WUI (Writing under the influence)

Somebody once said we are all Americans, sometimes born in the wrong places.
On a warm autumn day in 1986, while enjoying beer with my college buddies,
I decided to join my new homeland.

I've come to appreciate the ideals that helped create this great country.
Liberalism, political-correctness, multiculturalism and moral equivalence
are destroying it.

This old house Grovenet Wal*Mart Visiting Poland American wine better than French.

Tuesday, November 30, 2004

 

Fair and balanced

I know why liberals don't like Fox. Because it is fair and balanced. Consider this story. Almost each night after dinner, my children would turn the TV on to watch their hero Ken Jennings making more and more money on Jeopardy. Today, he finally lost. I knew it would happen because Fox and PBS (and other news outlets, I guess) had been talking about this all day.

Both mentioned the all important details but Fox went further.

In its online piece, Fox said this, for example:

"Jennings, a Mormon, will donate 10 percent of his winnings to his church."

Wait a second! How can this be? An extremely knowledgeable and apparently very intelligent Jennings is also a religious man? And he is donating almost as much as Kerry's wife pays in taxes without being forced to do so by government? (BTW, if he wasn't Republican when he got on Jeopardy, he for sure will become one next April 15th.)

Not surprisingly, today's edition of "All Things Considered" didn't consider this small detail to be very interesting and useful to its listeners. I've been begging my wife to send the money she gives PBS to NRA instead.

 

If you are 30 and still liberal...

Cheney was wrong. It was 14 years ago. It was before 9/11 and other terrorist attacks on US interests. Now he knows better. I used to think that the government owed me education, now I know better. We all learn from experience.

 

(Knee) jerk

I've been ignoring this blogger for a while now but all good things come to an end. She is a somewhat influential Pole teaching in my graduate school. And she is wrong on all important issues. Just in case there is any doubt, she does not represent all Polish immigrants.

For example, in this post, she is surprised that a somewhat useless (unless we are there for oil) US-sponsored project is environmentally sound because "our other projects [are] environmentally irresponsible and foolish." She is so sure "there are plenty to choose from" but doesn't cite even one example. It's such a knee-jerk reaction to put down anything US does for its own interest.

BTW, I'm still waiting for a post on the recent French atrocities. She is so "shaken" by what's going on in Iraq that I thought she would surely write something about Ivory Coast.

 

SS and pensions

The Oregonian just doesn't get it. Let me keep my SS money and pensions will not be needed.

 

Stolen elections

It is now clear that Republicans have to win by big margins to really win. Otherwise, as Hugh Hewitt's book says: if it's too close, they will steal it.




 

It's its

That cry generally means human life is being protected somewhere in the world. Today, for the NYTimes, is also means the Gray Lady is waging, interestingly it's own war against choice--the choice of religious hospitals not to perform abortions.

NRO.

Monday, November 22, 2004

 

Our friends in UN

Somebody at the Oregonian received a backbone transplant and wrote:

Earlier this week, congressional investigators told the Senate Committee on Government Affairs that Saddam Hussein and his cronies may have stolen as much as $21.3 billion from the program. This money went to Saddam's military and into the pockets of corrupt business people outside of Iraq -- some French and Russian companies are among those implicated. Saddam used some of the skimmed-off money to pay the families of suicide bombers who blew up innocent Israeli civilians.

How would the French have ever voted to attack Iraq knowing that the corruption would have been discovered. Inspections would never have worked because the French would never have been satisfied with any discoveries and would have asked for more and more and more time. This would have given Iraq more time and money (my money) to build new weapons.

But the Euro- and UN-idiots don't get it.

He even used some to help finance worldwide protests against the U.N. sanctions, which is something to think about the next time you head to downtown Portland to block some traffic for the Movement.


 

Global warm this

These guys can't predict a snow in California but they insist we cause global warming.

Friday, November 19, 2004

 

They knew what had happened to France

So they decided to do the right thing. I still avoid buying Canadian unless the choice is between Canadian and French (e.g., Brie.)

 

Not rewound? No book (or tape) for you!

And maybe some jail time. I would have voted Yes on the library levy here in Forest Grove had these measures been proposed.

 

Chait may be crazy

But sometimes even a broken clock...

Thursday, November 18, 2004

 

Short and sweet

Secretary of State Rice will stand as an example of the greatness of America, a country where, after much struggle, people are judged not on the color of their skin but on the content of their character. We're confident that one day even liberals will appreciate this.

James Taranto
Best of the Web

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

 

Simple logic

Let's say that X is not negotiable.

For example, if government forced me to send my children to public schools I would move out of this country. After killing a few Democrats (because only Democrats would be willing to do such a thing). To me, this is non negotiable. I would like to see school vouchers or complete abolishment of government-run schools but for now the line in the send is drawn at my freedom to send my children to any school I can afford.

Let's also say that to accomplish X, we have to do Y.

Since X is not negotiable, we willingly embark on the route to do Y.

Now, let's say that Y comes with cost Z.

Does it matter what the cost Z is?

Now, let's do some substitution:

X = national security (e.g., protection from Islamic terrorism)
Y = global war on terror including wars in Iraq, Iran and Syria
Z = US troops killed, material costs, killed civilians

BTW, both my sons know soldiers die in war. I'm teaching both of them that it's their duty to protect this country. The only country worth protecting. And it's not just a piece of land. It's an idea.

 

Taxes

One would think that property taxes in Madison, WI can't go any higher. Well, one would obviously be a Republican and wrong.

The following are items I would scrap in 7 short strokes of a pen.

  • Hiring a fiscal efficiency auditor to analyze city spending, initiatives and services and offer recommendations on potential consolidations and efficiencies;
  • Moving forward on a Department of Civil Rights that will provide new services in language assistance, a recruiter, fair housing testing and minimum wage enforcement (both the auditor and the Department of Civil Rights will require final Council approval early next year);
  • Implementing an automated recycling system;
  • Hiring an Alcohol Policy Coordinator, in conjunction with the University;
  • Training project managers to shepherd large development projects through city processes;
  • Purchasing new computer software to streamline development review;
  • Investing $50,000 in energy-saving initiatives set forth by the Mayor’s Energy Task Force.



