Even if I did agree with the current war in Iraq, don’t you think I would want to hear what is really happening there? Don’t you think it’s weird that though we are at war, some people wouldn’t let a war movie be played on television? There’s irony in there somewhere. Just seems to me if we are sending off the troops to fight and maybe die, we should allow a movie about a previous war, one that was not unpopular, on television. They showed it befiore unedited! I just don’t get it. Don’t people want to know what is really happening? (I’m really asking here, not just being sarcastic) Frank Rich writes a really great article on the censorship of Private Ryan and how it may be affecting coverage of the war (as if that’s not already being skewed).

Seriously, it needs to stop. If I receive one more piece of We-are-totally-screwed-because-George-W-Bush-is-president-for-4-more-years email, I will hurt someone. I get it. We’re screwed. Stop sending me stupid emails about it and get off your ass and do something then. Get involved. That’s the lesson to be learned this past week. No more should we sit as armchair commentators as the extreme right takes over our country. Stand up, shake off the crumbs, and get moving. And stop sending me fucking emails.

Sorry to rant.

Okay, I’ve had it. It’s been 2 days. Enough already. We got screwed. Instead of focusing on what we might lose over the next few years, let’s instead try to protect the things we want to keep. Let’s not wallow in our misery. Stop the red state this, the blue state that. People are different, accept it. I don’t know if I will ever understand why so many people voted for Bush, but maybe I’ll read a few books on the subject now. There are some good posts out there with great arguments for picking ourselves up off the ground and dusting off the dirt. Let’s get back to work and show the other side that they haven’t beaten us down.

Yeah, just not up to it today. It’s been a spetacularly dreadful day beyond the election, so I will shut up now. Just want to curl up with a good book. For the next 4 years.

Unless you’ve been living in hole on Mars for the past 6 months, you know today is the end of a giant race. I am not going to wax on about how the race is close, and what we are trying to win, etc. All I really want to post about is my excitement that so many people seem to be voting today. It’s great. My polling place is a senior home across the street from my building and is usually staffed with senior residents. They can be a bit on the slow side when it comes to checking your name off the list. But that does not account for the huge line that ran 2 or more blocks this morning. I feel luckier than some New Yorkers though. I am dreading this evening. But I hope it is all decided tonight. So it takes a shitty president launching an even shittier war to get people out to the polls (yeah, I am saying it. So what? It’s my blog and my opinion). At least we’re getting out there.

Secretly Ironic sent me the link to this article today. Its about cell phone usage and the effects on society. Apparently this woman refused to hang up on her friend claiming it would be rude, even though she was on a plane trying to take off. They had to go back to the terminal ” but not before Ms. Belkova, 38, had slapped a federal air marshal.” Wow. It is rude to hang up on someone, but okay to let a planefuly of people wait around so you can talk? It seems like people are forgetting the basics of polite human behavior. Talk on your cellphone outside. Say ‘Excuse me’ and ‘Thank you’ to others, particularly when you have bumped into them. Let me off the fucking train before you try to ram your 400 pund body into me as I try to exit. Common courtesy. It’s not hard. I am not going to claim that if everyone were decent to one another there would be no war. That’s a load of crap. But you might make someone’s day less shitty if you are nice or at least polite.
Okay, getting off the horse now.

Well Jeff Jacoby, you really are amazing. I disagree with you politically all the time. You are entitled to your opinion obviously and I am entitled to mine. That’s the beauty of living here. I can say what I want and you can say whatever (misguided) thing you want. But I think you downplaying what happened at Abu Ghraib could have disastrous consequences. In today’s editorial, you take issue with some remarks Ted Kennedy made and the lack of outrage from the media. Kennedy had this to say: “”On March 19, 2004, President Bush asked, ‘Who would prefer that Saddam’s torture chambers still be open?’ Shamefully, we now learn that Saddam’s torture chambers reopened under new management – US management.” And you find this completely insulting somehow, the likening of America to Saddam’s regime. Kennedy’s ‘vile calumny’ as you say was making a point that you somehow missed. It was not just a few Iraqis that were mistreated—it was a lot. And one is too many as far as I am concerned. I hold us Americans to the highest standards. We claim that we are better than the Saddam-era Iraqi regime, but we have yet to prove it. And the torture that we allowed to happen will not help us at all with what we want to achieve (or rather, what Bush wants to achieve). I understand that you support the war, but don’t get on your high horse about forgetting the war effort and the ‘chattering class‘ trying to score political points. The administration is doing their best to pretend that the atrocities at Abu Ghraib did not happen. “Just blowing off steam” I think is what a man from ‘your’ side said. We should not forget just like we do not forget the ‘jetliners smashing into the twin towers and Pentagon‘ that you think are related to the war (I will not even go into that issue now). It is important for us to remember how easy it is for power to corrupt lest it happen again (or keep happening). And if the administration dos not acknowledge the torture, we will not remember and the events could repeat themselves. History often does.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post about Neal Pollack, how much I enjoyed hearing someone talk some common sense. This editorial in the NYT also seems to speak that language. How hard is it for the Bush administration? A lot apparently. In the editorial, the author lists several things the administration should do to set things straight and they are all do-able. And the author does not even call for Rumsfeld’s resignation (he totallly should in my opinion), rather just calls for:
1. the removal of intelligence personnel from overseeing the prisons, as most of the prisoners have no military intelligence value.
2. the ban of private American contractors from the prison. {duh}
3. sending all available trained military prison guards to to Iraq to relieve the soldiers there who were never trained to deal with this in the first place.
4. ordering “Mr. Rumsfeld to immediately issue new regulations that not only say that prisoners and detainees must be treated according to the letter and spirit of the Geneva Conventions, but also ban, one by one, the harsh practices inflicted on prisoners.”
The author suggests removing the prisoners from Abu Ghraib and razing it from the ground, as it is nothing but a reminder of Hussein’s brutal reign.
Wow, all this sounds like commen sense to me. But you know it won’t happen. The administration has its blinders back on and they are not allowing any amount of bad news to deter them from their set course.
I don’t know what else to say. Its about time these turkeys suck it up and take some repsonsibility for the mess they have made. But then they would have to admit first that they made a mess, wouldn’t they?

