Iraq elections

The one thing I can say about the Iraq elections is that I hope they mean something. While I fully disagree with the war, I do hope that these elections empower the people there and bring about real change. I fear, though, that they won't, because there is complete chaos there among the various ethnic/political factions and there hasn't been much done to address that. Throwing democracy their way doesn't make those problems go away.

And, whatever the results, will we be happy with the outcome if the new people in power hate us? If people we like get power, will they ever be able to shake the image of being U.S. puppets? These are the problems of going in, fighting a war, occupying a country and deposing its leader, and then setting up a democracy with parameters. We decided all of this, they didn't. Legitimacy is a big question.

And, of course, the other big questions are, when do we leave, and will the chaos ever end?

But, Iraqis going to the polls at the risk of their own lives will be, undoubtedly, a powerful statement. They will have displayed more courage than anyone in the U.S.--including its leaders--can imagine. How many of us would go vote if we thought there was a chance we would be killed?

Lingering bitterness

John McCain's comment on Democrats calling Condoleezza Rice to task (finally, signs of a spine!) during her confirmation hearing is just comical. Sore losers, huh? He must've forgotten about the Republicans spending 8 years trying to zing Bill Clinton because he dared to win an election or two.

Actually, all of the Republican comments in that article are funny. George Allen's "criticize and carp and Monday morning quarterback" one is a hoot. I mean, if the role of the opposition in such hearings isn't to do those three things, then what exactly should they be doing? Pom poms and human triangles in her support? The Democrats wasted the first Bush term being a Harlem Globetrotters' opponent. The Republicans, like any true bullies, must be completed shocked and offended their victims are fighting back.

Rice, if she held a real job, would've been fired long ago. She has been consistently wrong on just about everything (45 minutes from a mushroom cloud, anyone? how about, Bin Laden determined to strike in the US?), and has been belligerent in her wrongness and displayed no shame in lying before a panel of elected officials. It seems to me that the world's statesmen--you know, those "Euroweeny" types who, in their hatred of America and liberty itself, correctly foresaw that Iraq would be a misguided, catastrophic endeavor--will see right through her as a Bush toady and not take her seriously, which will just make our standing even worse. I mean, how could anyone in the Middle East take her seriously when she comes talking peace, love and democracy?

The Democrats going after her in these confirmation hearings is refreshing. Yeah, she'll be confirmed, as will all of his appointments. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep this sort of attack up in other arenas and in the face of Republicans firing back. If you're going to go down, you might as well do so fighting.

Cooling time

I'm back from a couple months off, having allowed myself some time to cool off from November's disaster. I feel better about things, and I'm not sure if it's just the "time heals all wounds" adage, numbness settling in regarding the horror of 4 more years of Bush and co., or that I'm feeling that things aren't as bad as they seem and that I'm optimistic about the future.

I do believe that, eventually, what has come will pass and the assholes who have taken over this country will fade away (even if they don't end up in prison, like they deserve). The thing that worries me, though, is the damage this country will suffer because of their actions.

A major terrorist attack might not happen for another five or ten years. But we have to realize that it's going to happen. And we'll have to wonder why we didn't eliminate Al Qaida in Afghanistan instead of turning to Iraq; why we went to Iraq and started a devastating war on false pretenses that will create more terrorists who will want to hurt this country; why we shunned the rest of the world who didn't agree with us and decided to work on our own.

Our nation's debt level is staggering. The new warfare will be economic, as major economic forces such as China and the EU can use their stake in our debt as leverage against us. The party that has claimed they are the party of fiscal responsibility is anything but. They assailed the Democrats for years for being "tax and spenders," but they are spend and spenders, budgeting more and more with less and less revenue. It has to stop, but, of course, politicians are only willing to sacrifice things they don't like and nothing that might harm them politically.

Let's face it. We are in an era of one-party rule. The Republicans slashed and burned their way to the top and the Democrats rolled easier than a bowling ball. When the give and take of two parties compromising and cutting away the excesses that result from either party's ideology trumping reason (in essence, each party saving the other from itself) gives way to one party calling all the shots, bad things are going to happen. Poor decisions and law will be made when both sides don't have the ability to make decisions.

The 90s were, in a weird sort of way, a golden age for politics. A Democratic President and a Republican Congress accomplished a lot of things and, while I don't agree with a lot of things that came about, it's hard to disregard the 7 or so years of economic prosperity and relative peace.

The Republicans, though, were unhappy with this sort of bipartisan government and wanted it all. They set out to destroy and unseat Bill Clinton, one of the most popular presidents ever. It almost succeeded. After that, and the debacle of 2000, 9-11 and exploiting national tragedy to further a political agenda, the 2002 and 2004 elections, they have it all.

They will (or should) be forced to play out their hand and deliver all the promises they said they could deliver once they took control. They made a lot of promises to people extremist in nature, who don't understand or care that democratic politics involves compromising and not getting everything you want. This idea of compromise will be lost on those who want gay marriage eliminated, abortion rights erased, all traces of skin covered in movies and television, and mandatory prayer in schools. They don't believe in compromise. They are right, everyone else is wrong, end of story. The Republicans can keep beating the drum and promising, but eventually, they have to deliver to these people.

So, this will pass. When? Who knows. If it doesn't pass, well, we're all in a lot of trouble.