Getting to more recent impressions

While I don't intend to make this a political blog, I'm going to have things to say regarding polotics and world events on occasion. I'm not an analyst, I don't claim to be one. I do however try to pay attention to the world, and I vote, so I figure I can spout off once in a while.

I've been watching the news lately just dumb founded by some of the stupidity going on in the world. Let me lead into this by saying I am a registered Republican. The reason for that is I feel that the Democratic party has become the party of self-deception.

What do I mean when I say that? I mean that the attitude that your circumstances aren't your fault/responsibility seems pervasive in the party and the left in general. I just can't accept that. I used to feel that the Democratic party was the party that stood up for the working man, and stood against the abuses of big business. Now I see them as the party of dependancy, blame and fear mongering. I don't know when it changed, but it most certainly did. In my opinion, Zell Miller has it right, the party needs to look at where they are standing and where the rest of the country stands.

I do have some other ideological differences with the party. I don't believe that gun control on the scale that we usually hear about is appropriate. Hell, I don't think we should be passing anymore gun control laws until the laws we have are enforced. Most of the crimes that we are pointed to as examples of the need for more gun control laws, involve guns that were illegally obtained. The most brazen (and local) example is Columbine. Not a single one of those firearms was obtained legally.

I also don't believe unions are a good thing any longer. I find it hard to swallow when people go on strike because they feel that an average of $27 an hour isn't enough money for putting together cars. It's not rocket science, it's not like someone else couldn't be taught how to do the work. I know several people with technical Bachelor degrees (I'm included in that number) that don't make that much. On top of that we work on salary, so we don't get paid for our overtime, and there is plenty of that.

The idea that kids need to learn self worth before learning how to read, write and add, makes me sick. Accomplishments lead to self-esteem. Teaching kids that they don't need to worry about results is a huge disservice, to them and to the people that will depend on them later in life. Are we going to get to the point where engineers that design bridges that collapse aren't held responsible because they meant well? Learning is a process, and like many processes it can be painful. Avoiding pain doesn't teach a kid anything very useful, they just learn that life is easy. When was the last time you thought life was easy?

I'm not saying the Republican party doesn't have it's share of problems. While I agree with the general stance on abortion, I think it is ending a life. I disagree with the tactics all too many of the anti-abortion groups use. Graphic protests just make me sick to my stomach and upset with the group protesting. Blowing up clinics or shooting doctors that perform abortion, is just out right stupid! Killing people because you believe they are commiting a moral offense is immoral. What they are doing, however much you or I might disagree with it, is perfectly legal.

The idea that we shouldn't have any gun control is not really sane. I realize that most right wing people don't think that we should be able to buy a gun anytime we want and without restriction. However there are those out there that do believe that, and I think that they are wrong. A .50 caliber machine gun is not necessary to defend yourself, your family or your home. Along these lines, it should not be mandatory to have a firearm in every household. If you feel a great deal of discomfort around firearms, you shouldn't handle them. Though if you have any in your house, it is your responsibility to make sure they are in good working order (or completely disabled) and that everyone in the house knows the safety rules for firearms.

There's some of the background, on to what's been driving me nuts lately. We have a Supreme Court nominee. I know he's replacing Sandra Day O'Connor, and that she has been a swing vote, but it isn't mandated anywhere that her replacement should follow her ideology. As a matter of fact, I think we need someone that won't vote to allow property to be removed from one private owner and given to another, like the recent case in Connecticut. The nominee also doesn't need to be a woman or minority. The nominee does need to understand the law and the Constitution and realize that the Constitution isn't just another piece of paper.

The recent resurgance in the sentiment that President Bush lied to get us into a war. Senator Schumer said that he thought President Bush believed the interpretation of the intelligence that he had been given. Then he says that the President lied. Which is it? Did he believe it, or did he lie? He also said that he voted to go to war even though he wasn't thoroughly convinced that we should go to war. I guess it's ok to send people off to another country to die, when you aren't positive it needs to be done.

The idea that losing 2000+ troups in 3 years is some kind of attrociously high number. Being a veteran, I do agree that losing troops is bad and if it can be avoided reasonably it should be. We lost an average of ~5300 troops per year during the Vietnam War, an average of ~12,200 during the Korean War, and an average ~53,300 per year during WWII. In this case we are fighting a war against terrorists, which is harder that most people can imagine. One of the main ways to win a war is to get and maintain the initiative. When your enemy hides among the people and strikes at points and times of their choosing, taking the battle to them is difficult to say the least. I think the troups are doing an outstanding job.

I think I've gotten my rant out for the day.

The riots in France. I guess terrorism really isn't a problem, and that going to war only provoked responses. Oh, that's right, France didn't go to war and they have over 2 weeks worth of riots that are getting closer to Paris. If this was not an action with some kind of support in the back ground, the riots would have burned themselves out by now (no pun intended).