General Jackassery

Okay, I’ve had my lunch, I’ve got all the spam cleared out and everything has settled down so now I’ll speak my mind on the election. I stated in a previous post that I wasn’t satisfied with either candidate and while there has been a lot of change in my thought process the statement still holds, but not for the same reasons as before. I know that probably doesn’t make a lot of sense, but bare with me and hopefully I’ll be able to better explain myself. See in September when I made that statement I’ll admit that I had not done enough research to completely understand both candidates, or at least have a real good feel for where they’re going. Today, I’m happy to say that I’ve done a lot more studying on the subject and I feel like I have a better idea of what needs to be done and where this country needs to go. I also have a lot more knowledge of the candidates. When I went to the polls today I was still undecided, I was leaning towards one candidate but Geof planted a seed in my head and I wanted to make sure that when I went to the poles I actually was making the right decision by voting FOR the candidate that would do the best job as President instead of voting against the guy that I didn’t think could do the job.

Before I get to what I think this country needs I want to take a look at an email that someone sent out and many have probably seen regarding the importance of this election and the consequences of our choice as Americans when we vote for the next President.

This was written in the Daily Record (Ellensburg, Washington paper) on
Wednesday, October 6, 2004. It was written by Mathew Manweller who is a
Central Washington University political science professor.

“In that this will be my last column before the presidential election there will be no sarcasm, no attempts at witty repartee. The topic is too serious, and the stakes are too high. This November we will vote in the only election during our lifetime that will truly matter. Because America is at a once-in-a-generation crossroads, more than an election hangs in the balance. Down one path lies retreat, abdication and a reign of ambivalence. Down the other lies a nation that is aware of its past and accepts the daunting obligation its future demands. If we choose poorly, the consequences will echo through the next 50 years of history. If we, in a spasm of frustration, turn out the current occupant of the White House, the message to the world and ourselves will be twofold. First, we will reject the notion that America can do big things. Once a nation that tamed a frontier, stood down the Nazis and stood upon the moon, we will announce to the world that bringing democracy to the Middle East is too big of a task for us. But more significantly, we will signal to future presidents that as voters, we are unwilling to tackle difficult challenges, preferring caution to boldness, embracing the mediocrity that has characterized other civilizations.
The defeat of President Bush will send a chilling message to future presidents who may need to make difficult, yet unpopular decisions. America has always been a nation that rises to the demands of history regardless of the costs or appeal. If we turn away from that legacy, we turn away from who we are.
Second, we inform every terrorist organization on the globe that the lesson of Somalia was well learned. In Somalia we showed terrorists that you don’t need to defeat America on the battlefield when you can defeat them in the newsroom. They learned that a wounded America can become a defeated America. Twenty-four-hour news stations and daily tracing polls will do the heavy lifting, turning a cut into a fatal blow. Except that Iraq is Somalia times 10.
The election of John Kerry will serve notice to every terrorist in every cave that the soft underbelly of American power is the timidity of American voters. Terrorists will know that a steady stream of grizzly photos from CNN is all you need to break the will of the American people. Our own self-doubt will take it from there. Bin Laden will recognize that he can topple any American administration without setting foot on the homeland.
It is said that America’s W.W.II generation is its ‘greatest generation.’ But my greatest fear is that it will become known as America’s ‘last generation.’ Born in the bleakness of the Great Depression and hardened in the fire of WW II, they may be the last American generation that understands the meaning of duty, honor and sacrifice. It is difficult to admit, but I know these terms are spoken with only hollow detachment by many (but not all) in my generation. Too many citizens today mistake ‘living in America’ as ‘being an American.’ But America has always been more of an idea than a place. When you sign on, you do more than buy real estate. You accept a set of values and responsibilities.
This November, my generation, which has been absent too long, must grasp the obligation that comes with being an American, or fade into the oblivion they may deserve. I believe that 100 years from now historians will look back at the election of 2004 and see it as the decisive election of our century. Depending on the outcome, they will describe it as the moment America joined the ranks of ordinary nations; or they will describe it as the moment the prodigal sons and daughters of the greatest generation accepted their burden as caretakers of the City on the Hill.
Mathew Manweller

I can’t say that I believe the author of this article. I am an American! I love my country and I’m proud of my heritage! I have the greatest respect for those that have given their lives to make this country what it is. However, I do not think that it is the burden of the United States of American to impose our beliefs on the rest of the world. What would WE as Americans do if someone from another country came and told us that our beliefs were wrong and they tried to impose a new government on us? We would most certainly reject it; we would fight it with a fury that no man has ever witnessed. There is a difference between being bold and being arrogant. American’s aren’t afraid of any task if they’re given the right reasons for it. Iraq is not Nazi Germany. In World War II the United States waited until 6 million Jews were gassed, Great Britain was a pile of rubble and the rest of Europe had been occupied by the Nazi’s before we decided to come to their aid. Was it the right decision? YES, better late than never, but the fact remained that there was no doubt when we went over there we were doing for the right reasons. Iraq is different.