I have never been a big fan of Neal Pollack. There is no real reason, just some weird inherent dislike for him on my part. But I came across this article by him in the Stranger and my opinion has changed a little. He just talks commen sense. Its wonderful and refreshing, especially in today’s world where you must pick a side. Picking sides is ultimately annoying and self-defeating. I would never consider myself (or anyone I like for that matter) a Republican, but I do agree with them on several issues (well, the real Republicans, not the kind we have now). I am not conservative, but I sometimes find myself wondering what the hell the liberals are yammering about. They love getting up on their high horses I tell ya. Anyway, its nice to hear Neal Pollack tell everyone to shut up. Its just nice.

Ed has an interesting post about the lack of coverage of the March for Women’s Lives that took place last Sunday in Washington. My friend Vicki went and has posted several things on her experience there. The news coverage was pretty lame. The NYT had a few small articles, but I did not notice much more. That is pretty sad considering at least 800,000 marched, though they report a million people as well. But I think its also indicative of the current administration. They just don’t care (I am not saying anything new here). Bush said when all the war protests were going on that they would in no way make him rethink his decision.
This whole topic has brought up two issues for me. The first is Bush’s obvious lack of respect for the country that he won’t even listen to anyone else. Yes, he has his advisors, but his vision is so singleminded. What kind of person does not reflect on their decisions and listen to other’s output? When I go say, buy a new car, I talk to people, usually my dad who has more knowlede than I do about this stuff. And maybe other people I know who have bought cars so I can learn from their experience and make my experience the best. Well, not Bush.
My second thought is about feminism in the 90s and 00s (what the hell do we call this decade?). I am just wondering who our role models are now. Who are the big feminist leaders? Hillary Clinton could be one I suppose. She is a strong independent woman and in a position of power. Condoleeze Rice? Uhm….thanks, but no thanks. She is powerful and works hard, but c’mon. She’s Bush’s second wife for christsakes. What about people my age (that’s late 20s for those who don’t know) or younger? The Olson twins? They make a buttload of money. I can think of lots of movie stars. But none of them are exactly leaders for women everywhere. I did not hear of any “stars” attending, so maybe that is why no one reported on the march? But I would be skeptical of any star that promotes a cause anyway. Its really only a few stars whose motives I trust. I trust that Martin Sheen really does want to get rid of nuclear reactors and is not out to further his career by getting arrested a bunch. But back to the topic at hand.
Which brings me to another thought: what’s the deal with women’s rights anyways? Is it just me or are we losing ground these days? And I am not even referring strictly to our reproductive rights. We know those are being chipped away. They are not making it a secret. I am talking about all the progress that we seemed to be making decade ago. Women getting corporate jobs that were not just being secretaries. Women getting equal pay. Women no longer being relegated to giving birth and baking. Yes, women are still out there working and struggling, but I do not see many women in Congress as I do not see many women CEOs or other “high” positions. I am not sure what I am really saying here. It just seems to me that our progress has sort of halted and I do not know why.
As for the March on Sunday, I am so happy it took place and amazed that so many people showed up. Its nice to know that so many people agree that a woman’s body is her own. They may not support abortion, but they support a woman’s choice. That’s what I care about. I deserve the choice. No, not deserve, it is my right.
Okay, this is me stepping off my soapbox to go eat cake for Meg’s birthday.