Unraveling?

I sumbled upon the idea during the 2008 campaign…

High RWA followers will grasp at straws to keep this man out of office, even if the change he proposes directly benefits them.
…just the facts…From a Canadian who is just as entrenched in our national behavior as we are, The Authoritarians, is a worthwhile read. (I have to admit it might be offensive even to sensible Christians, but read all the chapter footnotes and he clarifies his research findings about moderate vs. fundamentalist Christians–and there is a difference).’

NPR discussed it this week, and Terry Gross talked with the author of Republican Gomorrah, Max Blumenthal…

…This was a portrait of the Republican Party fully in the grip of its right wing: almost exclusively white, overwhelmingly evangelical, fixated on abortion, homosexuality, and abstinence education; resentful and angry; and unable to discuss how and why it had become this way.’

–from A ‘Shattered’ Republican Party? on NPRs Fresh Air (read about it/read transcript/listen here; link for transcript only is above)

And, unbeknownst to me, a few days prior morelightthanheatpublished this blogpost on ‘Democracy as Specacle’:

It began some years ago and reached a new level last summer, mostly at Palin’s rallies and mostly in rural areas.  At the time I likened it to a new incarnation of McCarthyism, but using today’s fears.  Since the election of Barack Obama, the voices have grown louder and more shrill.  Spurred on by right-wing talk radio hosts, conservative pundits, and corporate public relations departments and their astroturf siblings, it has escalated further in the tenor of the health care debate.  Yet that debate is but one in a panoply of changes that are occurring.’

It also cites an article “that everyone should read” (author’s words, and my sentiment after reading) — “Living in a Culture of Cruelty” although it is reprinted in its entirety in morelightthanheat’s post.

I have been hearing about this phenomenon–this irrational fear, unprecedented hate, unconscionable violence and cruelty, and skewed beliefs–for some time, and lately, the irrational behavior of a few (and the number is growing) has begun to spin out of control. 

This is perhaps the unraveling of the American Dream, and in the loss of our most cherished American ideals (which, by the way, and before anyone throws the constitution at me, our forefathers had the intelligence to realize our democracy would change, and so, set protections in place so that no ideological ‘side’ could gain the upper hand and sole monopoly over the people) we are somehow losing what it is to be a United States of America.  Wow…in my lifetime…I never saw that coming.  We are in for a world of hurt if the trend continues, but at the same time I hope that the damage can be reversed or that we can at least learn a lesson, albeit a painful one. 

Take the time to follow all the links and read the articles/papers. Always be informed about what you take to heart as the truth.  Question what you already believe on a daily basis. And most importantly, constantly ask YOURSELF, “What am I afraid of?” and diligently look for the answer within. 

It may open up a whole new world of understanding.

UPDATE:

Another blog came to my attention; Let it Ride’s most recent post, “The 9/13 Hangover” speaks in general about the “Angry Mob” mentality and also has some pretty good videos embedded (Especially the Rachel Maddows vids–worth a watch). Just a little excerpt:

I have a real problem with this “rally.”  Not because its backers are conservatives and I’m progressive in my political beliefs.  Not because I think conservatives are stupid or evil.

It’s because the rally was in large part organized by Dick Armey’s Freedom Watch and Glenn Beck, both of whom have cynically manipulated some genuine concerns (and some irrational fears) into a furious mob.  This mob doesn’t know what it stands for–only that it stands against Obama.

Why?

Because he’s a Nazi, a socialist, a communist, or sometimes all of them at once.  (Which doesn’t make logical sense–it’s just an attempt to stick the vilest labels to the man in order to demonize him.)

So that’s where we stand today. *sigh*

“These truths are self-evident…”

“That which is not, shall never be; that which is, shall never cease to be. To the wise, these truths are self-evident.”
–William Hazlitt

Yes…I am a supporter of Barack Obama. 

Yes…I will be voting for him on November 4th. 

Yes…WE CAN vote him into office to face the most tumultuous times since Nixon. WITH CONFIDENCE.

Yes…you may call me a socialist, if that means that I care more about giving back a little bit of what I have been able to earn, thanks in part to this great nation, to those less advantaged so that they might one day be able to know the dream I’ve realized.

And, yes…I did merge all of these images together to create this support thingy for my widget bar. =)

I’m not old and wise, but I’m not terribly young and naive, either.  I know there are things that are true, false and/or reside in a grey area that is open to interpretation. This election cycle has opened us up to all of these realms and I know a few things are true for me, personally.

