive administration. The Post also mentions that the number of deaths of American soldiers has reached 2,000. Two-thirds of these deaths are the result of roadside bombs, and reports indicate that insurgents will receive weapons that are "seven times stronger" than the ones currently available in Iraq. This administration's blatant disregard for human rights and the Geneva Convention is only further demonizing our image abroad.
Is it any wonder that the insurgent movement is stepping it up a notch?
What this administration fails to realize is that these torture tanks are making martyrs, not protecting Americans. While it is impossible to prevent every breach of our borders, tragedies such as 9/11 could have been prevented by a more attentive administration. The Post also mentions that the number of deaths of American soldiers has reached 2,000. Two-thirds of these deaths are the result of roadside bombs, and reports indicate that insurgents will receive weapons that are "seven times stronger" than the ones currently available in Iraq. This administration's blatant disregard for human rights and the Geneva Convention is only further demonizing our image abroad.
Is it any wonder that the insurgent movement is stepping it up a notch?
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
It Was Only a Matter of Time...
The Hurricane Wilma cartoons are in...they are pretty much what I expected. Here is one of my favorites:
Source: http://cagle.com
Source: http://cagle.com
The Drip in the White House
Watching the results of Cheney's slip of the tongue has become a major part of my new primetime lineup. The New York Times listed this great timeline of the leak. Someone should get the Hasbro gamemakers on the phone because the way it is set up, it seems like it could evolve into a wonderful White House version of Clue.
Who needs Survivor when genuine reality is so much more entertaining?
Who needs Survivor when genuine reality is so much more entertaining?
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Friday, October 21, 2005
Solicited!
Earlier this week I was stopped by a motorist on my way from class who claimed to seek directions to a certain part of the local campus. This devolved into a request for paid services.
That's right, folks - I was solicited for prostitution.
The first feelings I experienced were high levels of indignation and a sense of social vulnerability. I am image conscious to a fault and pride myself on maintaining a ladylike appearance. I was so bothered by this that I missed class the next day, trying to figure out why would anyone assume that I could be picked up. I told a couple of my friends about it, and the response ranged from laughter to "just ignore it." The laughter infuriated me, and ignoring it was not an option. I asked another person and the first thing she asked me was what was I wearing. That struck me, because my first defense was that I was overdressed, as if my attire proved whether or not I was "asking for it." This neofeminist held the woman accountable, declaring my guilt without ever entertaining the idea that I might be innocent...just like the social Neanderthals I love to bash. It also alerted me of another aspect of my hypocrisy, because I have said that prostitution should not only be legalized, but heavily regulated and taxed. It made me think of the Marxist argument of how a class society devalues its participants based on status and occupation. It is acceptable for someone to be a prostitute the same as it is acceptable for someone to be a forklift operator, just as long as no one thinks that I am one.
It seems that my solicitor is not the only one with the problem.
That's right, folks - I was solicited for prostitution.
The first feelings I experienced were high levels of indignation and a sense of social vulnerability. I am image conscious to a fault and pride myself on maintaining a ladylike appearance. I was so bothered by this that I missed class the next day, trying to figure out why would anyone assume that I could be picked up. I told a couple of my friends about it, and the response ranged from laughter to "just ignore it." The laughter infuriated me, and ignoring it was not an option. I asked another person and the first thing she asked me was what was I wearing. That struck me, because my first defense was that I was overdressed, as if my attire proved whether or not I was "asking for it." This neofeminist held the woman accountable, declaring my guilt without ever entertaining the idea that I might be innocent...just like the social Neanderthals I love to bash. It also alerted me of another aspect of my hypocrisy, because I have said that prostitution should not only be legalized, but heavily regulated and taxed. It made me think of the Marxist argument of how a class society devalues its participants based on status and occupation. It is acceptable for someone to be a prostitute the same as it is acceptable for someone to be a forklift operator, just as long as no one thinks that I am one.
It seems that my solicitor is not the only one with the problem.
