Tom Oliphant, Peter Galbraith and the Restoration of Hope
Saturday, September 30, 2006
As the races accross the country hit warp speed, the mud is being slung with ferocity. Such is the business, I suppose. But it leaves me disillusioned, though not to the point at which I'll fail to participate or pay any attention. The week started with Clinton's anger and further destruction of George Allen's character. I'm not for a second asserting that either was necessarily unjustified. In my opinion, Clinton's outburst was inspiring and the Allen stories are an unfortunate necessity. But what a drag politics in the new century have become!
I'm a liberal right now because the war in Iraq frightens me -- if i'm not totally in denial about it's existence. The state of our environment is depressing. I believe in helping people. My challenge is to figure out if I can do that in the political arena while at the same time maintaining sanity and emotional balance. I want to give it a shot right now by writing about something I heard this week from Tom Oliphant about Iraq on the Al Franken show.
Oliphant was talking about Peter Galbraith's plan for Iraq. The plan involves helping the Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis partition the country and calls for each group to elect their own government. The country would become a loose federation. The plan isn't perfect. The issues of foreign jihadists and how to police Baghdad are tricky, but Oliphant was studying them and talking about them.
But it wasn't the plan that impressed me, I'd read about it before. What impressed me is what Oliphant said about the nature of the discussion regarding Iraq. He said, and I'm paraphrasing -- that we need to stop thinking about Iraq in terms of winning and losing. We need, instead, to think about doing the right thing. Wow.
Now I'm not saying I know what the right thing is. I don't even think Oliphant claims to know. I was simply impressed by the humility with which the words were spoken. I like Oliphant because he studies issues carefully and speaks humbly. There's not alot of that kind of stuff in politics right now. If this blog can bring those qualities to the table, then I'll be proud to be a part of it.
posted by The Angry Progressives @ 11:44 AM,
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Bush, Iran, & Terror -- Reading Between the Lines
Friday, September 22, 2006
Every time the President reads a speech written for him by a smart person, the irony is delicious. Here are my five favorite lines from his performance at the U.N. this past Tuesday:
- "The world can be ours, if we seek it..." -- Was this meant to sound imperialistic? Because if so, job well done.
- "Imagine what it's like to be a young person living in a country that is not moving toward reform...you are powerless to change the course of your government...you have been fed propaganda and conspiracy theories that blame others for your country's shortcomings." -- Why am I finding it extremely easy to imagine this 'hypothetical' scenario?
- "My country desires peace." -- We just have a very funny way of showing it.
- "To the people of Iran, the United States respects you." -- We just have a very funny way of showing it.
- "Freedom, by its nature, cannot be imposed." -- Ummm...hellooo???
--Jay B.
posted by The Angry Progressives @ 9:46 AM,
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Rumsfeld = Gay Marriage = Flag Burning
Saturday, September 09, 2006
- A series of new polls (subscriber link) indicate that most workers believe they are worse off in many ways than their counterparts a generation ago. Pessimism is high. And does anyone wonder why the president's drive to privatize social security failed?
- I listen to the Al Franken show. I like the host, but I really love guests like Tom Oliphant. He makes me feel better about self-identifying as a progressive. Someone once told me that political affiliation boils down to instinct and trust. I trust smart, thoughtful, humble people like Tom Oliphant.
- Keith Olbermann has my dream job, or shall I say dream career. He gets to riff on politics and sports. A few weeks back he did a superb job of calling out the administration for their shameless, anti free-speech, fear monguring. I'm with you, Keith!
- The Democrats finally have their own wedge issue: Rumsfeld. I hope they keep pounding. All the new books on Iraq, like Fiasco, make it really clear how poor a job he's done. I've read the first 250 pages or so and I think it's impossible for anyone to read the book and vote for anyone NOT having called for the man's resignation.