I know that John McCain is not a racist: this is not fair (as character assassination), and there is really nothing in his history that suggests he is.  However, his campaign advisory staff (and perhaps Sarah Palin) might be, or are simply so cut-throat that they can’t make a distinction between exploiting weakness in an opponent and exploiting the weakness in Americans’ understanding of stereotypes–one way, honorable and the other, not so much.  If he is upset (and rightly so!), he needs to tell his staff and supporters what his wishes in this area are. This is really a matter of his judgement because, if he is turning a blind eye on their actions when he has the power to stop the momentum…well, you get the idea.

Sarah Palin ≠ Hillary Clinton: Naturally, they share the XX chromosomal designation, roles as politicians while being women while being wives while being mothers, and have great hair styles, but this is where the similarity ends. The only thing that tore me to pieces about this campaign was having to choose between Hillary and Barack.  Unfortunately, you can’t vote “present” on a primary ballot.  Palin just doesn’t compare (ha ha…she’s ‘Pal-in comparison’) to what Senator Clinton has worked for and achieved over her lifetime. I would still like to meet her, and pick her brain for a few hours.  If anyone is my Role Model, it is not Sarah Palin–it’s Hillary–and McCain chose a poor substitute for disenfranchised Clinton supporters.

Americans are not STUPID: swayed in emotionally charged times of crisis, yes, but not “the dumb masses” of the Medieval Holy Roman Empire.  We all want to know that we have a bright future, myself included. Just look across the web, at all the blogs, websites, and comment sections at the end of “legitimate” newspaper articles. This election has stirred us in an unprecedented way.  We all have our opinions–some articulately thought out, some filled with garbage–from the Right and from the Left.  People are very worried today. But, we were also worried yesterday and we are still terrified about tomorrow too. This is the most important election in my lifetime, if not only for our domestic troubles, but also for the troubles of the world, our role in the world, and our perception by the rest of the world.

Barack Obama really isn’t an experienced politician: It’s true. But I DON’T WANT AN EXPERIENCED POLITICIAN LIKE WE’VE BEEN GETTING!!!  I want a thinker who will face each crisis with an intelligent approach, one who will seek out the wisest people as cabinet members or for advice on a course of action.  I want a diplomat who will deal with other nations–friends and enemies alike–in a manner that is dignified and objective at the same time. I want a president who is a composite of many of us Americans, because the man that understands different perspectives (from experience) can apply different perspectives to problems and really grasp their interconnectedness (if that is a word).  People attacked Obama for reading The Post-American World on the campaign trail, a book written, in the author’s words “not about the decline of America, but the rise of everyone else,” because it was written by Fareed Zakaria–a “Muslim-sounding” author.  Actually, the book looks really interesting, and I’m going to order it.  Even with a librarian for a wife, can you even imagine President Bush reading this book to try and understand what’s going on?

But back to the topic at hand.  Obama’s persona could be an extremely elaborate hoax, but the sincerity with which he delivers his message to so many Americans simply cannot be faked.  If he fails to deliver a fraction of what he proposes after being elected, he knows his daughters will lose, his sister’s children will lose, his entire multiracial family will lose. So I feel that, from everything he has said, and yes…even the things he has changed his mind about…he has the United States’ best interests at heart.  I will be the first to criticize if he makes a decision that really is going to hurt us.

If you cannot vote for the man on these principles alone, keep watching, keep digging out the truth for yourself, and keep questioning these candidates, a la Joe the Plumber. I know I will.

The Company They Keep

The old saying goes, “You can tell a lot about a man, based on the company that he keeps.”  Recognizing that politicians cannot be experts in everything (just like the rest of us) is important.  That fact makes me more aware that, for those areas where they have weaknesses, they must choose a knowledgable person to advise them.  While this choice might be motivated by little more than selfish ambition, the best past and present examples of national leaders have obviously chosen their closest “disciples” with care.  The advisor’s traits matter to these politicians, visionaries and social reformers who have sought advice from people that they felt represented their values and that were knowledgable where the national leaders were not as strong.

Take, for instance, a candidate that is well-versed in foreign policy and domestic education issues, but lacking in Economics and Supreme Court Legislation.  The best candidate (read: human being) would seek the advice of a person that shares the same basic principles–but also could fill in the gaps with economical statistics and strategies, or share their knowledge of constitutional law.  If the campaign staff is filled with virtuous, talented people, then it stands to reason that the campaign will be run with virtue.  If the campaign staff filled with cut-throat or less-than-honest characters…well, you get the idea. 

I think that our presidential nominees’ choices–from their vice president, all the way through their list of campaign advisors–should be a good indicator of their judgement abilities.  The selection of Biden and Palin speak for themselves…Palin is a moron…but I searched the internet for a list of Obama and McCain’s staff. The only place I found them listed all together was on the BBC NEWS site, which was useful because the BBC listed the advisors side by side, in their respective roles.

View the post here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7642256.stm
…but there are two choices in particular, that caught my eye.