On the Subject of Tom Delay (Pt 1)
There are few things on this planet that give me more pleasure than seeing a finger-pointer get finger-pointed (except when it happens to me, of course). The fact that Tom Delay is a source of exasperation for me has nothing to do with the fact that he is a Republican...it did not exactly help, but it was not a noteworthy contributing factor. He and his compadres' dogged pursuit to the end of class-action suits, preventing stem-cell usage research and development, and nevermind the Terry Schiavo fiasco last spring are some of the some of the reasons why his name makes my stomach knot up. But I am going to make a conscience effort to be a better person than that. I am going to try not to snicker with pleasure at his arrest. I am not going to make popcorn while I watch the Hammer get pounded on national television. No, I will do better.
Who am I kidding? I am salivating for the moment that his mugshot hits the net...
Who am I kidding? I am salivating for the moment that his mugshot hits the net...
Wednesday, October 19, 2005
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Shift in Crime Rates
An article on MSNBC noted that in the realm of violent crimes, the number of homicides has decreased for the first time in five years, whereas the number of rapes are on the increase for the third year in a row, with 750 more cases than last year.
It is so comforting to know that I am still not safe.
It is so comforting to know that I am still not safe.
Monday, October 17, 2005
Iraqi Constitution
I will write about the Iraqi Constitution after all the votes have been counted, but considering the Bush administration's history at the polls, they probably already know what the results will be well in advance.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Fight the Man! The 100 Most Challenged Books
I am continuing off a post from PoliBlog and Irrational Woman in regards to a list containing the 100 most frequently challenged books. I would also like to add an honorable mention: The Wind Done Gone by Alice Randall, the Gone with the Wind parody that sent the Daughters of Confederacy into a tizzy. I understand that it was banned in Georgia. These are my contributions to fighting the Man:
1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
5. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
9. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
11. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
12. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
13. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
14. Carrie by Stephen King
15. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
16. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
1. Scary Stories (Series) by Alvin Schwartz
2. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
3. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
4. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
5. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
6. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
8. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
9. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
10. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
11. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
12. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
13. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
14. Carrie by Stephen King
15. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
16. How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell
Friday, October 14, 2005
The City that Caution Forgot
USA leads today with the report that during a poll, 40% of the New Orleans evacuees state that they have no intention to return to the city. Well, let us review the facts: 1.) considering that the Army Corps of Engineers stated that they planned on restoring the levees back to their Category 3 protection level status after being destroyed by a Category 4 hurricane and then experiencing another strong hurricane less than three weeks later; 2.) New Orleans is a cesspool right now and there is talk of a killer bird virus heading our way. I cannot say that I blame them.
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Bird Flu Found in Turkey
On MSNBC, instead of just saying that the bird flu was found in eastern Europe, the following title was displayed: Deadly bird flu strain confirmed in Turkey. For a moment I was truly distraught, because I simply adore turkey sandwiches, but it eventually dawned on me that they were referring to the state of Turkey. On a side note, another article mentioned that Homeland Security, the American personification of Don Quixote, would be the leaders in containing the virus, but promised that actual medical responses were to be deferred to Health and Human Services.
We are doomed...
We are doomed...
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
Alrighty Then...
USA Today leads with piece suggesting that the Bush administration ignored intelligence predicting that the removal of Saddam Hussein from power would cause Iraq to fall apart.
So let me get this straight: Clinton was impeached for getting a little oh lá lá in the Oval Office with an intern with warped ambitions and lying to his wife about it on national television...but Bush and his posse can alter/ignore intelligence that could have prevented 9/11 and the Iraqi conflict resulting in the deaths of thousands of American and Iraqi citizens, ruin our global image, recommend one of his lobotomized followers for the Supreme Court, etc....and everyone is ok with this?
Did I miss something?
So let me get this straight: Clinton was impeached for getting a little oh lá lá in the Oval Office with an intern with warped ambitions and lying to his wife about it on national television...but Bush and his posse can alter/ignore intelligence that could have prevented 9/11 and the Iraqi conflict resulting in the deaths of thousands of American and Iraqi citizens, ruin our global image, recommend one of his lobotomized followers for the Supreme Court, etc....and everyone is ok with this?
Did I miss something?
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Nothing Can Stop the U.S. Chair Force!