The fact of the matter is that the United States of America has ALREADY joined the ranks of “Ordinary Nations.” Our Engineers are no longer the best in the world, our companies are no longer the best in the world, our educational structure is no longer the best in the world, and our economy no longer drives the rest of the world. Now we’re just another rich country. We make headlines by invading countries and dropping bombs on people, not by scientific break-through or economic dominance.

So what does our country need?

Our country needs a dose of humble pie! We need to start doing things for the right reasons! We need to start owning up to the mistakes that we make and fixing them! I’ve always heard the best offence is a good defense; we need to start plugging the holes in our own security before we go chasing threats all over the world. We need to solidify and bolster our own economy before we go giving our tax dollars to aid ever other country in the world. We need to spend money on educating our society. We need to focus on being the best in the world at what we do; we need to become the centers of scientific and medical research again. Americans need to start being Americans and not African-Americans, and Asian-Americans and whatever type of American you want to be. Where you born in America? Good, you’re an American and so am I, let’s work together, make compromises and find out what’s best for US, not what’s best for ME. We need separation of Church and State. Our country was born because we wanted to practice religion on our own terms and not the terms of the King. We need to pass laws that promote the growth of our society, the education or our society. Instead of passing laws that restrict people from having abortion, let’s pass laws that help parents spend more time with their kids so they can teach them the difference between right and wrong. Instead of passing laws that make prisoners want to go back to prison, let’s pass laws that help them reintegrate into society after their debt has been paid. Instead of starting wars to prevent terrorism, let’s work with other countries to help them snuff out terrorism where it starts. Let’s work with other countries to help them bolster their security. Let’s work with other countries to try and understand their cultures so that we don’t go stepping on toes everywhere we go. This is the way to make America great again. However, no-one will see America as great until America is unified. If we would turn our eyes on ourselves, solve the problems of our own country before we tried to solve everyone else’s problems wouldn’t life be so much better. War is not the answer, what have we solved? The answer is that the war in Iraq was a mistake, let’s fix the mistake. I’m not saying that we should pull troops from Iraq; I’m saying we should send more troops to Iraq, secure it, rebuild it, train their security and army, and help them establish a stable government and leave. Bring Iraqi troops to the U.S. and put them through a full boot camp, train them right so they don’t get killed or lay down their arms and run.

Today, I voted for John F. Kerry for President. I did this because while I don’t necessarily like what the Democratic Party stands for I believe he is the better of the two Candidates. I believe that George W. Bush was given opportunities to unify the country and the world and he failed. I believe that George W. Bush was given the opportunity to put us on the map as the country to finally say enough is enough and he failed. I believe that road to economic success was not in giving the middle class a $400/year tax cut but in keeping the $400/year and using to pay off the national debt, to continue to maintain a balanced budget and to use surpluses to keep Social Security around, to upgrade schools and to upgrade infrastructure in this country. I believe that George W. Bush with rising fuel costs was given an opportunity to be the first President to really push for alternative sources of energy, instead he sat on the high cost of oil and has probably profited from it. I believe that George W. Bush has miss handled the power of the United States Army, he has over-estimated the resolve of American troops and he has undermined their resolve by not giving them all the tools they need to get the job done. I believe that George W. Bush has no right to criticize the record of ANY veteran of the ANY war be-it good, bad, or mediocre. I believe that George W. Bush has surrounded himself with individuals that are unfit to be his advisors and I believe Donald Rumsfield has compromised the strength of our Armed Forces and made our country vulnerable by continuing to thin our military.

I believe that John Kerry will actually solve some of the problems that confront us in Iraq. But, I don’t believe that he will pull our troops out of Iraq until the job has been done. I believe that it is necessary for the United States to have good relationships with the rest of the world and I believe that John Kerry can restore some of those relationships. I believe that John Kerry would be doing the right thing if he repealed the tax cut that Bush created. I hope that the Patriot Act is repealed. I believe that John Kerry will focus on the security concerns we have here at home. I believe that John Kerry will do his best to get the budget back under control. I don’t believe that his way is one of retreat, but of accepting the fact that we made a mistake and we want to fix that mistake. I believe that his way is one that will lead us towards many of the things that I said this country needs. Finally I believe that John Kerry understands that this world is not Black and White and that while he may not personally believe in things (i.e. Gay Marriage and Abortion) that the Law (i.e. Our Constitution) restricts us from imposing Faith based morals on our citizens. I believe that John Kerry would focus on groups like Planned Parenthood and he would focus on educating our youth and parents instead of creating laws that forbid.

The United States was born out of shear hatred for being told what we can and can’t do. We were born to be free and our laws need to protect the right to be free rather than forbidding us from make decisions for ourselves. In the long run it would be better to teach than to restrict.

Did I make the right decision? I don’t know. Some will say that I wasted my vote because I live in Alabama and Alabama will go to George W. Bush. I chose to believe that I sent George W. Bush a message if he wins. I’m telling him that I’m not happy with the job he’s doing and I believe that he can do much better.