It seems that this ad is part of a series of ads - -and I'm hoping that the campaign as a whole isn't quite as lame as this single iteration viewed outside that context.
Like several here, I'm also dutifully slogging my way through the Stephenson trilogy.
Right now I seem to be bogged down halfway through The Confusion, probably because I seem to be spending most of my free time reading comment threads.
Timothy Burke: yes, but. . . .
Hobbes also points out that it's not a symmetric relationship.
One side is reality-based, and thinks that opponents are misinformed, and are amenable to reason; the other side is full of religious conviction, and thinks that opponents are sinners.
Once religion enters politics, the reality-based faction is left at a distinct disadvantage. I don't think it's the reality-based community that's in danger of over-simplifying the motives of the opposition.
Patrick, I don't have a lot of solace to offer you. Not today.
I worked against Nixon, and didn't think things could get worse.
I worked against Reagan, and never imagined that they could ever find a less qualified candidate.
Then they came up with Bush - and when he didn't win, they short-circuited the Constitution to install him anyway.
Now the electorate, in its wisdom, has ratified all of the disasters that Bush has inflicted upon us over the last four years.
As SF fans, we have the unfortunate ability to extrapolate from current trends. Despite that, we still have to carry on, and to carry on with the belief that the Republic will survive.
The exit polls (there's a long piece in today's Washington Post) carry a clue about what happened to us:
8% of the voters said that "Religious Faith" was the most important attribute for their candidate - - and they voted 91:8 Bush:Kerry.
7% of the voters said that "intelligence" was the most important attribute - - and they voted 91:8 for Kerry over Bush.
It's a neat bit of symmetry that would too pat for a fictional telling. But I think this explains a lot of what happened. Our job will be to encourage a political culture that actually values intelligence in its leaders, and it's going to be the work of a lifetime.
And the forum you provide here is a start. So thank you.
Teresa:
I just assumed that Boston is being insanely security-conscious on the orders of the Department of Homeland Security and/or the Secret Service.
Presumably this adminstration is just using 'security' as an excuse to annoy and aggravate a predominantly Democratic city.
Mr. Myers -
I wasn't actually putting forth my opinion on the circumstances of Sgt. Tillman's death, just bringing the new information to this thread. My own feelings are conflicted, a mixture of admiration for his heroism combined with disgust at our leaders.
The point of my posting (...and sorry for the double post...) was more to note that a change in the circumstances of Tillman's death might alter our perception of the tragedy.
The Pentagon now says that Tillman was probably killed by friendly fire.
So - regardless of our attitudes toward Rall's cartoon - ironically, Rall may have been right after all when he asserted that Tillman died for no purpose.
The Pentagon now says that Tillman was probably killed by friendly fire.
So - regardless of our attitudes toward Rall's cartoon - ironically, Rall may have been right after all when he asserted that Tillman died for no purpose.
OK. one more time:
Bush went to the G8 Summit in Genoa in July 2001.
(Did Rice go with him?)
The Italian authorities surrounded the conference with SAMs, to protect against hijacked aircraft being used as weapons.
And nobody in the administration noticed that, or found it at all eyebrow-raising.
See http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/05/16_Bush_Knew.html
"...her May 16, 2002, statement at the White House when she said, “I don’t think anybody could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center…that they would try to use...a hijacked airplane as a missile.”
You know, at the time when she said that, I was appalled.
The NS Advisor had never thought that airplanes could be used as weapons??
How ignorant can one person be?
Maybe she should have asked my neighbor, Vic -
he could have told her all about it.
Vic had been a radioman aboard the Franklin.
Congratulations on the big anniversary.
(I'm coming up on my 20th myself.)
I keep asking my conservative friends just how exactly
gay marriage is supposed to threaten my marriage,
and they never quite give me a coherent answer.
Have you figured out what they're on about?
Richard Thompson, right?
| Year | Number of comments posted |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 2 |
| 2004 | 12 |
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