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Politics : Formerly About Applied Materials -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: runes who wrote (68643)	3/13/2003 12:46:06 PM
From: Sun Tzu	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 70976

> I don't believe for a minute that the Senate cafeteria action was intended as a secret signal for literal French bashing We are very close in our position. The difference is in how much we hold the leadership accountable for consequences of their actions. Way back after 9/11 when many parts of the country were on the verge of hysteria, I said that there is more to leadership than just "doing the job" (in that case protecting the public). I pointed out that in times of crisis good leadership also assures the public and has the duty to calm the fears and see to it that mob thinking will not get out of hand. Quite to the contrary this administration has tried to fan the flames so as to gain unrestricted powers from the congress. This was so effective that for a long time not even the strongest congressmen would dare to question Bush or deny him anything for fear of looking "unpatriotic" or "hindering government effectiveness". I happen to be one of few people who actually agrees with Felony Murder laws. And so if a Frenchman is lynched in US, I will hold those idiot senators responsible. My second position is more cynical and less theoretical. Back when I was say hanging out with UNHCR staff in Pakistan (almost a past life), I saw many puzzling sagas unfold. My most important life lesson from there was that I am not smart enough to judge what is in someone's heart and that when dealing with government officials it is by far best to assume the outcome is what they wanted rather than what they said they wanted. So the cynic in me says that Bush wants to send a loud and clear message to the Muslims, Pakistanis, Africans, etc that they are not welcome here and that they should leave and never come back. To that end the INS is doing a good job convincing them of that. Once in a while a case like the Indian woman we talked makes it to the news and they have to take token measures for PR reasons. My friends tell me that I should right my experiences in book. They find it in the category of truth being stranger than lies. I don't think I will. But they have shaped my view of the government. Sun Tzu