  • The first item on its face may seem like a step in the right direction. Color me skeptical. These people will never cut anything unless their lives depend on it. This is a token position for which a close cousin of the mayor will probably be hired. The mayor will tell people who object to raised taxes next year: "Look we even hired an expert and he tells us there is nothing we can do. It's all Bush's fault. And Halliburton's. And all those red states."

    Tuesday, November 16, 2004

     

    I smell lawyers Posted by Hello

     

    I feel guilty

    Thinking about Condoleezza Rice and her legacy I started feeling guilty. Zbigniew Brzezinski was one of the worst national security advisers in US history working for one of the worst US presidents. I'd like to think it was all Carter's fault but hearing and reading Brzezinski today leaves me with little doubt that he did in fact contribute to this mess, in which we find ourselves today.

     

    The Oregonian fumbles on the goal line

    It's not good enough to call it a "flagrant foul"; it was a crime and suspension from a few games is not enough. The Oregonian should be calling for the harshest punishment under the current hate crime law. Why? As an example. These athletes are being subsidized for several years for being able to throw and catch a piece of a pig skin. The moment they screw up, throw a book at them.

    Also, it's not coaches' job to "lecture [...] their student-athletes about how soldiers [...] make it possible for Americans to play their little games." If these thugs don't understand it by now, it's too late. Somehow, I do blame the schools for it. And the parents.

    Monday, November 15, 2004

     

    I don't think I'll go but I bet it'll be fun

    We cannot wait another 4 years to stand against the war and rampant social injustice of another Bush Administration. A coalition of social, political, and religious activists have come together to protest the coronation of George W. Bush. We invite you and all your friends and family to join hundreds of thousands in the streets of Washington, DC.

    Join us for a week of action January 15-Janurary 20, 2005. We're here to help plug you in to all the action.

    The first step is to stay informed. We have a website at
    http://www.counter-inaugural.org that will soon have a housing, ride, and events board.

    The best way, however, to stay informed is to join one of our listserves. Here is what they are and how to join them.

    To join a moderated announcement and limited discussion counter-inauguration listserve, send a blank email to counter-inauguration-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

    To join an unmoderated open discussion list, send a blank email to
    stop-the-inauguration-subscribe@lists.riseup.net

    Help spread the word about this information far and wide.

     

    "Animal hoarders are not necessarily mentally ill"

    I disagree. In fact, I think that our relationship with pets has gone too far. If you treat your animal as a family member, if you are willing to spend more than $100 for a veterinarian for anything else but putting the thing out of its misery, you have problems.

     

    Hate crimes and fairness

    On a normal day, I'm against any legislation that would allow for treating different "classes" of people differently. When my Republican senator sponsored a federal hate crime bill, I wrote to him to oppose it. His reply to me was "Don't worry, hate speech will still be legal." If somebody ran against him in Republican primaries, I would vote for the challenger just for this one, stupid response. But we do have so called "hate crime" law here in Oregon and it's used from time to time when a crime against a member of any of so called "minorities" is perpetrated.

    Last Friday, a black OSU football player, Joe Rudulph, assaulted a white soldier (leaving shortly for Iraq) who was dancing in a bar with his black wife. Rudulph objected to a black woman dancing with a white man.

    Nobody in the Oregonian still thinks this story is important. It's all over TV and radio. It's a hate crime by today's standards yet the Oregonian is not bothered. Instead, it continues wailing over the result of Measure 37 referendum. It even admits that maybe government was a little bit unfair and probably should change.

    Maybe this story has to run its course before the Oregonian starts calling for the head of the black thug.

     

    At least he's my moron

    I got this in e-mail today:

    "As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."-H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)


    It's amazing how the left's not learning.

    UPDATE: Well, maybe the left is learning after all. The guy who is the most rabid liberal of the bunch sent the following:

    My best guess is that the attitude toward 'plain folks' and toward George Bush represented by this quotation is approximately 93% of the reason he is going to be re-inaugurated. Insulting the folks one is trying to win and underestimating the opponent seems to be a surefire recipe for losing an election.

    Isn't it time to begin making sophomoric jokes about Cheney so we can follow this dark period with 8 years of him?

    I come not to demean Caesar but to bury him.


    He still can't get over "re-inaugurating" of the president but he understands that calling him and his supporters morons is not a good recipe for success.

    UPDATE II: This is getting better and better. Note terms like "peasants" for Bush voters and the already discredited "Shrub" (I though they were saying he was an evil genius). Also interesting and revealing is the wish for things going badly.

    Much as I enjoy Mencken's acid prose, I am inclined to agree. Ridiculing the American peasants who voted in lockstep for the Shrub would do little more than reinforce their "Virtuous Us vs. the Sinful World" mindset for the next election. Since the Repubs won them by appealing to their most basic (one might even say basest) emotions, we would have to crack that block with similar tactics:
    1: Pointing out that they sold their birthright for a mess of pottage-- empty promises to legalize discrimination against "sinners." Even with a more fundamentalist Supreme Court, I think the touted amendment unlikely to pass.
    2. Convincing them they were also swindled in simple bread-and-butter terms -- that they are no better off, in fact are much worse off after eight years under the Shrub (I think this will be almost a given).
    3-- And this one would require a lot of work and a great deal of luck-- providing solid proof that the election was stolen, and hammering on it as relentlessly as the Repubs hammered on Gays, Guns and God. The realization that the Repubs actually had to steal the election, even with the godly's dedicated help, would be most deflating.


    Sunday, November 14, 2004

     

    Values, USA and Social Security

    So maybe it wasn't about moral values after all. As long as the left doesn't see America as a force for good in the world, it will never regain power (hint: dump Michael Moore). Also, good news on privatization of social security.

