Monday, May 18

Default Lending

Just a few things. The real news is jam-packed with frivolity. Whose fault is this? When did the biggest sin currently affecting public policy arise? No, I wouldn't call it the exchange of money for the passage of legislation. Though in that realm of usury and 3rd Circle sins, accepting money directly is sufficiently more corrupt than accepting campaign contributions. Ted Stevens is still a harsh, egomaniac not made for this world so don't let him back in if he tries it. State prosecutors just fumbled the ball on that one. He is guilty. He even got caught. He just didn't have to pay for it. This time.

We cannot do as much to fix politicians at the moment. What we can do is try to whip or waterboard journalistic mediums back into shape. Hell, they have the easiest job in the world. Newspapers and policy magazines still do an admirable job. The former does a good job of providing context and supporting evidence for the brief slant we get from officials. The magazines are built on the edifice of a particular agenda, but they are fair in their imbalance. They provide the critical reader with enough material that we can see the wires and the cutouts. They present manuals for demystifying the magic tricks and obfuscation coming from the many hundreds of magicians both foreign and domestic. You just have to match the manuals up with what the other ones are writing.

Let's try to knock out two things here. Nancy Pelosi and Abortion.

1: Nancy Pelosi knew of torture. The Executive is obligated to inform the Joint chiefs and Congress of war operations, usually the Speaker of the House and specific committee Senators. She was not the only one who knew. If the question is what we should do about it, well then I say lock her up along with Bush and Cheney. If you're shocked that the Democrats were, to say it politely, shrinking violets when it came to standing up to this administration since 9/11, you've not been paying attention. The Democrats were right to support the President. Bush's administration was wrong to take that good will and deceive its citizens while acting like a steroid stepfather over in the Middle East. She knew, but if the Republicans are trying to hammer her on this apparent hypocrisy, they need to punish themselves for being the main offenders. Lock em up! Bulk up the Alexandria Federal Detention Center, put the government officials in one wing, the Gitmo detainees in another, make it a tourist attraction, and show how alive equality and justice are here in America. If Republicans are truly outraged at Pelosi's actions after she found out what was going on, well they should reexamine what they think about Colin Powell. If they are still insistent that she should have blown the whistle on CNN, they should read the US Code 47,606 as pertaining to Powers of War sections b, c, and h.

2: Abortion is repellent. I've seen the videos and read the pamphlets. I know how hard it is to have such a decision touch you. It's brutally painful, not something I'd like to ever have to repeat. I wasn't involved in the decision. It was made without my knowledge and I only found out almost a year later. It crushed me and has nearly ruined me so far as intimacy goes. I do not wish that pain on anyone. I recoil when I hear that the right to abortion is only the woman's decision, I have never considered the choice of terminating a pregnancy an area of State or Federal governance. Whether you would like to save the babies or not, you cannot use your religion as justification. If so, you are as guilty as Pelosi when is comes to knowing about the suffering, greed, and murder that occurs on this Earth with so little as a Bible college or tubes of toothpaste sent their way. God, if he exists, is not going to punish you for voting for a man who supports a woman's choice while letting you off the hook for the 50 other injustices you daily come in contact with your casual dismissal. While I do not desire a nanny state, I do think that a social more can be implemented without a religious case being made, and a limitation of 1 abortion be allowed per woman per lifetime. Having shared the burden of an abortion, essentially without notice, I also would prefer criminal fines for mothers and fathers who try to stave off the responsibility of making this serious judgment.

Oh yeah, and teach kids that while Abstinence is best, condoms are relatively effective. Also tell them that sex is an awkward and ridiculous thing, and there are a lot other things they need to get good at before that will make the getting of sex much easier down the road. Perhaps here school can also teach something about marital ethics during their sexual education class. You can get AIDS or something else awful from just one unprotected coitus. It is abominable to lie to teens about the ineffectiveness of condoms. Talk to your kids. Don't always be their friend. They need guidance. Sometimes they need a villain. You are that parent.

No comments: