Headline: Pot Calls Kettle Black (or, Israel Calls for Iran Sanctions)

They're kidding right? Surely even Israel, a country which has produced and maintains a stockpile of nuclear weapons in defiance of international law, UN restrictions and various treaty obligations, is not sufficiently arrogant to call on the international community to impose sanctions on Iran for following the same path. I have no problem with Israel's desire to maintain a nuclear free Iran. I also have no problem with Israel working legally toward that end. Frankly, the fewer nuclear weapons, the better is a general tenet I hold dear.

My problem is that the Israeli government will not submit to the same restrictions, inspections and conditions that they are calling for with respect to Iran. Israel and her supporters claim frequently that they are victims of unfair treatment. There are certainly cases in which that may be true. The situation, however, is now entirely reversed. Israel wants Iran to comply with regulations to which Israel will not and furthermore insists that Iran be punished.

I'll support any reasonable, serious response to the illicit production of nuclear technology that is apllied equally among all nations. Other than that, any response will only serve to further deepen the existing rifts and perceived unfair treatment.

Tony Snow - Gotta Go

Who is this guy? Is he serving as a right-wing talk radio host or is he the Press Secretary for the President of the United States of America? All these born-again, conservative busy bodies who were harping on Bill Clinton for bringing the Office of President into disrepute seem surprisingly silent when the Press Secretary makes unsubstantiated claims about the motivations of a key individual in the Iraqi mess.

It's time for Tony snow to go. (Maybe Rush Limbaugh's looking for a new gig.)

Bush on Limbaugh?!

We are in deep trouble. That the President of the United States would even consider appearing on the radio with the venomous, hate-filled, downright sociopathic Rush Limbaugh is an affront to all Americans. Whether one enjoys Rush or even agrees with him, the notion that the President should contribute to his daily spewing of bile ought to scare each an every thinking person in the nation.

How can the President appear with a man who has unabashedly accused Michael J. Fox of enhancing his disease for the sake of political gain. How can the President support a man who uses innuendo and supposition to sway the minds of his generally ill-informed audience. Can our President do no better?

President Bush has limited his appearances more than any President in living history. Why then, when he feels he has something of import to share with the American people does he do so through a media outlet so limited in appeal and audience that he will only be heard by the smallest-minded among us? Why not have a press conference? Why not appear with a real journalist? Heck, even Fox News might as a question or two.

My faith in the ability of this country to survive the current political landscape is diminished more by each action of this President. My faith in the American people, once great, is slowly slipping toward oblivion. Please let me be wrong.

"Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush."

That's what Senator John Kerry was trying to say when he spoke on Monday to a collegiate audience in California.  I wish I were surprised that the Rove hate-machine has jumped on this along with the right-wing radio nutjobs, but am truly appalled that there are democrats who are willing to join the fray on the side of the President.

Whatever happened to truth?  Whatever happened to honor?  Whatever happened to talking about the issues rather than making up issues with which to attack others?

There are days on which I believe that the system is irretrievably broken.  I am a political scientist by training and a teacher of history by profession.  How do I explain this to my class without dashing their hopes ofbrightergther days to come?  If all this nation is capable of is the sort of garbage that is issuing from the White House and from some Democrats, then we are quite likely doomed.

Time to turn the country over to the American Taliban and head to the EU where there is still a glimmer of hope here and there.

It is done.  I have started another blog.  There is a mirror site to this one on WordPress and there is another WordPress blog as well.  I honestly forget the name.

My purpose here, however, is to see if the widget I have just downloaded will post this tripe to my blog.

Here goes nothin'.

Keith Olberman - Profile in Courage

Finally, someone with the courage to speak out against the tyranny and timidity that has gripped our country by the throat. In his commentary regarding the bold-faced lies told by our President, Keith Olberman has put a chink in the armor of the secrecy, deception and venomous personal attacks of the Bush administration. Perhaps now the rest of the professional media (excluding by definition, of course, Fox News) will summon the nerve required to report the truth.

For the past six years the American people have been fed lies upon lies while the media has, for the most part, stood idly by and watched our great nation sink deeper into authoritarianism. This final piece of legislation has given the President the right to decide which parts of the Geneva Convention apply in any given situation and to detain "enemy combatants" without charge and without due process for as long as he desires. There is no oversight. No recourse. No way to find out who is held, where they are held, or what they are supposed to have done. As a nation we have given up that which we are supposedly fighting for to an internal enemy. Our freedoms are in dire peril.

It is sad indeed, as one who has held the freedoms of the Constitution more dearly than I do any other aspect of this great nation, to realize that we are now competing at the level of our enemies. We decry the lack of freedom in Iraq and Iran even as we give up our own. We decry the human rights violations of China and North Korea even as we torture and unlawfully hold those we hate. We rush to prevent the proliferation of weapons we invented and manufacture. No wonder the rest of the world sits stunned and afraid. We have become the enemy. We are the rogue nation. We can only hope it's not too late.

My hat's off to Mr. Olberman and to all those who will, I hope, follow his lead and speak the truth to the American People. Now, that's patriotic.

Ailin

This is our year-old smooth coat Collie. He barks at everyone and everything. It was only after we fell in love with him that we realized that this is a trait of the breed. Hey, the kids make noise and we keep them, right?