- The only differences between the D's wedge issue (Rummy) and the ones put out in recent years by R's is (a) it matters, (b) it's the business of the federal government and (c) people care. Other than those minor matters, it's exactly the same thing!
posted by The Angry Progressives @ 3:07 PM,
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Ford vs. Corker -- A Family Case Study
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
I spent the weekend in my hometown of Memphis, attending a friend's wedding and trying to get a feel for the Senate race there. Based on my conversation with my Uncle, I don't feel great about the D's chances to pick up Bill Frist's seat.
My Uncle is a retired small business owner. He says emphatically that he's a Democrat. He voted for Kerry, Gore, and Clinton once. But he likes Corker over Ford, Jr. because Corker is running as a self made man who knows how to run a business. He distrusts Ford, Jr., considers him tainted as a career politician. I pointed out to my Uncle that Tom Delay is also self made and knew how to run a business. I also argue that, in a sense, Ford, Jr. is self made because he's elevated his political career well beyond anyone else in his family due to his intellect and charisma. Perhaps my Uncle will read this and be moved to vote for the Dem.
"So," you're saying, "what does one guy's vote have to say about the outcome of the Senate race in Tennessee?" Well, hopefully nothing. But it re-emphasized to me the importance of Howard Dean's 50 State Plan. Dem's have done a much better job in this cycle of finding and running quality candidates. I believe Harold Ford, Jr. is one of them. And it must continue. Reasonable people in all districts will vote for quality candidates.
On a positive note, My Aunt says she and my Uncle might as well not go to the polls because their votes for TN-Senate are going to cancel each other out. She said, "I wouldn't vote for God if he were running as a Republican." Let's hope there's more like her out there on Nov. 7.
posted by The Angry Progressives @ 8:40 AM,
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De-Bunking Bushisms
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
The President is in full election year mode. In my estimation, President Bush is like Bill Clinton in that they are both excellent campaigners. The similarities end there, of course. But to invoke Joe Lieberman for a moment, those who underestimate President Bush’s political skills do so at their own peril. That being said, the audio of Bush’s Monday press conference revealed a desperate man. He continues to spew the talking points, but they seem to lack their former (circa 2002, 2004) tone of superiority. His points, as paraphrased below, are now more easily refuted.
We’re fighting them over there so we don’t have to fight them over here. This presumes two things: (1) That our troops are being used as human-bait and (2) that as long as we’re “over there,” the threat is lessened “over here.” The first is deplorable, the second is obviously wrong. Does anyone think extremists are refraining from plotting attacks in America so long as we maintain a troop presence in Iraq? No. At least I hope not.
If you think Iraq is a mess now, it would be far worse if we leave. Not that I’m necessarily advocating an immediate pullout, but I’m not entirely sure this is true either. And who, at this point, trusts the administration’s predictions? I submit that our troop presence may be, in effect, a safety net enabling the sectarian violence. Perhaps our leaving would generate the political motivation to forge a Sunni-Shiite compromise. In any event, a strategic redeployment elsewhere in the region seems to be the best option.
Our enemies are trying to stop the spread of democracy and freedom. This ignores the reality that Hezbollah, Hamas and Ahmadinejad were all freely elected to govern their respective citizens. After witnessing the last 2 Presidential elections in this country, I worry foremost about free elections in this country. Our enemies have a problem with us, not elections. It would behoove us to consider what that problem might be and how we’ll ultimately deal with it -- beyond the indiscriminate killing of Arabs.
Leaving Iraq now would send the wrong message to the people there. Really? If someone were to come into my life and cause untold destruction and chaos….their leaving would be taken by me as the exact right message. I would strongly support their getting the hell out as quickly as possible! Who are we protecting? Shiite death squads? Sunni insurgents? Might our leaving Iraq be the exact message many of its residents are waiting to hear? Maybe? Either way, I don’t count on President Bush to accurately sense the mood or desire of the Iraqi citizenry.
“Nothing!” – President Bush, screaming like a child, in response to a question about what Iraq had to do with 9/11. Actually, he’s right about this. No de-bunk required. And hopefully this clip has already been made into Democratic campaign advertisements.
--Jay
posted by The Angry Progressives @ 3:58 PM,
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What Do I Really Care About???