I should be working on something else, but this is too much to pass up:
The Los Angeles Times leads today with the announcement that 3,000 Air Force personnel will be retrained into Army positions to compensate for the limited soldiers available to deal with the strain of the conflict in Iraq. Wow. DOD just lost 3,000 reenlistments. I believe I speak with some degree of authority when I say that people join the Air Force with the intention of avoiding Army-esque positions and the extreme differences in culture. Yes, Virginia, military branches have their own culture. This Trail of Tears leads me to question how this will affect the ability of the AF to fulfill its duties in the future, now that they will be deprived of trained personnel, many of which occupy vital fields that are already severely underpopulated. So much for the good ol' days of the "Job Comes First" Chair Force. I bet dozens of former AF personnel are thinking, "Phew...I got out just in time." I know I am.
The Los Angeles Times leads today with the announcement that 3,000 Air Force personnel will be retrained into Army positions to compensate for the limited soldiers available to deal with the strain of the conflict in Iraq. Wow. DOD just lost 3,000 reenlistments. I believe I speak with some degree of authority when I say that people join the Air Force with the intention of avoiding Army-esque positions and the extreme differences in culture. Yes, Virginia, military branches have their own culture. This Trail of Tears leads me to question how this will affect the ability of the AF to fulfill its duties in the future, now that they will be deprived of trained personnel, many of which occupy vital fields that are already severely underpopulated. So much for the good ol' days of the "Job Comes First" Chair Force. I bet dozens of former AF personnel are thinking, "Phew...I got out just in time." I know I am.
Monday, October 10, 2005
All Quiet on the GOP Front
This will probably be the highlight of my day--but at least it makes up for all of the anti-Democratic ads that Google has chosen to send to my site:
The Washington Post leads today with the news that, like the military, the Republican party is also having a hard time landing recruits. Potential GOP candidates are treating bids for the next Senate election like they are laden with anthrax. It appears that the questionable ethics of some of the higher GOP officials, combined with the debacle in Iraq, combined with high gas prices, combined with a shot economy, combined with the Miers nomination, combined with a laundry list of things that I will try to resist the urge to rant about have finally come home to roost. Even Rove, Bush's reincarnation of Otto von Bismarck, was unsuccessful in tempting potential candidates into the arena. And we have had more hurricanes in the past two years than I have seen in my entire life, so I can only suppose that Bush's claim that he has a direct line to Heaven did not go to well with God, either. The GOP still has a few stragglers, such as Katherine Harris, but she gets birthday cards from the White House so she really does not count.
If the Democrats do not run with this I am joining the Green Party out of spite--but for now, this is better than sex after a good meal on Christmas.
The Washington Post leads today with the news that, like the military, the Republican party is also having a hard time landing recruits. Potential GOP candidates are treating bids for the next Senate election like they are laden with anthrax. It appears that the questionable ethics of some of the higher GOP officials, combined with the debacle in Iraq, combined with high gas prices, combined with a shot economy, combined with the Miers nomination, combined with a laundry list of things that I will try to resist the urge to rant about have finally come home to roost. Even Rove, Bush's reincarnation of Otto von Bismarck, was unsuccessful in tempting potential candidates into the arena. And we have had more hurricanes in the past two years than I have seen in my entire life, so I can only suppose that Bush's claim that he has a direct line to Heaven did not go to well with God, either. The GOP still has a few stragglers, such as Katherine Harris, but she gets birthday cards from the White House so she really does not count.
If the Democrats do not run with this I am joining the Green Party out of spite--but for now, this is better than sex after a good meal on Christmas.
Saturday, October 08, 2005
Eve, Interrupted
I have spent the past ten years studying sex and sexuality, because outside of birth and death, sex is the most powerful and mystical aspect of life, and for that reason, I have the deepest respect for the concept. Growing up, on rare occasion the women of my family would discuss sex, and it was always viewed as being a chore--a biblical duty to one's husband or a means to achieve an end, and even at that time I could not understand how that could be so. My education during this phase of my life was reduced to television and books, which contradicted greatly with the messages I received growing up how sex was an evil concept, further proof that humankind stems from all aspects of sin. I was raised in the Bible Belt, and a woman's body was considered to be something of evil, an instrument of temptation designed to ruin marriages and caused men to flee from the grace of God, as Adam did as a result of Eve's seductive nature. For that reason, a "good girl" covered herself up, as not to project her naturally sinful form onto her vulnerable male counterparts. I have always resented this policy, because the human body is a miraculous combination of science and art; a sculpture with a soul. The belief system I was exposed to was the very reason I became a feminist at such an early age, because from my adolescent perspective the only reason the leaders of my religion presented such a negative view on a woman's body is because they were jealous of what it could do. A woman's body tells her when it is time for her to shed her childhood in a way that is so poetic it should be celebrated. Despite the impressions I may give out, I do respect the duality of pregnancy, an act I view as being simultaneously barbaric and mystical. If someone created a machine that could do the same thing, they would be heralded as being innovative, but the same form exists among us naturally and we are taught to despise it. This has been on my mind for quite some time now, and I have decided to pursue the topic further in Eve, Interrupted.