Been a while . . .

since my last post. Changed jobs, got married, moved to a new home, new neighborhood. Life is good. We've moved to Seminole Heights (nearly a year, now) and couldn't be happier. The kids (one of mine, two of hers) are fighting and playing as if they'd always been together. We've got two dogs now -- both collies. I'll put up some pics.

I recently discovered YouTube and will likely start to add some links to that sort of thing. I'm especially fond of some of the Jon Stewart stuff. The Clinton interview on CNN is also a lot of fun.

In any case, I just wanted to get back in the game. I'll continue to offer comments and criticisms about everything -- myself included.

Hasta la vista.

When?

The greatest question facing mankind is "when." When will there be peace? When will there be justice? When will children have all that they need? Instead of setting in motion the actions that will bring about the answers, we are mired in the mindset that there is actually something "real" stopping this from happening. We invent reasons why we are unable to accomplish that upon which we all agree.

The lack of a universal "we" only seems to exist when there is work to be done. We seem always able to go to war. We are perfectly able to be greedy, jealous and fearful on a planetary scale. Why then, are there so few instances when "we" are able to work the other side of the street and show compassion, patience and respect. Why are we not willing to sacrifice for the benefit of "others?"

The ultimate sacrifice, according to those who wage war, is to give one's life (get killed to be more accurate) while engaged in defending (killing others) one's country. It doesn't matter what side one is on -- the reasoning runs the same in all countries on all sides of all conflicts at all times. How wrong can a truism be?

How about the ultimate sacrifice being the one in which one sacrifices from the heart. A sacrifice of life instead of death. Perhaps the honors given those who die on the battle field might better be bestowed upon those who share. That's right -- share. Basic Living, 101.

Well, that's it for today. Back to work.

The Kids These Days

I've worked with high school kids for nearly fifteen years now, and feel that I've at least started to get a feel for how they approach the world. A great deal of the published literature is on solid ground. Kids are stuck in the netherworld between childhood and adulthood. Their bodies are telling them one thing and their minds are unable to speak. They act on impulse because they can. With an inability to distinguish a safe environment for one fraught with dangers, teenagers take little notice of the possible consequences of their actions. Why would they?

In modern, middle-class America we have created the ultimate responsibility-free zone on the planet. It seems sometimes that there is virtually nothing a kid can do that will cause lasting harm . . . at least to him or herself. We don't report instances of dishonesty to the colleges at which our kids enroll. We don't discipline kids of whose parents we are legally fearful. It doesn't take much intelligence to figure out that the rules are often for show. Slowly, the younger generations (my own included) have taken the bellows to our house of cards.

As they grow, the brains of teenagers eventually create their own ability to assess results prior to action. The problem so often seems to be that the road to this new talent has left them with the knowledge that consequences are, for the most part, theoretical guidelines that are only the starting point for negotiations. I fear that this mentality might not bode well for the future. Even the best of kids, when given the information that repercussions are transitory, will stray from the path. What happens when the majority of adults starts to act this way? I guess we'll all find out in a few years.

Justice(?) Roberts

As the hearings get underway and the future of the Supreme Court is debated, it is difficult to muster much concern. The imperial Presidency has emerged once again under the guiding hand of Karl Rove, et al. and has reduced the relative importance of the Court proportionately. Robert's confirmation would simply cement an already existing decline of the balance among our three governmental powers and leave the country open to Constitutional crisis when the political pendulum swings back across the center. Let us hope that the brilliance of this justice will outweigh his reluctance to assert the power of his co-equal branch.

Perhaps his reticence conceals his stated willingness to approach each debate with an open mind. There is, as they say, always hope.

Katrina Ire

As the billions of dollars add up and the press reveals the finger-pointing and blamestorming that has ensued, the caring response of the American people has been wonderful. One can't open a magazine, turn on a television or listen to the radio without hearing about individuals who are donating time, money or goods to the relief effort.

While I applaud the motivation of these Samaritans, the reality that middle-class families are sacrificing (yet again) to underwrite the cleanup as wealthier Americans enjoy their tax-cuts and profit-swollen corporations make haste to dismantle remaining environmental restrictions, remains our dirty, little secret. Already spending into deficit, the Bush Administration and the Republican controlled congress are likely quite satisfied with this turn of events. If our federal government were doing its job and adequately financing prevention as it taxed appropriately, the "little guy" would not need to send his hard-earned hundred dollars to the Red Cross. It would mean, however, that the tax cuts and corporate welfare would not be so appealing. The system is broken and, just as we did with the New Orleans canals, we refuse to fix it.

What will the breach look like when it finally and inevitably comes. Riots in the streets? Economic revolution and collapse? I don't have those answers. Nevertheless, fear of the solution is rarely a good reason to avoid confronting a problem. Instead of finding someone to blame for the mess, this country needs to wake up and look to the future.

The beginning . . .

As the title suggests, this first post to Going Down the Road is a starting point. Exaclty what is starting remains anyone's guess. I enjoy the process of exchange. I spend my days with young people who understand the potential for technology to empower ideas over impressions and thoughts over things. I may be the only one to post here. I may be the only one to pass this way. It matters not. What matters is that the ideas have a home. In the end, it's the ideas that matter most.