Deja Boom

"They're an imminent danger."

"They're plotting to destroy us."

"They're a danger due to WMD."

"We must do something now."

Look, I know the public's memory is short, but this is ridiculous.

As an independent, I'm cursed with an intellectual malady: I'm obligated to carefully listen to, consider and respect both sides of a given issue. This puts me in the clear minority in today's political environment. I believe there were good reasons to go into Iraq, and there were good reasons to not go. On balance, I felt it was not worth it.

My reason -- Tensions in the Mid East have been high virtually forever, and we've never exactly been the most welcome of visitors, let alone as a military presence. To further and more aggressively occupy that area, with its 17th-century mindset and the intent of planting a Western-style democracy, seemed (and seems) like historically dangerous folly.

Now we're being told that Iran represents an imminent danger, and it's clear that we may indeed attack that country. I think it's reasonable for the American public to be less than thrilled with this possibility.

Who knows what President Bush is thinking? His presidency has been all over the map, from insane spending and refusal to guard our borders, to his steadfast protection of right-wing causes such as fighting stem cell research and abortion. If this guy is focused, I'd like to know on what.

If you tell me the administration is acting tough to intimidate Iran with the prospect of war without actually planning on following through, I'll buy into that. I believe strongly in Reagan's Peace Through Strength doctrine, and unfortunately we need to leave all options on the table. Not doing so would enforce the (correct) belief held by many of our enemies that we have become soft and weak.

But if the current rhetoric is simply a prelude to a war, the administration better have one hell of an effective, efficient plan of attack. And they'd better hope the American public buys into it, and that it works.

For the record, let's scare them; if we attack, it will be yet another mistake of historic proportions.

Is there anything in our recent military history that gives you confidence?

Do you trust Bush's instincts on this?

Do you trust his decision-making abilities against the possibilities of the next true World War?

Surely your memory is better than that.

...

Media Mutters

I was in "the media" for about 20 years, so I tend to look at it from an "under the hood" perspective more than as a consumer. Some thoughts, more on the way I'm sure...

...My current favorite word is "imploding". The other side is always "imploding". I heard Rush use it the other day. "The Democrats are imploding."

Huh?

Ask ten people on the street - ten who will be voting, even - if they see the Democrats falling apart. Most people don't know Harry Reid from Harry Potter. Most people are pissed off at President Bush for any number of reasons, and they aren't thrilled with conservatives in general. Political junkies like Rush may think they see this "implosion", but politics is their life. They look at every hiccup from every politician as breaking news. Meanwhile, most people are just living their lives. From what I see, the Dems are in very good shape for '08, for better or worse. Sorry Rush, no one is imploding... (Update: Sean Hannity said it today, October 30: "They're imploding!!" Almost made me spit out my McDonalds fries.)

...Does anyone find Keith Olbermann's (MoveOn.orgTV) obsession with Rush and Bill O'Reilly creepy? I've never seen one media figure so fixated on others. Doesn't Keith understand that by constantly talking about competitors, he's giving them invaluable PR? My only guess is that he assumes that his only viewers are his MoveOn.org brethren. Otherwise, it's just flat creepy...

...Does the media lean left? Come on. Having been a part of it for so long, it's just a given with me. They certainly can't admit it -- or can they? Seems to me that Pro Wrestling is doing just fine after admitting it's just entertainment. And the media's intense anger at Fox News is understandable, as Fox has blown the media's cover. The right wing sheep are right about this one. To me, the denials from the press are amusing...

...MSNBC has Keith Olbermann moderate a presidential debate and expects to be taken seriously? Yikes... I'm sure Sean Hannity is a nice guy (that's what I keep hearing), but his popularity is an abject mystery to me. His simplistic, pollyanna, plodding style must drive his opponents nuts... The Rush Limbaugh "phony soldier" debate made the Dems look desperate. You're trying too hard, folks, no one is buying it...

...much more on the way, like it or not...

Our Economy & Our Culture

My CPA and I are buddies. Most of our conversations involve very little business and a great deal of personal news and good-natured teasing. Today, however, it was different.

Chris, normally a positive and good-natured guy, is worried. He looks at the mortgage meltdown, the amount of our bonds owned by the Chinese and other countries, our massive national debt, revolving credit debt, our dependence on foreign oil and other factors - and he's afraid we're in for bad times. Very bad times.

So we talked about how Americans are buying cars they can't really afford, houses that are above their means, electronics unheard of only a few years ago, 55-inch plasma televisions and $350 sneakers. And of course, using credit.

I'm a real estate investor in my (ha ha) spare time. I recently looked at a fourplex that had been foreclosed. The owner had purchased a 100% ARM. That's right, he put nothing down to buy the property and got into an adjustable rate mortgage. Why in the world would (a) a reasonably intelligent person get themselves into such a stupid loan, and (b) a lender approve such a stupid loan?

It's a symptom of what's ailing us - we're buying without thinking of the consequences, and that behavior is now coming back to haunt us.

"The thing is," I say at one point. "If you go out and buy a $5500 television instead of a $500 TV and a $5000 mutual fund, its your own fault."

"Agreed," said Chris. "But that's exactly what we're doing."

It's at that point, more than any single time before, that it struck me: Our culture is our economic downfall. We have absolutely done this to ourselves. Our priorities have become so twisted that we value material things more than our future - more so than ever. Instant gratification has blinded us from reason.

Who's going to turn this around? How do you motivate a culture to turn on a dime?

Let me know, I'll pass it on to Chris.

CM

A Different America

I suppose I've been "politically aware" for roughly 20 years now. As an Independent, I've found myself at odds with both ends of the political spectrum, and I've watched as partisan sheepism has become more and more intense, damaging not only the political process but our ability to address the fundamental challenges facing our country.

In short, the sheep are wrecking things.

In general, I agree with liberals on more issues, and with conservatives on the more important issues. For example, I'm pro-choice, anti-death penalty, and I think the War on Drugs is a bad joke. I don't understand why a gay man should not be allowed to access group health coverage through his partner's plan. I'm a comfy Agnostic - I freely admit to not having The Answer.

On the other hand, I don't believe liberals are serious about protecting our country. I know they're not fond of free markets and capitalism, that true Marxism is more attractive to them. And I believe that Political Correctness is shredding what's left of our Freedom of Speech, and keeping minorities down via The Soft Bigotry of Reduced Expectations.

So, here I am watching both sides attack, while neither side listens.

After carefully watching the vitriol, name-calling, hyperbole, denial, spin and outright lies for 20 or so years, I've come to the conclusion that neither side of the political spectrum is evil; neither side wants to kill my children; neither side wants what is worst for America.

The difference is the kind of America they want.

On this topic, I must side, overall, with the Republicans. And the reason is that I truly believe the Democrats are doing everything they can to turn America into a Western European-model Socialist Democracy. I say this with no anger; I'm not using the term "socialist" as an epithet; I am being literal. A pre-Sarkozy France, for example, would be heaven for them.

I pointed this out in an AOL political chatroom recently and was immediately met with a litany of denials. "Fine", I said. "Perhaps I'm wrong. Tell me then, what is it about France that you find so distasteful?"

My theory was supported by the fact that I received few answers. The answers I did receive were spin or deflection of some kind. Why don't you people just admit it?

Unfortunately, super-charged by President Bush's myriad missteps, the country is headed left. Within one generation, I strongly and sincerely suspect, America will be just another socialist democracy. Nothing special, mediocre.

A different America.

CM