Friday, October 07, 2005
Sheri's Weekly Rant - Condoleezza Rice
I am plagued with repeatedly seeing something that makes my stomach turn: ads suggesting that Condoleezza Rice run for president in 2008. This bit of delirium is being pushed by groups such as the National Federation of Republican Women, and a so-called maverick by the name of Dick Morris has gone as far as writing a book comparing Rice and Hillary Clinton like heavyweight champions. While it may seem strange to many that I would be so vehemently against the idea of Dr. Rice being president, seeing that we share the same shade, when I look at her all I see is someone who is just a darker shade of yellow. Whereas Dr. Rice may be an otherwise intelligent and accomplished woman, in the field of politics she is as yellow as any coward can get. I am giving her the benefit of the doubt based on accounts that she allegedly made suggestions to President Bush to avert some of his more questionable policies--before I had simply sized her up as being another one of his disciples. Whereas I understand the importance of loyalty, blind obedience is unacceptable. The way I see it, anytime anyone in the White House questioned anything proposed that could pose as a detriment for this country, they were standing up for the American people. She has already shown that for most of her existence in the administration she was incapable of doing that, so why should we give her more power to let us down? And I personally believe Richard Clarke's claim that she took on a deer-in-headlights appearance at the mention of the existence of Al Qaeda. I would love to see a change in the presidential demographics, but I would rather go to my grave without seeing that historical day that have someone in office that can stand idly by while her cronies gamble with our country's greatness. My lack of faith in her is so intense that my face twitches when I hear her name. Whenever I tell someone of my career aspirations and they ask me if I want to be the next Condoleezza Rice I silently forgive them for not knowing any better and make notes to keep the conversation simple with them in the future. Our nation needs a leader with intelligence and a spine. Dr. Rice may qualify to head a university, but from what I am gathering of her, I would not choose her to be the head of a grocery store, much less a country.
Thursday, October 06, 2005
"Hi, I'm Republican Barbie!" - On Ann Coulter
This post could very well be classified as my weekly rant, but I am saving that for later.
I will never forget the first time I saw Ann Coulter on television. I remember thinking, "What a shame...they are going to treat her like she's an idiot because of how she looks." I will also never forget my first reaction after listening to her commentary. I remember thinking, "Wow...she's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box," before switching the channel. Ms. Coulter is now among my personal top ten list of pundits whose name alone gives me an instant headache. I have tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot recall a period where I have heard anything she has said that struck me as being more than an unstructured rant. I know that I am guilty of unstructured rants, but she did it on C-SPAN. I would love to know more about her upbringing, because her uncompromising sycophancy to her party suggests that at one time she was a tabula rasa thrust into a series of Republican conventions until she was morphed into what she is today. The reason that I am taking the time today to pay my respects to the GOP's official cheerleader is due to an article I came across while doing research for a paper, where Coulter accused anyone who questioned the qualifications of Condoleezza Rice as being racist. What made this piece such a joy to read was that the person she accused of being racist participated in the Civil Rights movement, a fact that she failed to address. I hope as she matures that Coulter will learn the fine art of structured debate. On a final note that piece made me question my own beliefs: since I share the same sentiment about Dr. Rice, does that make me racist as well?