The McCain campain chose chief operating officer, Steve Schmidt, who worked with Karl Rove in George Bush’s election campaign team. The BBC states that he brings an “attacking style” to the campaign. This concerns me, because I’ve felt that the attacks on Obama have been shallow. Obama’s campaign chose his long-standing campaign manager, David Axelrod, who managed his Senate bid in 2004, and worked for John Edwards in the 2004 presidential election. The same Edwards that cheated on his cancer-stricken wife (although this might not be indicative of David’s qualities, read the first sentence of this post again).

In light of our foreign difficulties, Obama’s choice for chief foreign policy advisers are Susan Rice and Tony Lake, respectively assistant secretary of state for African affairs, and National Security Adviser under Clinton. Both opposed the Iraq war, although some critics will say that the Clinton Administration got us into this mess in the first place. I can’t really agree with that, though. Senator McCain’s advisors are cause for more concern–neo-Conservatives who back pre-emptive action, including chief foreign policy adviser Randy Scheunemann, and former CIA boss James Woolsey.

Make your own choice, keeping in mind that the candidates have chosen this group of people to help them get elected.  It is reasonable to assume Obama and McCain are actively using their advisors’ views and strategies, so be sure you agree with more of the campaign than the candidates themselves.

The Joy of Interviews

For those of you who might be interested, ObamaBiden08.org has posted Sarah Palin’s interview with Charlie Gibson AND Barack Obama’s interview with Bill O’Reilly.  Who do you think had the tougher time?  Who do YOU think was on top of their information????

Sarah Palin’s Interview at ObamaBiden08.org

Barack Obama’s interview at ObamaBiden08.org

Factchecking Palin

I know this is my second post of the day, but the first one, change is good, was the final draft of some ideas I’d been working on for a few days.  This, in my opinion, is breaking news.

Factchecking the Anne Kilkenny e-mail

The defamatory e-mail about Alaska governor and VP hopeful, Sarah Palin, that has been circulating in the blog-o-sphere and mainstream media, is officially political propaganda. Many of the points have been disproven on factcheck.org.  A quote:

According to an April 2008 article in Education Week, Palin signed legislationin March 2008 that would increase public school funding considerably, including special needs funding. It would increase spending on what Alaska calls “intensive needs” students (students with high-cost special requirements) from $26,900 per student in 2008 to $73,840 per student in 2011. That almost triples the per-student spending in three fiscal years. Palin’s original proposal, according to the Anchorage Daily News, would have increased funds slightly more, giving intensive needs students a $77,740 allotment by 2011.

Education Week: A second part of the measure raises spending for students with special needs to $73,840 in fiscal 2011, from the current $26,900 per student in fiscal 2008, according to the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.Unlike many other states, Alaska has relatively flush budget coffers, thanks to a rise in oil and gas revenues. Funding for schools will remain fairly level next year, however. Overall per-pupil funding across the state will rise by $100, to $5,480, in fiscal 2009. …

Carl Rose, the executive director of the Association of Alaska School Boards, praised the changes in funding for rural schools and students with special needs as a “historic event,” and said the finance overhaul would bring more stability to district budgets.

 

I’ll give you the link for the full article at the bottom of this post. This particular reference in a statement from Kilkenny’s e-mail was bunk–Palin made no attempt to cut funding to special needs children in Alaska.  But the ramifications of when she made her decision to support this legislature, and possibly why are things we need to find out about RIGHT NOW, before we embrace this half of the Republican ticket. 

Why am I concerned? From the above quote, pull out some important information: “According to an April 2008 article…Palin signed legislation in March 2008…”. Think about what you know to be true in Palin’s life: She has a young son with Down’s Syndrome…who was born in April 2008.  Think about what you know to be true in Obstetrics: Modern medicine can tell you much about a fetus in the last trimester (take a second to think about that).

Obviously, by “covertly” signing this into Alaska’s budget now, her new awareness about children with disabilities gave her some perspective. A mother’s perspective usually benefits more than just her children, especially a mother with some clout.  So, the new Alaskan legislation is brilliant and wicked at the same time. Wicked? Absolutely, because five years down the road, when her son is starting Kindergarden, he will be well taken care of–and the Alaskans will have no recollection of the money missing out of their pockets (pre-March of this year). By that point in time, they’ll be used to their tax dollars funding special children, to the Palins’ benefit.

So, Palin = funding personal agendas in the White House (remember Bush? Cheney?) and an easy target for special interest groups.  God help us if we elect McCain/Palin in the November election, and the headliner–to put it bluntly–dies.

Now, I could be wrong about the whole thing, that is, if the Palin kids go to private school. The last time I checked, however, hockey moms didn’t send their kids to private school. Too high-and-mighty for the blue-collar families of America.

Here’s the link for the entire e-mail as fact-checked by factcheck.org: Sliming Palin