    Rasmussen Reports Weekly Update—November 12, 2004

    Values Voters? : The emerging conventional wisdom in some parts of Washington society is that values voters somehow dominated Election 2004. However, the data shows that National Security Issues were number one. From the beginning, this election was dominated by the War with Iraq and divided over the President's handling of that situation.

    Cultural Issues: While Iraq was the top issue, 55% of voters said that the same-sex marriage issue was somewhat or very important to them. Those who said the issue was very important overwhelmingly support a traditional definition of marriage. It is also worth noting that those who are pro-Choice on abortion are divided on the issue of same-sex marriage. Fifty-three percent (53%) of voters say that they the pray every day or nearly every day.

    USA Fair and Decent: One values related issue that has not received much attention is perceptions of the United States as a nation. Sixty-two percent (62%) of voters say that American society is generally fair and decent. Republicans and unaffiliated voters share this view, but Democrats are divided and 41% of John Kerry's party say that American society is generally unfair and discriminatory.

    Social Security: In his post-Election Press Conference, President Bush announced that Social Security Reform will be on the agenda. Our latest survey confirms what many others have shown, that support for Social Security reform is stronger among voters than among politicians.

    Economic Confidence: The Rasmussen Investor Index reached its highest level in more than a month today. However, both the Investor Index and the Rasmussen Consumer Index remain below peaks established in early January.

    President Bush: The President's Job Approval is at 54%, up a couple of points since Election Day.


    Saturday, November 13, 2004

     

    Fish wrap still smells

    Just when Democrats promise a better budget process in Salem, the Oregonian complains that is not good enough. The compliant it seems is that the budget for K-12 education is not going to be increased. As long as schools are run by big bureaucracy most Oregonians don't care and Democrats know it. You want my support? Allow vouchers. Otherwise, I can't hear you.

     

    Things to do after election

    So what is the local left up to now that the election is over?

    Hi,
    I saw that article on Beaverton's anti-discrimination ordinance in today's Oregonian and I think it would be and excellent thing for wwchd to work on. Also, getting rid of Gordon Smith in the next election.

    This is the article about the new ordinance. I never understood the purpose of these things. Some people just like to feel good, I suppose.

    I, on the other hand, would like to concentrate on illegal immigration. It seems I'm not alone.

     

    Thinking vs feeling

    I took a survey a while ago that tried to understand the differences between liberals and conservatives. The preliminary results are in.

    The most interesting conclusion:

    [...]there is a statistically significant difference between the way in which politically affiliated liberals and conservatives process information. Specifically, liberals are more feeling while conservatives are more thinking.

    Somehow I'm not surprised.

     
    http://www.cs.washington.edu/publications/msb/msb8.2.pdf

    2nd page, bottom of the column on the left side


     

    Election fraud

    Just after the election I received this e-mail:

    What actually happened on Nov. 2?

    WARNING: The articles that you are about to read will convey a
    sobering portrayal of the status of democracy in this country. Your
    first reaction might be to discredit them as simply conspiracy
    theories, but the facts don't lie, and the facts that are slowly
    emerging about what actually happened on Nov. 2 are pointing to an
    ominous conclusion: the election was stolen, but this time it was
    done covertly and silently using electronic voting machines.

    I was watching ABC's special 2004 election coverage when they called
    Florida for Bush. Naturally, I was shocked. "What, that's it? No
    uproar, no scandal, nothing? What about all those black community
    leaders from Ohio and Florida I heard on the radio this morning
    yelling about how excited they were that so many people showed up at
    the polls?" Despair sunk in as I started to get the feeling that we
    might lose. There was still hope though, because Ohio would decide
    the election and Kerry had been a number of points ahead in the
    polls there for a couple of days.

    While I was waiting to see what was going to happen with Ohio, I
    went to CNN.com to check out their up to the minute information as
    more and more precincts reported in results. The interesting thing
    about that website was that the exit polls, at the same time that
    the actual results were counting Bush 52% to Kerry 48%, showed that
    53% of women and 51% of men voted for Kerry. I took a screenshot at
    about 1:00 am just because I had a feeling something might be going
    on. It looks like I wasn't the only one who took a screenshot,
    because there are pictures of CNN's website all over the internet
    showing an odd discrepancy... at 1:41 am, the exit polls on CNN.com
    suddenly changed; now, according to them, 52% of males and 50% of
    females voted for Bush. The plot thickens.

    The Ultimate Felony Against Democracy
    Thom Hartmann is on this story and he's uncovering more and more
    everyday, but he's also smart enough not to make outrageous claims
    before all the evidence is in. So he brings our attention to the
    larger issue at hand: why do we even need to ask ourselves if the
    election results were tampered with? And how the hell did private
    corporations all of a sudden become our democracy's vote-counters?

    http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1104-38.htm

    Evidence Mounts That The Vote Was Hacked
    This is another one from Thom, but now it is about whether or not
    the election actually was stolen, and it seems that there is an
    accumulating amount of evidence being collected to prove it. I mean,
    who would have thought that good 'ol Holmes County, a small county
    in Florida with 72.7% of the population registered as Democrats,
    would go 77.25% for Bush, while in larger counties where a
    discrepancy like that would have definitely been noticed, high
    percentages of registered Democrats meant high percentages of votes
    for Kerry. This is just a taste, it gets worse.

    http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/1106-30.htm

    Machine Error Gives Bush Extra Ohio Votes
    The Associated Press is discovering very odd patterns in Ohio, too.
    Apparently, "an electronic voting system gave President Bush 3,893
    extra votes in suburban Columbus" and in a small precinct in
    Franklin County, Bush received 4,258 votes to Kerry's 260 votes,
    but, funny thing is, ONLY 638 VOTERS CAST BALLOTS IN THAT PRECINCT.
    Keep in mind that this article is from the Associated Press on
    YAHOO! News.

    http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041105/ap_on_el_pr/voting_problems


    CNN just changed their Ohio exit poll page
    This is the graph that was changed on CNN.com.

