Thursday, January 19, 2006

And so it begins:


Having a blog means that I am required to say something. I can handle that. The tricky part is saying something that no one else is saying on 100 other blogs. So here goes nothing…

I have a laundry list of problems with the current administration but one of the few I have that hasn’t been beaten to death by everyone else is this. I hate the way they pay lip service to certain theories, beliefs, and ideals like:

Free Market Economics
I wish I had a nickel for every time I heard someone in the White House say the words “free market”. Free market economics is zero government interference in business at all. And the administration uses this theory to justify getting rid of regulations and laws that restrict corporate profits (usually at the public’s expense). However they never get rid of the subsidies they give the same industries they deregulate. (Examples: We’re paying to build the oil companies roads into ANWR as well as roads for the illegal logging in our national forests) The recent energy policy is an excellent example of this. And as any free market economist or anarcho-capitalist will tell you both have to go. They are just using it as a justification to pay back their campaign contributors.

Christianity
How many commandments have we seen key members of the administration and Republican party break big time over the past 5 years? I’ll start: Thou shalt not lie. Example: Shrub saying he’d work to fix the global warming problem if he was elected.
If Bushy asked WWJD every time he made a decision we wouldn’t be in Iraq right now. We’d be peacekeeping in Sudan (as the situation there predates Gulf War 2). Now, keep in mind I’m not saying the Democrats are exactly virtuous but they didn’t win their constituency by courting evangelical Christians by taking the moral high road. Also they know as soon as they screw up they’ll be crucified by their opponents in a bid to take their seat to further consolidate their power. After all its what they would do. So they are keeping their noses clean just long enough to stay alive in the political arena. And when they are in power I’ll point out their faults too.

Culture of Life
The late Pope John Paul made brought that phrase into the public consciousness and I had no problem with his definition of it, as it was consistent: No abortions, no assisted suicide, no executions, and no wars. It has a logic to it. I believe he believed in it, worked for it and I could respect him for that. But we see a pro-war, pro-execution, and anti-choice (assisted suicide and abortion) administration bandying the phrase around like they copyrighted it. So that’s what? The Culture of Half Life? What kind of message is
” It’s Ok to kill them after they are born.”? (For a quick satirical example click here )And what’s really disturbing about it is the underlying theme of,” The people can’t decide who lives and who dies. That’s the federal governments job.” Funny I don’t see that power granted anywhere in the constitution.

Its lip service and enough of us bought it to keep them in power. And now that the administration doesn’t have to worry about elections again they are exploiting the people, the environment, and the country the same way they exploited our beliefs, our ideals, and our patriotism.

Ok, I’m done. That’s it. Love it or hate it at least you won’t find it anywhere else. I hope.