Thoughts Until Now

2004-07-03T14:54:00.000-07:00

I've been writing down personal thoughts for awhile. Here's an archive from them from my hard drive:

The desire to believe must be a natural instinct for many people. Otherwise, why would religion be a part of so many cultures.

03/31/04

The problem with Bush is more than his politics. He simply isn’t qualified to be President of the United States. And he is the last person who should have been President during the Sept. 11th attacks.
Many other Republicans such as John McCain, Guliani and Bush Senior would have done a much better job.

04/04/04

In the Arab world, “moderate” doesn’t automatically mean “pro-American”. In fact, Arabs and Moslems seem to reject both extremism and America.

04/10/04

In a recent tape from Osama, he vowed revenge for the killing of the founder of Hamas. Meanwhile, Shiite extremists and Former Saddam loyalist are conspiring together against the US occupation.
On top of this, the Arab media(no friend to the US) Is showing all its audience the civilian casualties. They also show endless images of Palestinian being punished by Israel. The end result is the perception in the Arab that the US and Israel is one in the same.
So, this is what the war in Iraq has gotten us. More Americans dying, more fodder for anti-American propaganda and increasing unity among terrorists.
Thanks a lot, Mr. Bush....

04/16/04

Blind faith is bad both for democracy and for personal freedom itself. Skepticism towards the church and state are the hall marks of liberty.

There are many things that President Bush has done that are highly questionable in Iraq and in other areas. But, many Americans believe Mr. Bush to be engaging in a “righteous” cause and therefore, his actions can’t be questioned.
And therein lies the problem. If people think a politician or any other authority figure is “sanctioned by God”, then how can there be skepticism or resistance to those in power?

This a great contrast for Britain where the reporters for the BBC are known for being hard nosed and uncompromising in their questioning of politicians.
Most of the founding fathers were indeed Christians, but very non-dogmatic in there thinking. (Unlike Evaganicals)
Thomas Jefferson questioned the bible to the extent of writing and an heavily edited “Jeffersonian Bible” which did away to most of the fire and brimstone elements.

The citizens of the rest of the industrialized world seem to realize the connection between religious zealis ism and oppression. Which is why they have become so secularized.

This is not to say that blind faith and dogma is unique to religious movements. Some secular movements can be just bad, such as communism and the extreme fringe of the “PC” movement. But, it such cases secular movements take on all the trappings and sentiments of religious extremists.

In the end, an apple is an apple and Christian Fundimentalists, Communists, Nazis, and Muslim extremist are all apposed to personal freedom and rational skepticism.

04/24/04

Americans are no less capable of evil or abusing power than any other group of people. We are all human and we are all capable of evil.

05/01/04

People on the left are more apt to question fundamental assumptions than those on the right. It doesn’t mean liberals always come up with the right solutions.

Funidimentalists of the “700 club” variety are surprisingly shallow and self-indulgent. They seem to have no sense of planning for future generations or of concern for the environment or any genuine self-sacrifice. Much like the communist, they make ideology and conformity the end all and be all of everything.
Someone on the 700 club website once wrote that the outing of a CIA agent was “no big deal”. Yet, homosexuals are seen by them as a threat. So something which is a tangible harm to this country is belittled and something which hurts no one is a cause of great concern. This is the hight of misplaced priorities.
Many on the right call the left “self-indulgent” but, what is more self-indulgent than seeing what you want to see? To challenge one’s preconceptions is a sign of mental toughness. And an opportunity for growth too.

What we’ve seen in the country is the emergence of “yuppie fundamentalism”. This is hellish marriage of modern materialism and consumerism and ideological purity. It is, in essence, the worst of both worlds.

I can't believe the Bush administration these days. They're putting an Iraqi war criminal in charge of Faluja. : ( And Cheney and Bush appeared before the 9/11 commission together, not under oath and with no transcripts. Every time I think they can't sink any lower they aways do!

05/02/04

The advocates of war with Iraq are, by and large, utopian dreamers. They thought that invading and occupying Iraq was the central key to solving most of the problems in the Middle East.
But, there’s no reason that things should turn out as planned, especially when occupying a foreign land.

The best leaders always put much thought and deliberation before ultimately taking decisive action. Some of the greatest leaders in American history, such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, FDR and John F Kennedy all put much thought and worry into decisions of great consequence.
But, this doesn’t seem to be the case with George W. Bush. Blinded by his lack of self-doubt and an unthinking sense of “rightness” Bush rushed off to war with Iraq without consulting his top advisers. He impulsively engaged in a policy of “pre-emptive war.” (a radical departer from traditional US policy), without apparently thinking through the consequences. And the US has payed a dearly for this blindness.

05/07/04

The main reason the US lost the war in Vietnam was that the goals and values of the Vietnamese were quite different than those of America.
And this is the same problem the US faces in Iraq. The world view of most Iraqis are quite different than those of most Americans.
And no amount of firepower or “shock and awe” is going to change this.
And no matter how many schools we build or well we dig is not going change the values and goals of the Iraqi people either.

