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October 23, 2004
House Divided
This presidential election, and the one in 2000 bring to a fine point the issue of the division in the electorate. David Brooks declares this division to be a mystery in his editorial in today’s edition of the N.Y. Times. Brooks makes many insightful comments which gives important clues to resolving the division in our nation.
The United States is divided over an issue very familiar to almost all of us – head and heart. When head and heart are aligned, wonderful things can happen (Go SOXS!), but when head and heart diverge, all manner of trouble ensue. When this happens at a personal level, we may feel uncomfortable, perhaps experience “cognitive dissonance” and if things really get out of hand, exhibit schizophrenic behavior.
But more instructively consider when head and heart diverge socially. This is painfully seen in many couples; an emotive, highly emotionally partner and their cognitive, action oriented mate fight. These couples struggle with issues of power/safety, and love/acceptance.
Not surprisingly, these are exactly the issues our nation faces today. We face questions about our economic stability and vitality, our physical safety at home and abroad. Our national psyche is challenged when we try to understand our own national power and how it effects our world neighbors.
These issues are resolved for couples only when both parties realize they need their partner. We as a nation need to go through a similar resolution process – of understanding our need to integrate head and heart.
The best example of this integration I’ve ever seen is a horse and rider; the rider as “head”, the horse as “heart”. Ask a horse person – you’ll get the picture.
We as a nation can do this. But we have to want to be whole first.
Posted by pgutwin at 8:58 AM | Comments (0)
October 15, 2004
Just My Luck
Apparently I have to just live next to a Volkswagen Passat – I can’t own one. My neighbor recently traded in his old car for a brand new Volkswagen Passat. Big Deal you may be saying. Big Deal indeed – the previous owner of the place next door also traded in his old car for a brand new Volkswagen Passat within a few months of establishing his domicile there. Then there’s this new guy – buys the place, moves in, we say “hi” and BOOM, he buys a brand new Volkswagen Passat. That’s pretty weird in my book.
Not that I have anything against the Passat – I think it’s a pretty happening car. It’s just that those kinds of things happen to me ALL THE TIME. Nothing lucrative like winning the lottery (OK, to win the lottery you actually have to purchase a ticket, so you got me there…), more like “getting the same hotel room two stays in a row” or “bump into your good high school friend in an airport in a foreign country”. I could go on, but it’s just not funny any more. I don’t want all this fluffy stuff – I want the MONEY.
Posted by pgutwin at 8:53 PM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2004
Removing Saddam
President Bush made a comment in the last debate that surprised me. In response to a question on the justification for going to war with Iraq, President Bush said:
“Saddam Hussein was a threat because he could have given weapons of mass destruction to terrorist enemies. Sanctions were not working. The United Nations was not effective at removing Saddam Hussein.”
The President seems to be saying that his expectation was the U.N. should have removed Saddam Hussein, and it was this failure that led him to war with Iraq. The problem in Iraq was the person of Saddam Hussein.
The U.N. was formed as a body of nation peers, and assumes that each nation has the right to govern itself. It would be impossible for the U.N. to “remove” Saddam Hussein. Beyond that, the U.N. was founded on the principles that have guided the United States since it’s inception – Responsibility, Respect and Freedom.
The White House has said they consider Syria, Cuba, and Libya as members of a “junior varsity axis of evil,” and yet the administration continued to negotiate with Libya in efforts to have them end their WMD programs. In December 2003, Libya announced that it had agreed to reveal and end its programs to develop weapons of mass destruction.
President Bush’s effort to have Libya end their WMD programs represents the highest and most powerful concepts our nation stands for. By contrast, President Bush’s intense focus on removing Saddam Hussein from power represents the basest motives our nation has ever demonstrated – Fear and Prejudice.
President Bush has led the nation away from what the founding fathers of this nation stood for: Mutual Respect, Self Sufficiency and Individual Freedom. We have invaded a nation that was no threat, killed and wounded thousands of innocent people, and imposed our will on an otherwise working and growing society. Iraq did not have the opportunity to grow into a free nation itself – President Bush has forced it upon them.
Posted by pgutwin at 8:55 PM | Comments (0)
October 9, 2004
Mid-round Clinch
It came as no surprise that President Bush returned to the form his supporters were looking for. Unfortunately, this didn’t help the debate much. Friday’s round had the look of “dueling stump speeches”, with no (really) new facts or positioning by either candidate.
The candidates appear to be leaning on each other. Their words now are mainly aimed at countering the attacks that come like clockwork. I wish the referee (a.k.a. moderator) would break these two guys up so we could return to the “debate” part of the debate format.
Posted by pgutwin at 10:40 AM | Comments (0)
October 5, 2004
Mainly Style
Tonight’s debate seemed mostly about style. The substance, while present, was a restatement of last Tuesday’s debate. Both men made their leaders proud, but not much more.
There was one emotionally clear, unscripted moment. After an honest exchange on gay rights and marriage, Vice President Cheney chose to simply acknowledge Senator Edward’s compliments to Cheney’s family. For a brief moment, everyone listening was aware of our shared humanity.
Posted by pgutwin at 11:05 PM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2004
The Power of Preemptive Thinking
Positive thinking and preemption may be the worst combination of policies possible. Taken separately, these policies have much to recommend them, but their nexus is so fraught with danger that most sitting presidents have not even ventured close to the intersection of these ideas.
Unfortunately for this administration, preemption and positive thinking got us into a mess in Iraq that positive thinking isn’t likely to get us out of.
President Bush has made it clear that he is a man who settles on a goal and archives it. Further, he’s articulated a concise belief in the innate force of democracy. However, he’s not demonstrated great skill in “filling in the gaps” in a plan. True, he’s boldly launched an effort to stabilize the middle east – but the work doesn’t seem to be going very well at all.
The doctrine of preemption is fundamentally predicated on knowing what is highly likely to happen. Preemption without deep insight and understanding is reckless and irresponsible. Today’s article in the New York Times on “How the White House Embraced Disputed Arms Intelligence” steps through the machinations of how intelligence is vetted (or not), and shows that the intelligence regarding Iraq's nuclear programs was not conclusive. If this intelligence truely motivated the administration to the conclusion that Iraq had a viable nuclear program, a serious mistake was made.
Senator Kerry has pointed out that President Bush has not demonstrated the deep insight needed to competently discharge the responsibilities of preemption, and hence, has broken the promise he made to us four years ago. This is a very serious charge which calls for frank discussion in the public forum.
Posted by pgutwin at 6:56 PM | Comments (0)
October 1, 2004
Tell it like it is
The debate tonight earned its name. The questions seemed about right, giving both candidates a platform to discuss their views. Amazingly, a real debate on North Korea burst out. Clear opinions on a course of action emerged. Difference of style aside, substance was delivered.
Post game conservative blogging make it a draw, and liberal talk seems to be slightly to very positive to Kerry.
Can a feisty, engaged set of campaigners inject some actual dynamics into the national dialog? Still my beating heart – listen and believe.
Posted by pgutwin at 12:06 AM | Comments (0)