Saturday, August 19, 2006
I focus most of my attention on the political dog fighting in this country and so it occasionally is necessary for me to stop and ask myself why I even care. I believe that political operatives get so obsessed with the “game” that they stop caring about real issues. For example, I doubt Karl Rove cares at all about the substance of the Republican agenda. Not that he necessarily should -- his actual job is to get R’s elected. So, until the Democrats hire me to shape party strategy and messaging, I’ll continue to remind myself to care about actual substantive issues. Here are my top 5:
(1) Foreign Policy / Diplomacy. I’m embarrassed to be an American. Iraq has been an absolute fiasco, due in large part to our diplomatic arrogance and a lack of long term, realistic military strategy. I realize I’m stating the obvious. This administration’s ineptitude has bred a whole new generation of fanatic anti-Americanism throughout the world. And for what? We’re not safer. I’m not without hope. I think new leadership in the White House can instill a new tone and repair much of the diplomatic damage. But our policy also must change. I absolutely do not believe in the Bush Doctrine or pre-emption absent a direct, verified threat. Rather than exploit 9/11 to justify invasions of sovereign nations, we should use it as an opportunity to reinvent the military with a focus on intelligence gathering, police work and special ops. We must talk directly to all parties (Iran, North Korea, and Syria) whose policy we wish to influence. It’s beyond arrogant to insist someone change without speaking to them. This amounts to a humble approach to foreign policy. Humility requires patience, listening, compromise and flexibility. I don’t think we need to sacrifice our interests or our safety.
(2) Adjusting to the Global Economy. I understand that the global economy is a reality we can’t escape. I think progressives have the opportunity to seize the debate regarding how we, as a nation, adjust to it (because Republicans generally don’t care). I like my colleague’s idea regarding massive investment in alternate energy and stem cell research. That would seem to create additional skilled jobs. I also highly advocate incorporating labor standards into our trade agreements. I’m not sure if this would change anything at home, but it’s a moral issue and it can’t hurt workers here. I support investment in worker retraining. More teachers, more social workers (see # 3).
(3) Treating Addiction and Mental Illness. I support a massive overhaul of our criminal justice system because I think we’ve stopped attempting rehabilitation. Deterrence is one small way to fight crime and probably the least effective at discouraging recidivism. I believe we need to equip our prisons with top notch substance abuse treatment and mental health care facilities. I support funding for transitional housing. I’m not per se opposed to faith-based initiatives, but we need transparency in funding allocation so that the programs aren’t used as political pay offs. As a side note, I oppose the death penalty in all circumstances.
(4) Children’s Health Care / Public Health. First of all, I believe we should cover the basic needs of all children immediately. I would like to see an investment in preventative health care through better physical education at schools and in the media. We have embraced a sedentary life style (myself included), and it plays right into the hands of the drug companies. I’m worried that big business has hijacked the health care agenda in this country and I’m not sure that socialized health care would solve the real problem. Therefore, I don’t necessarily support a single payer system. As a first step, let’s roll back the tax breaks and business protections for drug companies and focus our attention on health issues like better parks and walkable communities. And, of course, cover all kids right now.
(5) Urban Redevelopment. It’s awfully sad to ride the train from Philadelphia to Trenton to New York and see all the old bombed out factories and desolate neighborhoods. Think of the money we’re spending in Iraq in light of the desperate needs of our neighborhoods here. It’s stupefying. I’m for federal money being spent on additional empowerment zones, specifically targeting neighborhoods outside the central business districts in major cities. Consider it phase II of the early 90’s urban renewal. Give people a reason to move back. Beyond new construction, there’s simply a need to clear out these old, depressing, probably dangerous buildings. In America, we’ve long valued aesthetics. All our citizens deserve clean and cared for neighborhoods to live in.
Applicable to all of the above are a robust environmental policy, dedication to mass transit, dedication to smart growth and walkable communities.
--Jay
posted by The Angry Progressives @ 2:32 PM,
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