05/12/04

Most evaganicals and fundamentalists in this country embrace what could be a called a “totalitarian” ideology. In fact, anyone who talks of a “chosen few” who have the “correct” way of thinking or living while, calling anyone who doesn’t agree is automatically “evil” is tantamount to totalitarianism.

In the abstract, what most Christian Conseratives have an underlying philosphy and mentality not so far removed from the communists, the nazis or the Wabbis of Saudi Arabia and Palistine.

There is however, one important distinction: Most contemporary Christian Fundamentalists believe that it is God, not man, who will ultimately bring about a day of judgment and the Utopian order which will supposedly follow.
This means that such people are less likely to engage in terrorism or try legilate thier beliefs to the same extent as the before mentioned groups.
In the this respect, most modern Christian Fundimentalist can be regarded as the lessor of many evils.

To be sure, there was a time when Fundimentalists Christian did engage in the same sort of warmongering and terror which many modern day fanatics still engage in. We are all human, after all, and we are all capable of evil given the proper circumstances.

Even in the not so distant past, many Southern Fundamentalists engaged in lynching and other horrors similar to many totalitarian movements. But, such behavier is now considered morally repulsive to most white southerners.

05/17/04

The US is the strongest supporter of Isreal in the world. And what does the US get out of this in return? Very little, it seems.

In the end, they need us more than we need them.

05/21/04

The US cannot reform the Arab world. Only the Arab people can reform themselves.

The neo-cons and their moderate liberal counterparts seem to have very paternalistic assumptions. They believe that the US can mold the Iraqi people into something more friendly to the West.

They have forgotten how stubborn, nationalistic and paranoid the Arab people tend to be. Invading Iraq may have simply added fuel to the hateful anti-Western fire.

The neo-cons may be correct about what’s wrong the Arab world(i.e. non-democratic governments, intolerance Imans, brazen anti-Western propaganda, etc.)
But the policies that they propose as the “cure” may only make the “disease” in the Arab world much worse.

The neo-cons also underestimate how much US support for Isreal is resented in the region.

05/22/04

Many right wing commentators have complained about the media’s overemphasis on the atrocities at Abu Ghraib but have but not much time covering the beheading of Nick Berg.

The answer to this may be that the actions of the terrorists is simply more expected. What else do we expect terrorists to do than to kill indiscrimnantly? We don’t expect Americans to engage in torture and sexual humiliation.

05/23/04

Most Arab leaders seem unwilling or unable to defend their own people. And terrorism doesn’t achieve this goal either.

05/29/04

All the evidence shows that the invasion of Iraq has actually increased requitement of Al Queda and other terrorist organization. Anger has increased towards America in the Arab world. And Arab countries friendly to the US seem to be destabilizing. Terrorist attacks have increased. Violence between Israel and Palistine has worsened.
In fact, the aftermath of the war in Iraq seems to be pretty much the opposite that it’s supporters claimed it world. If this isn’t blow to their credibility, than nothing is.

Few seem to be willing to point out the high price the Jews have paid for establishing and defending Israel. The end result has been more anti-semitism and more dead Jews.
If the Arabs ruled the area, they might be oppressing Jews and engaging in ethnic cleansing too.

If Israel is destroyed at the hands of Arabs, then it will be a hollow victory. Israel has indeed contributed instability in the Middle East and has subjected the Palestinians. But, getting rid of Israel will do nothing to establish democratic governments in the Arab world, give more rights to Arab women or stop the undying “medivalism’ in much of the Moslem world.

Overall, the conflict between Jew and Arabs is getting far more attention than it deserves. Deep down, it is primarily a symbolic conflict.

Israel, deep down, is neither devil nor angel. They are not the worlds worst oppressors but, they are not it savor either. If Israel suddenly ceased to exist, the world probably wouldn’t be much better or worse off.

The more time and energy Arabs squander on vilifying the US and Israel is less energy spent on pressing for reform and modernization.

One thing that both sides have in common in the Middle East is that they tend to value land, tradition and ethnic nationalism more than peace or human life. In this respect, they are simply two sides of the same coin.

O5/30/04

To hold people temporarily without charges makes sense in the midst of an attack or national emergency makes sense. But, to do so indefinitely is unprecedented in American history.
If the Nazi masterminds got their day in court, then, so do terrorists.

06/06/04

Every dictatorship in history emphases mythology over common sense and logic. In the United States, this mentality is alive and well, albeit in a more decentralized fashion.
You can see some of this in the adulation over Reagan, Corporate advertising and organized religion.
Myth making is the best way to undermine skeptical thought and decent.

