He Talks Pretty
Those are my principles,
and if you don't like them... well, I have others
--Groucho Marx
_________________
"Referring to the war in Afghanistan, which was then underway, [Joe] Biden asked rhetorically, "How much longer does the bombing continue? Because we're going to pay an escalating price in the Muslim world. We're going to pay an escalating price in the region. And that, in fact, is going to make the the aftermath of our 'victory' more difficult . . . I hope to God it ends sooner rather than later."
"Biden also had these words for the Musharraf regime: "We have to make clear to the Pakistanis that, notwithstanding the fact that we need you very much right now . . . if you are going to continue to foment the terror that does exist in Kashmir, then you are operating against your own near-term interests, because that very viper can turn on you."
"Biden came as close as Democrat had come sine September 11th to straightforward criticism of President Bush's war aims. . . . (290)."
What a difference a day makes. What has happened to old Talkin' Joe? In 2001 he was against Bush's war policies in Afghanistan, but in 2009 he is foursquare behind the efforts being continued by his new boss.
At least Bush was honest in his blinkering of the American public. He blindly but audaciously led the country into a war without end. But how do We the People reconcile the fact that our new administration -- elected amidst anti-war sentiment -- has not changed course?
Why do we even bother to vote?
Labels: afghansitan, joe biden, phony war on terror, PWOT, voting in america
posted by rangeragainstwar at 2:33 PM
12 Comments:
Great question ... I don't have a good answer ...
GSJ
"Why do we even bother to vote?"
I guess the high percentage of those who don't makes them smarter than those of us who do?
My wife and I were tired after work on the day of a local school bond election that we were against, so we didn't go vote. It passed by one vote. Had we done our civic duty and voted, it would have lost by one vote.
It was the only election I have missed since 1966 and probably the only one where I personally could have made a difference.
Had more people felt as if voting was useless, we could very easily be under President McCain and Vice-President Trailer Trash right now. Voting absolutely worked last November, even if you don't like all the results of the last six months.
Despite the fact that voting can never possibly accomplish everything we want, I will never miss another election this side of the dirt, or on the other side if I have the good fortune to be buried in Chicago.
And on your larger question about Afghanistan, we abandoned that country in the late '80s when they were no longer of any use to us in the Cold War, and inadvertently gave rise to the Taliban, who were then most amenable to letting al qaeda use their country to train to attack us and other countries.
We've driven the Taliban and al Qaeda into Pakistan now, after eight years of the worst policy towards those two countries in history under Cheney/Bush. Had we concentrated on AfPak instead of the straw man Hussein C/B invented for us to fight unnecessarily, things would be better there now.
I don't want us to abandon them again, and am willing to give Obama more time to figure something out.
Gordon,
I agree on exercising our franchise -- it is our most basic right and responsibility. If we abdicate that, then all of this is for naught.
All for naught, aye-aye, ma'am!
Well, my take is that if you don't vote you have no grounds for complaint, and as a sergeant, complaint is my coffee, my beer, my life's blood.
And the short answer to the question is that our political system has evolved to the point where beyond some cosmetic differences the labels "Republican" and "Democrat" are simply bookends on a governing class composed of a group of wealthy, well-conected individuals who ascribe to certain principles that do not and will not change with electoral fortunes.
Simply put, where are the Bryans, the Stevensons, the Rockefellers of today? Where are the populist Democrats eager to slash defense and corporate welfare? Where are the Republicans manic to match their small government rhetoric with small government spending and small government behavior?
A huge proportion of the people who really make things work in the federal government; the staffers, the lobbyists and fixers for the big economic entitites from unions to corporations, the pundits over at the Wall Street Journal and National Review - these people don't really believe that the U.S. should try and find a way back to the pre-1939, small-military, North-America-centric, inward-focused U.S. Such a nation would be unable to ensure the "flat earth" globalization of the Tom Friedmans, the penetration of Dell call centers into Mumbai, the leveraging of wages by offshoring jobs to Honduras and Myanmar.
Likewise the mindless beating of war and military-money-spending drums; it's become accepted wisdom in the corridors of power. If you question the need for Joint Strike Fighters or a 14-carrier navy you're looked at as a nut, a hippie freak, some sort of head-in-the-clouds whackadoodle.
Nope. The moneychangers run the temple, folks, and all we do is vote to change the chief rabbi every so often.
WASF.
And yet. . . Chief is also right in his questioning, along with Ranger, of the futility of that vote.
While each vote does matter, the value of what is being chosen is also an issue, if not the central issue. If one is offered no substantive difference, has one really "chosen" for anything?
"as a sergeant, complaint is my coffee, my beer, my life's blood"
Speaking as a Corporal of Marines with 43 years in grade, well put, Sergeant!
I will maintain that voting matters, even if the choice is only the lesser of two evils.
I'm with Gordon, FDChief and Lisa when it comes to exercising one's franchise. Of the few illusions I may have left, exactly none of them focus on genus politicus americanus. I know I can't trust 'em. I voted for the guy I believed would do the least amount of damage. He's in, and I'm glad he is, because I shudder to think how much worse the alternative might have been.
Having said, I, too, am royally pissed off at the business as usual approach on the war front. And I think it's going to get worse.
I agree with all about voting but it is sad when in Iran 80% voted to may be 47% here in the states. When they felt it was stolen they went in to the streets to show their feeling (France). The people of this country were taken down the path of promises of every one will live like a rock/rap star only they never told how it was being paid for. They voted for o but is there any real change? Sad
jo6pac
Hang on kids this ride is about to get real bumpy.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/06/15-0
Publius,
Boy, we're both sunshine!
It's scary that it'll get worse , BUT I agree. It'll get worse. That won't get us elected.
jim
Publius,
When the American voters consistently have to vote for the LESSER EVIL then the system is seriously broken and I'll not play in that game.
We deserve better and Democracy requires positive votes rather than default.
It's sad that you accept such bullshit and then call it freedom.
jim
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