    http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1293911


    Exit polls and ‘actual’ results don’t match; Evoting states show
    greater discrepancy
    The inconsistencies of exit polling with actual results were not
    limited to Ohio, but they were not found in all states either. For
    some reason, the states with the greatest discrepancies between exit
    polling and actual results all had one thing in common: they used
    electronic voting machines. The shocking chart that they've posted
    on this website reveals that the scale of this fraud is potentially
    so massive that Kerry may have even won the popular vote.

    http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=388

    The shocking chart:

    http://bluelemur.com/images/stories/evotingbig.gif


    Surprising Pattern of Florida's Election Results
    This chart compares, county by county, the numbers of registered
    voters for each party, predicted voter turnouts, and "actual"
    results. Counties with E-touch voting systems were generally
    consistent with expected results, but counties using Op-Scan
    machines "officially" experienced devastating declines in Democratic
    voter turnout and massive increases in Republican turnout. In
    Liberty County, a county with 7.9% registered Republicans and 88.3%
    registered Democrats, the number of Republicans who voted was 712%
    higher than expected while the Democratic turnout was 59.9% lower!
    This voting pattern was experienced by almost all small counties
    using Op-Scan machines, but only Op-Scan machines, and only small
    counties where it wouldn't be so easily noticed.

    http://ustogether.org/Florida_Election.htm

    If your into graphs, they did some interesting stuff with this data
    (check out the last one especially):

    http://ustogether.org/election04/florida_vote_patt.htm

    You might be tiring of all this data, but if you try to talk to
    anybody about this, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED IT. Most people in this
    country believe we are living in a democracy, and when you show them
    that even our right to vote has been sacrificed to the power of the
    corporate machine, and that the American people don't actually get
    to elect their representatives anymore, they will most likely not
    believe you or simply write you off as a loony conspiracy theorist.
    Hard facts are our only option, and even then, most people still
    won't believe what you're telling them.

    None the less, the American public is entitled to know the truth
    about their government, their political parties, and their votes.
    This is a crisis of democracy, regardless of whether or not the
    election was stolen, but especially if it was, and that is
    increasingly appearing to be the case. It is no wonder that George
    W. Bush's second term would start with a crisis of democracy. If he
    came to power by disenfranchising the American people, I can only
    imagine what's in store for us in these next four years. We must
    respond.

    Please forward this newsletter to anyone who might be interested,
    Oakwood Student or not.
    To be added to the mailing list send an e-mail to news@ospr.org with
    the word "subscribe" in the subject field. You may also write that
    address with any suggestions (articles, ideas, etc.) you would like
    to give OSPR. Thank you.

    At first, I though it was just another Sore Loserman (remember him?) type conspiracy. But then, I received more e-mails with links to websites that used some believable arguments. At the same time, no conservative website were responding. I started to worry that either the accusations were true or even if they were not, without any serious rebuttal, they would undermine Bush's presidency. In fact, pretty soon, I started receiving e-mails like this:

    There's nothing wrong with us using word of mouth to undermine the legitimacy of W's 'victory'. However - as far as a main strategy to move forward voter fraud won't work because it appeals mostly to the political junkie. Our challenge is to keep drawing in people who don't normally engage. I think Iraq is the central issue, it's Bush's achilles heal: the fact that it's based on lies, what it's doing to the Iraqis and our troops, and what it's doing to human needs at home, right in Forest Grove, as money goes into 'defense' contractors pockets while school days get cut and seniors lose their rest home coverage, etc. Local, creative actions to make people aware of the war could have more impact than big Portland marches, and wcchd is in the position to do it. Show up on Nov. 30, 6:30 pm at McMenimum's, upstairs in the Billy Scott rm, bring your ideas, get ready to fight back.


    Of course, some on the extreme left didn't really care.


    A terrible candidate (who supported more Bush initiatives the P Act & the I War for example - than some Republicans) of a party that has been betraying its base for at least 4 decades lost another election no more fraudulent than any other I've seen in the USA (e.g., Mayor Daley stealing the 1960 election for JFK). Big f'ing deal.

    Can't we move on now to issues other than which wing of the imperial party should drag us ever further into fascism and war? That issue is dead for at least 4 years. I would suggest we work on getting the cities of Cornelius,Forest Grove & Gaston to pass anti-discrimination ordinances ala Beaverton,but I'm willing to work on almost anything that does not involve trying to relive the immediate past.

    But I did care and so I waited for something that would at leat address the accusations and maybe even disprove them.

    Finally, the media did their job. The following are links to articles as they appeared in the pasdt few days:

    http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/story?id=239735&page=1

    http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2004/11/10/voting/index_np.html

    http://www.wired.com/news/evote/0,2645,65665,00.html

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41106-2004Nov10.html

    http://vote.caltech.edu/Reports/VotingMachines3.pdf

    http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/11/news_pf/Columns/Internet_post_electio.shtml

    And finally, if NYT says something it must be true, right?

    At this point I'm satisfied that no serious person can raise any more doubt about the outcome of this election.

     

    Ethics of science

    Republicans are accused of being against science because they don't want to pay for what they consider immoral. Democrats are against science when it doesn't fit their agenda.

    If you are a pregnant woman who is considering an abortion, they don't want you to see this picture.


    Smile Posted by Hello

    3D ultrasound technology is spreading fast. But many object to it.

    I on the other hand would even be willing to pay for it if it's part of any waiting law. Show this picture to every woman seeking abortion and let her wait for 24 hours. I pay for the picture. She pays for the abortion, if she still wants one.

    Thursday, November 11, 2004

     

    Moral values

    There is a lot of discussion around "moral values" and whose version of moral values is more valid. Is preventing a redefinition of marriage more moral than fighting poverty or working for global peace?

    Opposing gay marriage is a pure moral value. There is only one way to oppose gay marriage.

    Fighting poverty may call for different measures. Some of them may include education, material help, a loan, etc. Some believe peace can only be obtained though appeasement and some, like me, know there is only one way -- through strength.

    By voting for Republicans I do not oppose so called social justice. Nor do I oppose peace. In fact, I'd like to see everybody prosper and living in a peaceful (capitalistic, free-market and globalized) world.

