EC re: Political Stereotypes
EC while many stereotypes are usually at least partially based in truth...people must be rational and focus on specific issue's, political leaders and the specific issue's of the moment.
Bringing up LBJ and the Gulf of Tonkin (uh Oh, LBJ wasn't an Evil War Mongering Republican now was he ? (VBG), or Iran-Contra when talking about the PRESENT Bio & Nuclear threat that Saddam and Radical Global Terrorism poses, is both irrational and unproductive.
Republican's have this Right Wing, Conservative Reglious-zealot, Big Money, Old Guard, War-Mongering/Super Hawkish stereotype - thrown at them on virtually every issue on which anyone disagree's with them.
And you know what; concerning "Big Oil" - I can't help but notice that we have the World's greatest highway system, the widest selection of the World's finest Automobiles, virtually the lowest gasoline prices & energy costs on Earth and that my Oil, Gas and energy costs (and correspondingly - the profits that I send "Big Oil") have remained amazingly low and under control in contrast to the outrageous escalation in my medical, insurance and healthcare costs; or the taxes I pay on income, property and purchases - where a huge portion is blown on mismanaged liberal social feel-good POLITICAL programs ?
Big "HEALTHCARE" and "BIG (poorly run) LIBERAL- SOCIAL PROGRAMS" take one helluva lot more money out of my paycheck will very little return on MY investment on an ever increasing basis than Big Oil ever thought of...and as far as wielding political clout; perhaps that little organization called the American Trial Lawyers and the untold Hundreds of Millions of $ (if not Billion$) that they add to the price of everyday goods; should be mentioned as being able to hold their own with "Big Oil" on Capitol Hill on any given day....as well as Organized Labor,the NEA, NOW etc.
What the real problem is... is NOT the perceived stereotypical actions of either Republicans, or Democrats in furthering their own alleged political agenda's; but rather it IS the actual stereotypical actions of mindless individual citizens who blindly focus on single political issues and become blind to reality because of them.
ie: if George W Bush is Anti-Abortion; then those who support a Woman's right to choose as their primary politcal cause; automatically attack his foreign policy because for them; he's on the wrong-side of their primary hot-button political issue on Abortion.
This Party-line Myopia from the average US Citizen has a greater negative impact on the World; than either Party's perceived stereotypical self-serving political agenda's.
I don't care if George W Bush is wrong on Abortion, wrong on healthcare, wrong on the environment, wrong on education, wrong on Big Oil... when were discussing his policy and actions vis a vie the Growing Threat of Global Terrorism - because on that issue; he is not only right; he's the right man at the right time and place in history as well.
I realize that with the fall of the Soviet Empire and the end of the Cold War that most Americans (and Canadians) now feel a faux sense of peace and prosperity, due to the barrier of time, distance and space between our cozy little Gated Soccer Mom Communities and all of the Ugliness of the rest of the World that literally seems another World away.... and we really don't want to have to be forced to deal with reality...especially the reality that EVIL exists and once again has reared it's ugly head on the Global Geopolitical scene... we don't like reality, we don't like being jarred out of our comfort zones; we wish that if we just keep sending Sally Struthers that $18mo and put Save the Whales Stickers on our SUV's that all will be fine...
But, that's naive in a world of escalating technology to where that once impervious barrier of time, distance and space, no longer exists between EVIL and peace in the World.
Technology has unfortunately closed that gap and that technology is now in the hands of EVIL who are determined to end Freedom, Capitalism and Peace in the Western World.
Hoping that it will all just go away... if we ignore it; isn't going to work any longer in a post-9/11 world.
And sadly, the loudest critic's of America and the Bush Administration's Policy in taking action now toward Iraq; would also unquestionably be the loudest critic's for the Failure to take action... when, not if; we see the headlines of 50-100,000+ dead from VX gas, smallpox, anthrax or a nuclear suitcase bomb being unleashed in a major metropolitan area.
This is NOT going to - "just go away" ... if we ignore it.
EVIL was here... right there in Lower Manhattan, in that Cornfield in Pa. and at that Wing of the Pentagon that also was attacked.
It was in Bali, it was in our Embassy's in Africa, it attacked the USS Cole and unfortunately; it's coming to Main St USA on a when, not if basis - unless WE as a Nation once again rise to accept the responsibility that we have never failed to accept, in leading the Free World against EVIL. |