I lot of emphasis has been put on Reagan lately and he was certainly more than he appeared to be. While he called the USSR the "evil empire" he had begun secret negotiations with them. Then, he reached out the Gorbachev when the warmongers in his administration such as Casper Whinberger were totally against it.
Yes, Reagan did some bad things, but he could have done much worse..

I think its almost laughable the way Bush has tried to wrap himself in Reagan's mantle. Reagan was a very popular and articulate President who was a master of diplomacy. Bush has no concept of international relations, depended on family connections to get anything and his speeches are as about as inspiring as a canned turnip!

http://www.markfiore.com/animation/reagan.html

06/13/04

Many conservative evaganicals (especially those who buy into the “Left Behind” prophesy) value ideology above goodness and morality. Their emphasis, therefore, is to convert people to the “correct” form of Christianity instead of helping to alleviate poverty or strive for social justice.
In a way, it is a cop out. They get to achieve a feeling of selflessness and getting “right with God” without making any tangable sacrifices for their beliefs.
Worse yet, they often obsess about homosexuality and abortion (issues Jesus never talked about) and belittle the corrupting influences of wealth and hollow piety. (Things which were central to Jesus’s message)

Their sense of “salvation” is also dubious. Apparently, a person can be evil their whole lives but if they get “saved” at the last minute, all is forgiven without any apparent atonement. And if a person has been kind caring and compassionate their whole lives, but doesn’t except Jesus as a “personal savior”, then they will be damned.
This is, at some level, superficial. Dogma is an abstraction. Genuine love and selflessness are not.

Those who fight over prayer in school or having the ten commandments on public grounds are engaging in a crusade for nothing. Because such things are not matters of life and death.

06/19/04

The irony of Michael Moore is that he very much epitomizes what he is against. He denounces Americans as greedy, impulsive and oafish, yet he himself is greedy, impulsive and Oafish!

To be sure, he does has an original film style and does have some degree of personal courage to do the things he does. Yet, his tendency for grandstanding and eggageration seems to undermine his creditability. He also (much like Rush Limbal and Bush himself) seems to be fueling divisions in the US rather than healing them.

All the evidence seems to indicate that invading Iraq was a big mistake. But was it, as Moore asserts, soly for the purpose of getting more oil and to “provide cheap labor for US corporations.”?

If the United State only wanted Iraq’s Oil, we would have made peace with Saddam and lobbied the UN to drop all sanctions. If we wanted cheap Iraqi labor, we would treat Iraq the same way that we now treat China and other US friendly dictators. Business, after all, is the most successful when it minimizes risk. And what could possibly more risky than invading and occupying entire country? Businesses also thrive best in countries and regiems which are stable. So why risk destablizing the entire, Oil Rich Middle East? That might be very bad for business indeed...

The real motive behind the Iraq war seems to have much more to do with ideology than economics. Bush, Cheney and the Neo-Cons thought that invading Iraq and creating a model of Jeffersonian democracy there would majically spread more peace and prosperty in the middle east. Of course, things there haven’t quite gone according to plan.(to say the least!)

In fact, many Oil companies and investors were actually against the Iraqi war!

Both Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh have contributed greatly to the decline of the “American Dialoge”. These days, it seems more like the “national shouting match.” Instead of insight, debate and reasoned commentary, both of these zealots only offer rage and bumper-sticker ideology.

Another thing they have in common is that they are both fueling anti-Americanism in their own way. Moore does it directly, Limbaugh does it by giving those who hate the US More ammunition.

06/28/04

Islam and Christianity are but two sides of the same coin. They are both male-dominated, imperialistic and make childish assumptions about the nature of the Universe.
Moslems have had their bloody crusades and so have Christians. They both embrace a dictatorial God who will eternally damn anyone who doesn’t embrace the “correct” philosophy.

This similarity can be best be seen by looking at the extremes of both faiths(which ironically, tend to hate each other harshly).
Christian and Moslem fundamentalist are anti-gay, anti-choice, anti-science, anti-diversity and try to discourage decent with fear and oppression.

All organized religions seem to create more dependance than independence. The desire for a savior is in itself a sign of weakness.
Only the weak, after all, need to embrace faith. The truly strong and self-sufficient have no need for belief at all.
It is also pathetic to call apon faith to make up for the lack of self-control. If one is truly self-aware and disiplined, there is no need to call apon a higher power.

There is no greater challenge than to live without a savior. It builds strength and character. Taking reality head on takes a lot of balls.

07/01/04

Many conservatives have complained that Micheal Moore’s new film distorts the facts. And I suppose Rush Limbaugh, Pat Robertson and Fox News all completely unbiased, right. Apparently some people can't take a dose of their own medicine.

One thing that cannot be denied about America is it’s underlying subversive and outlaw quality which lies beneath surface of its apparent conservatism.
Europe is known as being a bit shady, but we’re a bit more so.

The United States is willing to take the chances, for better or for worse.

07/03/04

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Thoughts Until Now