I have not fully realized how the post 9-11 environment has affected me until enough time has passed. Some random observations that I assume will offend some people's egos here, but, please, take it as me thinking out loud (which is what I am really doing):
- Anti-American sentiment is going to levels worthy of "The Onion." Yes, we blew up our own buildings and brought down our own planes, so we could own all the world's oil and establish a "Gap" in every Islamic temple. Never mind, of course, that America has been researching hydrogen fuel cell technology that would make us probably no longer need foreign oil in another decade...so I'm sure we would get yelled at for that as well.
- Leftism has proved completely ineffectual in dealing with terrorism, which has always looked disdainfully upon intellectualism and pacifism--bulwarks of leftism. Something indeed tells me that intellectualism and pacifism will not dismantle Al-Qaeda, no more than intellectualism and pacifism will not dismantle the Christian Coalition. In fact, it only seemingly fuels the fanaticism further. I guess as long as Al-Qaeda doesn't strike anything else but America--since they "clearly" deserve it, according to Canadian opinion polls--then America should just shut up and take it?
- I have a sick admiration for both Reagan and Dubya, but I think that the latter has taken the cake for me. The manners in which he can slip in archetypical conservative ideology for "national security" is worthy of Machiavelli. I mean, attempting to establish the "Homeland Security" (how very "1984" sounding!) Department without a labor union out of "national security" concerns and get away with it is flat out brilliant. I can only wish that the Democrats had mastered such cold and calculated moves thirty years ago.
(More to come...)
Melon
- Anti-American sentiment is going to levels worthy of "The Onion." Yes, we blew up our own buildings and brought down our own planes, so we could own all the world's oil and establish a "Gap" in every Islamic temple. Never mind, of course, that America has been researching hydrogen fuel cell technology that would make us probably no longer need foreign oil in another decade...so I'm sure we would get yelled at for that as well.
- Leftism has proved completely ineffectual in dealing with terrorism, which has always looked disdainfully upon intellectualism and pacifism--bulwarks of leftism. Something indeed tells me that intellectualism and pacifism will not dismantle Al-Qaeda, no more than intellectualism and pacifism will not dismantle the Christian Coalition. In fact, it only seemingly fuels the fanaticism further. I guess as long as Al-Qaeda doesn't strike anything else but America--since they "clearly" deserve it, according to Canadian opinion polls--then America should just shut up and take it?
- I have a sick admiration for both Reagan and Dubya, but I think that the latter has taken the cake for me. The manners in which he can slip in archetypical conservative ideology for "national security" is worthy of Machiavelli. I mean, attempting to establish the "Homeland Security" (how very "1984" sounding!) Department without a labor union out of "national security" concerns and get away with it is flat out brilliant. I can only wish that the Democrats had mastered such cold and calculated moves thirty years ago.
(More to come...)
Melon