    I don't oppose the end, I oppose the means.

    And it seems that those red-state Bush voters do in fact live their faith. They just do it with their own money. Unlike Democrats who would like to do it with mine.

    Johan Goldberg has an interesting take on Kerry's moral duplicity:


    In the final presidential debate, John Kerry, a Catholic, did his level-best to talk about his faith. It is, he explained, "why I fight against poverty. That's why I fight to clean up the environment and protect this Earth. That's why I fight for equality and justice. All of those things come out of that fundamental teaching and belief of faith."

    But, at the same time, Kerry said he could not "transfer" his faith onto other people by legislating it. This struck many as a political and theological dodge. Why is it OK to brag about imposing the minimum wage and affirmative action — issues his faith is largely silent on — based on God's will, but it's wrong to do the same thing on abortion when his church's views there are clear and ironclad? Kerry wanted it both ways: to claim he was guided by faith on the easy stuff but that he couldn't impose his religion when it wasn't politically advantageous.


     

    Whose money is it anyway?

    Democrats say Social Security needs to be protected because people have paid into it and they now deserve their money back. I say I don't want to pay into it; just let me keep it. You can't, they say, because the old folks need your money. OK, so no surprises here. It's a multi-level scheme and if anybody else ran it, it would probably violate one of those federal laws against using mail for fraud.

    Bush proposes a solution. Democrats say it's wrong. What's their solution? More taxes.

    Bush is called hardheaded because he's not admitting that his policies in Iraq are not working. It's not clear however what else would work. We know for sure, without a doubt, that the current scheme behind Social Security doesn't work. Bush proposes privatization, I propose complete abolition because most elderly should be cared for by their children. We are willing to try something else; Democrats are just hardheaded.



    Monday, November 08, 2004

     

    Blame game

    The Oregonian blames voters for government's arrogance. Oregonians had been complaining for the last 30 years about unjust land use regulations. The state had been ignoring them. Four years ago Oregonians sent a loud message. Where was the Oregonian when government kept on abusing its powers?

     

    Tolerant left

    We've been asked not only to be tolerant of others but to celebrate their differences. Now, that we simply ask the left to be more tolerant of us, they refuse. They even refuse to tolerate their own blood.

    Peace and tolerance have long been the words to live by in San Francisco, known for its large gay community, broad ethnic mix and frequent anti-war protests. But days after the election, many residents said they were so worried about an erosion of civil rights, environmental standards and the escalating violence in the Middle East, that they did not know how they could tolerate the Bush administration, or Americans who voted to re-elect him.

    "I have family in Idaho, but I told my wife we're not going to visit them now. It's all Republicans there," said Ron Schmidt, a public relations executive. "We have family in Indiana and I don't want to go there either."


    Friday, November 05, 2004

     

    Close call

    I didn't notice this earlier. It seems that another library levy, this time in Hillsboro, failed. But the margin is simply unbelievable.

    34-90 HILLSBORO CITY LIBRARY BOND
    VOTE FOR 1
    YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,906 49.91
    NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,960 50.09
    Total . . . . . . . . . 29,866

    By this standard, the Forest Grove levy failed by a landslide.

     

    Burn them, don't build them

    Argus says: "Let's build bridges" because the Oregon legislative chambers are again split between two parties and to accomplish anything they need to compromise. The house still belongs to Republicans and the senate shifted from a 15-15 parity to a Democrat control. But I say, burn them, don't build them! If I can't have my guys running things, I prefer a stale mate. If nothing gets done, at least my taxes will not raised.

     

    How could you?

    The Oregonian asks how could people who voted so overwhelmingly for Oregon Democrats also vote for such conservative (PBS calls them "red") measures as 35 and 37 and vote against 34. I could ask a similar question but in reverse: why would nice conservative folks vote for Democrats?

    I can't answer this question with any degree of certainty. But I can make an attempt.

    I have a friend who goes to my church, whose children go to a Catholic school with my children. So I'm assuming that he agrees with most of the teachings of the Catholic church. I suspect he was one of the many who voted for the Measure 36. Yet, he always votes Democrats.

    Why?

    Very often the answer is: my grandfather voted Democrat, my father voted Democrat, I vote Democrat. The folly of this answer is that the party his grandfather voted for wasn't for the so called right to abortion until the last day of pregnancy. The party his father voted for wasn't for so called gay marriage. The party he votes for will never give him school choice for his children.

    At some point one has to recognize a label is not enough. Chrysler in the 80s was a pretty shitty brand and it almost went under.

    There is also another explanation. When a conservative is faced with a relatively simple measure like 36, the choice is easy. But when he has to choose between parties, he chooses between many issues and his priorities could simply be different than mine.

    I know many people like my friend.

    By asking why would Democrats vote for Measure 37, the Oregonian assumes that Democrats are thieves and don't care about property rights. We may disagree about the level of taxation or level of land use regulations but whether my property is mine or it belongs to the government shouldn't be very controversial.

     

    It works for some

    It didn't work for me. Maybe I should have withdrawn.

     

    Who dunnit?

    The Oregonian doesn't get it. We didn't throw out Gallegos because we wanted a moderate. We wanted a true Republican, not a RINO. Riley is still in denial.

     

    Shame

    If this is true, is really pathetically shameful.

    Here's a pertinent quote from Democratic congressional candidate Adam Felber's concession speech, Nov. 2:

    There are some who would say that I sound bitter, that now is the time for healing, to bring the nation together. Let me tell you a little story. Last night, I watched the returns come in with some friends here in Los Angeles. As the night progressed, people began to talk half-seriously about secession, a red state / blue state split. The reasoning was this: We in blue states produce the vast majority of the wealth in this country and pay the most taxes, and you in the red states receive the majority of the money from those taxes while complaining about 'em. We in the blue states are the only ones who've been attacked by foreign terrorists, yet you in the red states are gung-ho to fight a war in our name. We in the blue states produce the entertainment that you consume so greedily each day, while you in the red states show open disdain for us and our values. Blue state civilians are the actual victims and targets of the war on terror, while red state civilians are the ones standing behind us and yelling "Oh, yeah!? Bring it on!"

