Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: tonto who wrote (658047)	11/5/2004 3:54:57 PM
From: Johannes Pilch	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 769670

Okay, so it seems we are reading at least from the same journal, if not the same page of it. I agree with your assessment, and though I have personally abandoned the parties I do not see how it is much of a solution for anything. Neither do I expect many others to act as I have. I almost literally ache to think of giving ardent support to men who are obviously inferior to me both morally and intellectually, men whose constitutions are so weak they can be demolished by a single poll! But I no longer expect Americans to abandon the parties because I think Americans no longer look for leaders to be better than they. We have come a long way since the days of George Washington, about whom one newsman reported that were he to run for office, he would probably get every vote - not every electoral vote, but every single vote in the country. Americans generally don't look for their leaders to reflect the highest character traits and ideals that once uniquely marked this country. (I am not saying the character traits and ideals were universally practiced, but that they were once quite soundly embraced as ideals toward which all “good Americans” would try to reach). I think our own prosperity is partly to blame. Clinton proved that the leader of our country no longer needs to diligently reflect the highest of high human ideals, so long as he can credibly promise JAAAAHBS and a good economy. This is what carried Kerry so far, despite that the man is morally bankrupt and obviously so. It now carries Bush, despite that he is the epitome of American top-notched mediocrity. Modern American leaders are just mechanics, with the president as the chief mechanic. Should he not “fix” the JAAAAAHBS or the economy in the way we think they ought to be "fixed," we have no compunction at all about calling him such utterly disrespectful names as “chimp” and “dumbya.” Running to a third party or even becoming independent is not a real solution when the very moral philosophy under girding our system has been ripped to shreds. To put it another way, Americans no longer respect themselves enough to demand the highest character and honor in those who wish to lead them. We are really quite willing to follow mediocrity if it can act well enough to pull off the claim it can help us eat well. Whether we abandon the parties or embrace them I think we can only expect more sub-par mechanics who are more concerned with the apparent credibility of their lies, the looks of their hair and the quality of their makeup than they are with setting forth legitimate ideas for the nation's future.