The latest controversy over John Kerry’s Vietnam War record is another perfect example of why so many Americans are disenfranchised with the political process. That’s not to say that I’m blaming the Republicans, as Democrats are just as guilty. But this election (as I’m sure is as has been the case in most presidential elections) is less about issues and more about manipulating public perception.
With that in mind, El Duderino dedicates this column to the reasons for its support of John Kerry, or in this case, its non-support of the current administration. Ideally, Monty Brewster would enter the race, as he did in the 1985 Richard Prior film Brewster’s Millions, and dedicate his millions to the purpose of getting none of the candidates elected.
The GOP often times likes to refer to itself in business terms. That government should be run more like a business. Results are what matters. If that was the case, the Board of Directors would have no choice but to fire George Bush as shareholder value has been abysmal. And that’s with the GOP controlling every major facet of government.
Economy
According to a recent report published by the Census Bureau, from 2001 through 2003, poverty increased, income stagnated and the ranks of the uninsured grew. Despite bringing the Nation to war, the Bush administration handed out more than $400 billion in tax cuts, which primarily benefited those in higher income brackets. As evidenced by a Congressional Budget Office report, the middle class has taken over a larger role of our Nation’s tax burden as a result of those same tax cuts. In June, the Nation experienced its largest trade deficit ever at just under $56 billion.
Despite the record stimulus added to the economy by the administration’s tax cuts, job growth has been weak at best, not even adding enough jobs to cover increases in the population, and there are a few million jobs less in the Nation today than when Bush took office in 2001. Worse, the budget deficit is expected to reach an all-time high of $445 billion this year and keep rising to a high of an estimated nearly $2 trillion in the not-too-distant future. This hamstrings future administration’s ability to deal with any unforeseen disasters, be it another major terrorist attack, an international incident that is truly time sensitive or another recession.
We’re not even close to being in a better spot than we were when Bush entered office.
International Arrogance and Ignorance
The United States used to be an example to the rest of the world. We came to the rescue of our European and Asian allies in World Wars I and II. We were largely responsible for ending the Cold War. We’re far and away the largest benefactor to Developing and Third World nations. Our political pressure helped end Apartheid, end decades worth of corruption at the hands of the PRI in Mexico and helped instill Democratic ideals (often times bringing down ruthless dictatorships and despotic regimes) in dozens of countries world wide… all through peaceful actions.
The Bush administration has single-handedly taken that century’s worth of good will and completely and irreversibly made Americans the scourge of the world for the foreseeable future. Although it would be nice to be thought of as good people, what’s worse is the potential damage that anti-American sentiments may spawn.
Our economy is based on the world becoming increasingly advanced and opening up new markets for the goods our companies sell. With the increasing coordination of the countries in the European Union and the sheer mass of more than one billion inhabitants in both China and India, we’re not going to be the 500 pound capitalist and technologically advanced gorilla forever. The more we piss off the rest of the world, the less likely those same countries are going to be in welcoming our economic policies in the future.
And what’s even more disheartening to ED, is that the Bush administration’s arrogance in dealing with our allies has seemed to wear off on the rest of society. Anecdotal evidence suggests that we’re entering a new era of religious ferocity, the evangelical Christians versus Islam, with history telling us that such religious fanaticism leads to violence and division.
Environment
ED is not an environmentalist. If it’s a choice between logging a plot of land owned by a private company (and employing a town) versus moving a species of owl to another forest, ED is for moving the owl. But, ED is also a believer in moderation and cooperating with the rest of the world. The current administration’s failure to enact policy (or even show any interest) in reducing our dependence on oil and other non-renewable sources of energy is appalling.
Bush policies that can be deemed “anti-environment” and show a lack of respect for the views of the rest of the industrialized world include cutting the EPA budget, proposing oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as well as drilling in vast plots of land in the Rockies, burying the Kyoto global warming treaty (of which America is by far the largest producer of greenhouse gases), renouncing his pledge to cap carbon dioxide emissions and suspending new limits on arsenic in drinking water. More good news came this past Tuesday, the EPA reported that fish in virtually all of the nation’s lakes and rivers are contaminated with mercury.
Education
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) was the Administration’s first major piece of legislation. As can be said about several of the President’s major initiatives, NCLB appears to be more about being able to point to progress in a key voter segment, education in this case, versus actually attempting to reform a neglected aspect of society.
In the case of NCLB, the Administration pushed forward legislation, which on the surface made a lot of sense, creating accountability for educators. Unfortunately, the Administration provided very little funding for the Act, nor did it provide a reliable game plan for reaching the goals put forth in the legislation.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Brewster’s Millions
Character: Monty Brewster
Setting: At the behest of a will, Monty is tasked with spending $30 million without acquiring any assets in return. After being largely unsuccessful, Monty decides to take his millions and run for the Mayor of New York due to the corruption that has enveloped the city. Because winning the election would result in him attaining a salary and thus an asset, Brewster runs on the platform of vote for none of the above, in order to ensure he doesn't win the election.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: ED isn’t crazy about John Kerry, neither his policy (most notably his seeming aversion to free trade principles) nor his personality. But, the current administration has been given four years and has failed miserably. If voting for none of the above was an option, that box would have at least one checkmark.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Sunday, August 29, 2004
Friday, August 13, 2004
… and that's the fact that a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males didn't want to pay their taxes
A study being released today by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) details the impact of the Bush tax cuts that occurred in 2001. Result? Look for another terror alert coming soon.