    More than 40% of you Bush voters still believe that Saddam Hussein had something to do with 9/11. I'm impressed by that, truly I am. Your sons and daughters who might die in this war know it's not true, the people in the urban centers where al Qaeda wants to attack know it's not true, but those of you who are at practically no risk believe this easy lie because you can. As part of my concession speech, let me say that I really envy that luxury.


    Yes, you do sound bitter.

     

    Bad timing

    Paul Krugman has been accused many times of bad timing. Today was not an exception.

    Krugman says:


    The resurgence of Al Qaeda, the debacle in Iraq, the explosion of the budget deficit and the failure to create jobs weren't things that just happened to occur on Mr. Bush's watch. They were the consequences of bad policies made by people who let ideology trump reality.


    The reality says:

    U.S. stocks gain on blowout job data

    Stocks gained out of the gate after the Labor Department said U.S. nonfarm payrolls increased by 337,000 in October, about double the expectation. It was the largest gain in nonfarm payrolls since March. The average forecast of 39 economists surveyed by CBSMarketWatch was for nonfarm payroll gains of 175,000 jobs.

    Krugman says:

    I'll be starting a long-planned break next week, to work on a economics textbook. I'll be back in January.


    I say:

    Thank God.



    Thursday, November 04, 2004

     

    What would we do without Canada?

    American liberals, help is on the way! Looking at the pictures, I'm glad I'm not a liberal.

     

    No town too small for a War protest

    I thought this could only happen in big cities like Portland or Boston:

    Now that the National Dejections are over, I am going to resume my Thursday night remembrance of American youth lost in Iraq at Rogers park. Anyone wishing to join me is welcome. I will start about 5:30 and stay an hour.
    I couldn't go. I was in a bar celebrating. But then I was tempted again:

    Thanks for being steadfast. One idea I've been having is to do a local action on Inaugural day around the fallen in Iraq. The American Friends Service Committee has been putting on 'One thousand boots' demonstrations in public parks. People bring a thousand pairs of boots to a public space to stand for fallen US troops. They also bring childrens shoes and 'civilian' shoes to stand for the Iraqi casualties. It makes a sobering disply, also it's an action that can involve literally hundreds of people. We have over a hundred people that we surveyed who oppose the war in Iraq and we could contact each one, as well as the rest of WCCHD's base.

    If they really decide to do this, I will go. BTW, this sounds very similar to what James Taranto saw in Boston during the Democratic National Convention:

    The Agony of the Feet
    The next day, the pantomime Gongsters are gone from Copley Square. In their place are shoes--thousands and thousands of shoes. Multitudes of boots are arranged carefully on the lawn, with a sign explaining, "These 907 pairs of boots represent the U.S. soldiers killed in the Iraq war." Then there's a sloppy pile of shoes with another sign: "These 1,000 pairs of shoes represent a small fraction of the estimated 16,000 Iraqis killed in the war."


    There are no million shoes for Saddam Hussein's Iraqi, Iranian and Kuwaiti victims; only his American victims seem to matter, and only those Iraqis killed in connection with a U.S. military intervention. Come to think of it, there also are no 3,000 pairs of shoes for those who died at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon--even though the group sponsoring this display styles itself Sept. 11th Families for Peaceful Tomorrows.


    We approach a middle-aged man of ample girth, who seems to be in charge. "How many shoes do you have for Saddam Hussein's victims?" we ask.


    He stands silent, facing us. He seems to be staring us down, but we have no way of knowing for sure, as he's wearing sunglasses, even though the day is overcast. Finally, after perhaps 15 seconds, he breaks the silence:
    "Shame on you," he says.


    He explains that his group has simply chosen--arbitrarily, if we understand him correctly--to highlight the U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians killed in the liberation. He offers an analogy: "There are books that are written about one thing, there are books that are written about other things."


    We persist: Saddam's victims don't count unless they're American?


    "Somebody else is dealing with that."


    We point to the shoes representing the fallen soldiers: "Yeah, these guys are dealing with that."


    Whereupon he says: "It saddens me deeply to see the anger in your face." And we suppose he has a point. We are ticked off at just that moment. There's something especially despicable about those who exploit the memories of American soldiers to further the false claim that they died for an unjust cause.



     

    Let's savor

    Peggy Noonan is back from her sabbatical. She had gone from WSJ to work for W. She, as me, is enjoying this moment for all the wrong reasons.

    The Democrats have lost their leader in the Senate, Tom Daschle. I do not know what the Democratic Party spent, in toto, on the 2004 election, but what they seem to have gotten for it is Barack Obama. Let us savor.

    The elites of Old Europe are depressed. Savor. The nonelites of Old Europe, and the normal folk of New Europe, especially our beloved friend Poland, will not be depressed, and many will be happy. Let's savor that too.

    George Soros cannot buy a presidential election. Savor. "Volunteers" who are bought and paid for cannot beat volunteers who come from the neighborhood, church, workplace and reading group. Savor.

    The leaders of the Bush effort see it this way: A ragtag band of more than a million Republican volunteers who fought like Washington's troops at Valley Forge beat the paid Hessians of King George III's army. Savor.


     

    Moral values are important

    So we hear a lot about those moral values that got Bush elected. Democrats say they don't count so Bush shouldn't claim a mandate to govern from the right by introducing school vouchers, for example. Don't they understand that many people who voter for Bush on those moral values indeed voter for school choice, for their children to be left alone. Democrats would have much better chance of winning future election if they limited their agenda to so called social justice. They would still be wrong but at least they would not alienate so many people.

     

    Who cares

    Nobody cared about how I felt in 1996 when Dole lost and I felt so alone living in Madison, WI.

     

    Never too late to be right

    Meet Emma.