I will never forget the first time I saw Ann Coulter on television. I remember thinking, "What a shame...they are going to treat her like she's an idiot because of how she looks." I will also never forget my first reaction after listening to her commentary. I remember thinking, "Wow...she's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box," before switching the channel. Ms. Coulter is now among my personal top ten list of pundits whose name alone gives me an instant headache. I have tried to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I cannot recall a period where I have heard anything she has said that struck me as being more than an unstructured rant. I know that I am guilty of unstructured rants, but she did it on C-SPAN. I would love to know more about her upbringing, because her uncompromising sycophancy to her party suggests that at one time she was a tabula rasa thrust into a series of Republican conventions until she was morphed into what she is today. The reason that I am taking the time today to pay my respects to the GOP's official cheerleader is due to an article I came across while doing research for a paper, where Coulter accused anyone who questioned the qualifications of Condoleezza Rice as being racist. What made this piece such a joy to read was that the person she accused of being racist participated in the Civil Rights movement, a fact that she failed to address. I hope as she matures that Coulter will learn the fine art of structured debate. On a final note that piece made me question my own beliefs: since I share the same sentiment about Dr. Rice, does that make me racist as well?
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Freedom of Silence
An article published on military.com states that the Army is starting to clampdown on blogging servicepersons in the great name of OPSEC (Operations Security). Whereas the argument at face value makes sense--the opposing side does read any accessible information about the U.S., including anything that hints at the morale of the troops, being ex-military I have enough sense to know that this has less to do with OPSEC and more to do with domestic PSY/OPS. One of the understatements of the decade is that the war in Iraq is not exactly popular now, and the "enemy" that the Army is truly concerned with is the American media. It would be even more difficult for the Bush administration to hold on to the sliver of support it does have if some ambitious reporter just happen to take a soldier's thoughts and share them with the general population. Whereas I genuinely understand that certain soldiers cannot discuss details of their day at work, the handful of blogs I have seen appear to be just an outlet for stress. What the military fails to realize is that if they block this stress outlet, they really will have a problem on their hands in the future. People underestimate the power of emotion. It is emotion that fuels the drive for these soldiers to push forward with their mission and if not checked, these same emotions will churn until an outlet becomes a necessity. If unchecked, those emotions could manifest into violence, whether internalized (suicide) or expressed (this runs the gamut). Whereas I realize there are Beetle Baileys in every group I sincerely doubt there are that many soldiers stupid enough to put sensitive information on the web. If any are doing that, then I am willing to contend that for many of them it was probably on purpose. If this is not the case, then the Army needs to focus more on sensitive information security training instead of taking away the only quiet space these soldiers probably have left.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Where Will They Go from Here?
An interesting observation was brought up by one of my professors today in class in regards to the future of the Republican party. It appears that the Bush administration has sold the conservative Christians out, being that his choice to replace Justice O'Connor with an inexperienced moderate is a slap in the face of the great movement to restore "traditional values" to the U.S. via government intervention (the lack of experience should not have been a shocker...Bush had a horse judge as the head of FEMA--this administration's appointees make me feel less self-conscious about what is on my resume now, but at least this one is somewhat connected to the post). Here is my take on the situation: first of all, the Republicans' decision to join forces with big business and conservative Christians was the equivalent of letting a herd of elephants walk over a glass bridge. Has there ever been a case historically where big business and religion have resided harmoniously? The byproducts of big business fly in the face of the very essence of religion. I know that many stand by the notion that this country was founded on religion, but, hey--let's face it: when industrialization was born the U.S. (along with the other Great Powers) chose modernization over morality and tradition. And if it were possible for the two entities to exist together ad infinitum, then it would stand to reason that states such as Iran would not be grappling with the notion of how to modernize and still stay true to the traditional aspects of the Islamic faith. The point I am making with the aforementioned comments is that trying cater to big business and conservative Christians was a real and potent future disaster. I compare that setup as being as sensible as the pre-Katrina decision to ignore upgrading the levees of New Orleans. With all that in mind, it appears that a severe rift in the Grand Old Party is inevitable, and the current administration has established a preference for big business...so where will the CC go now? Will the party split and we see the rise of another independent party sponsored by the CC? I also cannot help but wonder how this will affect the more extreme ends of the conservative movement. Current events seem to encourage the notion that the disappointments faced by the CC in trying to improve society through politics may re-energize the movements of less desirable groups such as those who have not come to terms with the notion that killing people in order to promote the Pro-Life movement is one of the greatest contradictions of all time. I am not predicting that Pat Robertson will start issuing ultimatums from a cave, but hey, he has already given his seal of approval on assassinating Heads of State that rub him the wrong way, so apparently anything goes.
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