I apologize for not updating more this past week. This has been a very busy week with work and other projects that have been building up. And now the weather is just gorgeous, so I am going to take the weekend off and catch up on a bunch of sleep and beer drinking. This weekend I am also going to make my rounds through the blogs that I normally read, since I have neglected them also this past week.
This has been a busy past week in politics too. The president gave his annual primetime press conference (his fourth in as many years). I know I have been hammering the president for not talking to the public, so I am sure that people are wondering why I haven't been writing about the event. I assure you it's not because I was awe struck with his performance, or am convinced by his answers, or ploys. I thought the president was well-prepared, but said nothing new and contradicted himself on a grand scale. President Bush's plans to phase-out Social Security are a real threat to this nation. I will do a post about his press conference and Social Security this week.
I don't think I can close this out without talking about Iraq. These last two weeks in Iraq have been a blood bath. Anyone that opens any newspaper to the last page will see that there is still a war in Iraq and that not only are Iraqis still being blown up, but so are American troops. President Bush has failed miserably with Iraq. None of this is what he promised. I talked to a friend in Baghdad today, and he said that he thinks the world has forgotten about them. They have no jobs, no security and no hope. If we invaded Iraq to rid Saddam of WMD, we failed. If we invaded Iraq to spread democracy, we are failing. None of it had to be this way, and Bush is responsible. I promise I will do a post about Iraq this week as well.
Finally, while reading CaliValleyGirl's blog today I found an interesting piece about Ann Coulter. I hadn't heard about this story either and I thank ValleyGirl for bringing it to my attention. I must admit, I'm no fan of Coulter. I think most of what she says and does is only to get attention. And frankly, she has never convinced me of any argument. I think it's some funny stuff. Hopefully the guy that was arrested will get his charges dropped. And hopefully Coulter will learn to have a softer, kinder heart. Well, read the story and draw your own conclusions.
In the meantime, I am going to relax some, catch up on some reading and writing and watch some baseball.
5.06.2005
The Coulter Moment
Posted by Chris at 11:48 PM
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6 comments:
"And hopefully Coulter will learn to have a softer, kinder heart"
Not likely anytime soon, my friend. Not likely at all. It's wrong for somebody to assault her in any way other than verbally but she has to, at some point, expect her outrageous hate talk will give her problems.
I agree GTL. I doubt she will learn any compassion any time soon.
Though I'm not sure she was assaulted. The guy's question was pretty legitimate. I think the same thing happened to a Supreme Court Justice not too long ago also. I can't remember which judge it was.
The guy's gestures were probably inappropriate but I don't think they are criminal.
When I watch baseball games, I see guys grabbing their crotch all the time, and patting other men on the bottom. Of course, I don't think they are flipping the bird while doing it either, but it is a common occurence
Thanks for reading GTL. I always enjoy your site.
Oops, you're right. I had understood he had assaulted her in some way but hey - verbal assault used against verbal assault shouldn't be a crime (if it is). At the very worst, he should have just been escorted away. Shame on Ann Coulter for this.
"If we invaded Iraq to spread democracy, we are failing."
Man...you and I are so never going to see eye-to-eye here. Why does democracy always have to mean perfect safety, everybody holding hands, etc. Democracy means choices, democracy means people making their own futures. And democracy takes a while. And there is no such thing as a perfect democracy. America certainly isn't perfect, and look at how long it took us to get where we are now. But we have certainly come a long way since our beginnings. And we can't expect everything in the blink of an eye.
Putting more troops in Iraq would only accomplish one thing: a police state. But how long lasting would that security be once we left?
Oh, phooey...I don't even know why I am ranting here. I think we have beat this dead horse 20 times already. I guess we have to agree to disagree...;-)
Anyways...the Ann Coulter thing totally pissed me off. I mean, perhaps I don't understand these things too well, but pray tell, how do you arrest someone for just saying something to someone...especially since that something wasn't verbal abuse? But then again, we only have one side of the story...and he was a very good story teller!
ValleyGirl, I think where you misunderstand me is in thinking that I believe everything should be perfect in Iraq. That everybody holding hands is my vision for Iraq is far from being accurate.
I think you have a very Americanist view of this world. Not that there is anything wrong with that at all, because I am using the historiographical term for the word. It's not a negative suggestion at all.
If anything, since the beginning I have argued for more force. I have argued that we should have an overwhelming show of force in which not only the removal of Saddam was accomplished, but also any resistance that might follow afterwards would be crushed. That is my argument. And it has been since day one.
I think people misunderstand my dissatisfaction with the current events in Iraq as me being against the war. It's just the opposite.
Napoleon said if you are going to Vienna, take Vienna. In other words, do it all and do it right. If we are going to take Baghdad, then take Baghdad. To me, planning for the removal of Saddam was but one minute part of this war. For Bush, it was everything.
My whole argument has been, let's take Baghdad. For Bush and the neocons it has been, let's remove Saddam. That is where my disagreement starts.
The people in Iraq have no decision making capabilities right now. If democracy is the ability to make choices, then we are failing.
But wait, I thought we invaded to rid WMD. Now I'm really confused.
America was unprepared for the aftermath of Saddam. I feel Bush should be held accountable for that. None of this is what he promised.
I do agree with you, though, on Coulter.
Thanks to all for commenting.
Hey MJ.
I agree, I don't see that anything outside of removing Sadam has come from Bush attacking Iraq.
I feel sorry for them, and for all the American families losing loved ones for no real reason.
America can't be the bandaid for everything, yet, Bush seems to think they can.
K
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