    Welcome home. Posted by Hello

     

    Many immigrants doing better

    So I lost. But there are other Republican immigrants who did much better. No, I don't mean Arnold, especially after he backed Proposition 71 it's hardly fitting to call him Republican. I'm talking about Bobby and Mel.

     

    Is there hope for Oregon?

    I think so. Even the Oregonian agrees. I just think our party should become even more conservative. Otherwise, many people simply don't see too much difference and prefers to vote for the known quantity.

     

    Post-election thoughts

    It's really over and it's really true. I just came back from a local bar where I and a friend from work had a few beers to celebrate an overwhelming Republican success. In fact, when one looks at all what happened on Tuesday it can't be mistaken for anything else than a complete Republican blowout. I think the Vietnam syndrome is over. I think this is the beginning of a total Republican domination of American politics for the next 50 years or until I die whatever comes first. I want Social Security to be privatized, I want school choice, I want income tax to be abolished and most importantly I want to kick some French ass. OK, scratch the last one, they are almost dead anyway.



    My condolences also go out you and to our cities, county, state and country. Oregon has once again chosen to vote a selfish pocketbook and backward social agenda into law. Through machines that can't be checked, or recounted, the corrupt Bush administration has stolen yet another election, only much more slickly this time than last. Our nation is the victim of a masterful crime. You may be feeling much like I am: depressed, angry, even a little sick, and certainly fearful of what the next four years will bring, but know this, the house of cards was beginning to topple as the summer turned to autumn. Reports suppressed until after the election will be coming out over the next few months...and as time goes on people will see how they were manipulated and used by a vicious and immoral gang who draped themselves with false competence and morality.

    So the work goes on...resistance is not futile. Alana and I would personally like to organize for a National Strike on Jan. 20th - inauguration day (a Thursday this year). Whatever we do, know that we are stronger for the work already done, and together we can accomplish much more.
    Yes, I voted my "selfish pocketbook and backward social agenda" because you refuse to let me have any say in how the money I earn should be sepnt.

    I listened to Air America this morning and I couldn't believe the conspiracy theories put forth by some of the callers and even the hosts. It doesn't surprise me that people will believe for the next 4 years that this election was also stolen.

    I can't wait to see this national day of strike. Boy, I wonder what will happen.

    My "friends" continue:


    I LOVE the idea of a National Strike on Inauguration day!!!! The good thing that has come out of all this is the strong network of progressives that has formed. (I just HAVE to believe there's something good that came of this or I'll become suicidal.) Many, many, many thanks to the two of you for all your hard work!!!
    Suicidal? Isn't it enough that Republicans are winning because of Row effect?

    My suicidal "friends" get some advise from the North:


    What I think is that there may be some good come of this. True, Bush will think every American aside from a few gay literate bearded communist mullahs are 101% behind him (and God) in the fight against rational thought, and act on it. But to be frank, I never believed Kerry was going to pull America's chestnuts out of the fire Bush dropped them in. The situation was well nigh irretrievable -- you're in Iraq, in debt, and in trouble. Maybe it's better Bush suffer the inevitable consequences than a Democrat president. Had the situation blown up in the face of Kerry, it would have discredited the liberal approach to politics for another generation. The best we could expect is that both sides would be discredited, but realistically we know all that would have happened is that the Republicans would screech, "we should've stayed the course! Bush was right!" But... Kerry isn't president. Bush is. Let Bush be proven wrong in the eyes of the world.

    It's going to be hard on everyone, though. I don't envy Americans... but at least there's someone who's going to suffer far worse -- Iraqis and any other Arab nation Bush sets his sights on.

    From what I've heard so far, the vote divided dramatically. Overwhelming support for Kerry in the urban parts of the U.S. -- the northeast and west coast. Support for Bush was in the predominantly rural and right-wing areas of America -- the sunbelt and cactus belt, the bible belt, cattle and oil country. I've struggled with the concept and think I can sum it up -- Peasant America elected Bush; Bourgeois America voted Kerry. (And Patrician America chose the candidates for you.)

    The notion of an American peasantry is rather shocking, but does make sense. They voted largely symbolic issues -- a friend of mine put it God, Guns, and Gays. (He might have added Gas.) Like a Russian peasant, he (the American peasant) is loyal to God, Czar, and Holy Mother Russia, and distrusts egg-head Jews from the the city. "Foreigners" are invading Germans, invading Turks, invading Mongols.... and, lately, Arab terrorists.
    How about the following? I may be working with one of these people!!!

    Once again, a host of high light beings has requested me to speak on their behalf. We wish our voices to be heard around the world because the world is keenly watching the presidential election outcome in the United States. We are urging all peoples of all nations to attach NO negative sentiments to this! As we have said previously, and other high light sources have given this same word to their respected channel messengers: The outcome is not significant! The so-called victor is the candidate of the Illuminati faction that won the battle of infighting that has seesawed for several months. The two factions differ in the strategies within their dark agendas, but the ultimate aim of both factions is global domination. This no more favorably serves the people of the United States—most of whom are unaware that their votes do not count—than it serves any other country where true freedom and honest elections are valued. What IS of great significance to everyone on the planet is the massive amount of light generated by the voters! Regardless of their choices, these citizens cast their ballots with the desire, even conviction, that their preferred candidate will make wise decisions that will bring peace, end environmental destruction, and initiate other beneficial changes to improve conditions in the United States and the world. Collectively the voters who turned out in great numbers have substantially added to the light that is moving Earth into the higher frequencies. While it is true that much darkness is yet to be transmuted into light, the outpouring of electors in the United States has given Earth a considerable boost on her journey. If you could see the soul of Earth in this moment, you would be stunned by the brilliance! THIS is the magnificent joy of this day that we see and we wish to have YOU see! Today has brought your world closer to the era of peace and love, where all leaders will be acting within spiritual integrity and peoples of all nations will live within cooperation, compassion, justness, forgiveness, comfort and harmony. You need to remain steadfast in the light during the times of turmoil that will precede that Golden Era. Earth still must rid herself of the remaining negativity along her journey into fourth density, and that is why we urge all who may feel disheartened in this moment NOT to attach that negativity to the election outcome. Please do not add to Earth’s chore in this respect! Instead, feel immensely heartened by what WE see this day! Feel immensely heartened by knowing that the numbers of people awakening and becoming soul searchers are continuously growing, and you have as constant allies and helpers myriad members of your space family, in physical as well as in spirit, among you on the planet as well as surrounding it. The abundance of love-light being beamed to each of you comes with a purity, beauty and intensity you can only imagine, and the light we see within you is equally joyous for us. Stay the light course, our beloved Earth family—we are with you!


    Whatever.

    Wednesday, November 03, 2004

     

    Election wrap-up

    The dust has settled (almost) completely by now. There are new numbers from Forest Grove but they don't change anything. I still came in last.

    FOREST GROVE CITY COUNCILOR
    VOTE FOR 3
    DANA LOMMEN. . . . . . . . . . 1,685 11.75
    VICTORIA J. LOWE . . . . . . . . 2,379 16.60
    ALDIE HOWARD . . . . . . . . . 1,967 13.72
    PETER TRUAX. . . . . . . . . . 3,227 22.51
    LINDA WALLARD . . . . . . . . . 1,627 11.35
    KRZYSTOF ZMUDZINSKI . . . . . . . 1,044 7.28
    ELENA UHING. . . . . . . . . . 2,271 15.84
    WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 135 .94
    Total . . . . . . . . . 14,335

    I'm amazed and humbled by the degree of support I got. Aldie Howard, for example, has lived in Forest Grove for some 30 years, has served as a city councilor once and ran for the mayor two years ago. He also ran a real campaign this year. Posted some signs, sent some literature around. Yet, he didn't even get 2,000 votes. Possible explanation for the result is here.

    I can claim a big success on the local level. I decided to run when I found out that the City Council decided to place a library levy on the November ballot simply to maintain the current services. I ran because I wanted to introduce new ideas to the debate. One is not against children by opposing unlimited funding for schools or libraries, for example. So I was the only candidate who from the very beginning of the race opposed the library levy. I lost but so did the levy.

    34-97 FOREST GROVE CITY LIBRARY LEVY
    VOTE FOR 1
    YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,291 48.38
    NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,511 51.62
    Total . . . . . . . . . 6,802

    The difference between the Yes and No votes is so small that I have to believe that the few interviews I did, the letters to editor I wrote and the debates I participated in made a difference.

    I listen to Michael Medved from time to time. Today, he again lambasted the third-party candidates and people who vote for them. He was especially mad because there is a very good chance that Rossi will lose to Gregoire in the Washington Governor race because of the libertarian candidate Bennett. I agree with Michael. When a political advantage is in stake, one should vote for a candidate closest to one's views who has a chance of winning.

    But, I still think that voting for Cox against Gallegos was the right thing to do. I knew Republicans would keep the house so my vote of protest against Gallegos and against the Republican party was warranted. And I wasn't alone. These numbers show that Gallegos would have won rather easily (even 2% of libertarians still voted for Cox) had she been a real Republican for the past two years.

    STATE REPRESENTATIVE DIST 29
    VOTE FOR 1
    TOM COX (LIB) . . . . . . . . . 1,790 9.50
    MARY GALLEGOS (REP) . . . . . . . 7,911 41.97
    CHUCK RILEY (DEM). . . . . . . . 9,095 48.26
    WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 51 .27
    Total . . . . . . . . . 18,847

    Among the important Measures (the ones I cared about), only 35 and 38 did poorly and failed. On the other hand, Oregon joined 10 other states to explicitly define the institution of marriage, but the Oregonian calls is a step back. By passing Measure 37 Oregonians for the second time in so many years have stood on the side of property owners. Protecting environment comes with a price and somebody has to pay. It's only fair.

    So I live in a blue state. I don't care. In fact, since I immigrated to the United States I've only traveled through red states. I had high hopes in 2000 and again this year. It turned out that 2000 was as close as they come. The economy in Oregon is pretty bad and people prefer to blame a guy in Washington, D.C. rather than the guys here in Salem. Go figure.

    Tuesday, November 02, 2004

     

    Not bad, not bad at all

    After the first two posts, I took a long breath and looked at some more numbers in Oregon. The bottom line and good news is that at least in Forest Grove and Washington County people don't want to pay more taxes. The only disappointment is that the guy running for the Forest Grove City Council I wanted to lose, got the most votes. It must be about name recognition.

    I was the only candidate (ABC just called Florida for Bush) who opposed the library levy. It didn't pass. I'm not saying people didn't vote for me because they (CBS just called Florida for Bush) didn't know that I opposed the levy. What I'm saying is that people of Forest Grove share my views. My name is probably too difficult to pronounce. Just kidding. I've lived in Forest Grove only for 4 years. Nobody knows me. I didn't run any campaign. Not one knock on anybody's door. It's funny how it works out.

    So I know what I have to do for the next two years.

    Measure 37 did pass. This is important. It's all about fairness. I'm waiting for more results from Oregon.

     

    Great news from Oregon

    Measure 36 passes. I made this deal with the election Gods: I will gladly lose if Measure 36 passes and President Bush wins. So far so good...

     

    Bad news all over in Oregon

    First, I lost:
    FOREST GROVE CITY COUNCILOR
    VOTE FOR 3
    DANA LOMMEN. . . . . . . . . . 1,203 12.05
    VICTORIA J. LOWE . . . . . . . . 1,689 16.92
    ALDIE HOWARD . . . . . . . . . 1,380 13.82
    PETER TRUAX. . . . . . . . . . 2,223 22.26
    LINDA WALLARD . . . . . . . . . 1,150 11.52
    KRZYSTOF ZMUDZINSKI . . . . . . . 689 6.90
    ELENA UHING. . . . . . . . . . 1,593 15.95
    WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 58 .58
    Total . . . . . . . . . 9,985

    Second, Bush loses Oregon big. The only good news right now is that Measure 34 fails.
    I'm waiting for any other good (and bad) news...

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