The study found that the wealthiest 20 percent of our country saw their share of federal taxes drop from 64.4 percent of total tax payments in 2001 to 63.5 percent this year. The middle class saw its burden of the tax load INCREASE. Although Democrats have continually stated this to be the case, the administration has done a masterful job of denying the left’s claims.
It’ll clearly be much tougher for the administration to de-bunk the CBO, though. The CBO is headed by a former senior economist from the Bush White House, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, and is headed by a Republican Congressman. Expect the spinning from the White House to be mind-boggling. They’ll be bringing out the big guns on this one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61178-2004Aug12.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Dazed and Confused
Character: Ms. Ginny Stroud
Setting: It’s 1976. The bell rings for the final class on the last day of school. Students are jumping from their seats, rushing for the door. As a final piece of wisdom, hippie teacher Ms Ginny Stroud leaves her small town Texas students with words of wisdom that I’m sure impacted each of them profoundly… “Okay guys, one more thing, this summer when you're being inundated with all this American bicentennial Fourth Of July brouhaha, don't forget what you're celebrating, and that's the fact that a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males didn't want to pay their taxes.”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Minus the slave-owning part, the people that Ms. Ginny Stroud decries are those that have benefited the most from the administration’s tax cuts.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
The study found that the wealthiest 20 percent of our country saw their share of federal taxes drop from 64.4 percent of total tax payments in 2001 to 63.5 percent this year. The middle class saw its burden of the tax load INCREASE. Although Democrats have continually stated this to be the case, the administration has done a masterful job of denying the left’s claims.
It’ll clearly be much tougher for the administration to de-bunk the CBO, though. The CBO is headed by a former senior economist from the Bush White House, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, and is headed by a Republican Congressman. Expect the spinning from the White House to be mind-boggling. They’ll be bringing out the big guns on this one.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61178-2004Aug12.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Dazed and Confused
Character: Ms. Ginny Stroud
Setting: It’s 1976. The bell rings for the final class on the last day of school. Students are jumping from their seats, rushing for the door. As a final piece of wisdom, hippie teacher Ms Ginny Stroud leaves her small town Texas students with words of wisdom that I’m sure impacted each of them profoundly… “Okay guys, one more thing, this summer when you're being inundated with all this American bicentennial Fourth Of July brouhaha, don't forget what you're celebrating, and that's the fact that a bunch of slave-owning, aristocratic, white males didn't want to pay their taxes.”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Minus the slave-owning part, the people that Ms. Ginny Stroud decries are those that have benefited the most from the administration’s tax cuts.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, August 11, 2004
My Motto is “Do it my way or watch your butt”
An interesting Slate article yesterday by Daniel Gross noted the parallels between Costco and Wal-Mart in contrast with the Democratic and Republican parties. As simply a demographic comparison, Costco tends to be in so-called blue states/areas, while Wal-Mart tends to be centered in the red states/areas.
While the article only makes a cursory mention of the ideology that drives management decisions at Costco and Wal-Mart, the two companies do sum up the two political parties quite effectively. A summary of Wal-Mart is a microcosm of everything that ED doesn’t like about the current state of the GOP.
Wal-Mart is overtly aggressive and will do about anything to ensure that it’s the clear alpha male in its industry (and the world for that matter). The AVERAGE wage at Wal-Mart is less than Costco’s LOWEST wage. The company is oft-criticized by labor groups for failing to provide adequate healthcare and benefits, for discriminating against women, for locking cleaning personnel in the stores at night to reduce the need for security personnel and forcing overtime without additional pay.
Aside from its shoddy labor practices, the company routinely forces its way into communities despite widespread protest. In a recent highly publicized attempted store opening in Inglewood in Southern California, Wal-Mart essentially tried to incorporate its own city so that the company could skirt environmental laws. A Wal-Mart sponsored ballot initiative was rejected by the voters of Inglewood. The company also has utilized its standing as the world’s largest company to force its own agenda. The company rejects music CDs and movies that it finds objectionable and forces suppliers of nearly every consumable good and/or product on the planet to conform to its standards.
But, at the end of the day, Wal-Mart is a wildly successful entity and has lined the pockets of tens of thousands of investors. The company from any monetary measurement is one of the most glaring and shining examples of American capitalism. And that all about sums up the Bush administration doesn’t it… as long as money is being made, everything is fine, despite the consequences of that growth (sadly, it’s tough to make an argument that the economy is in a wildly successful state, but that’s a different column).
Of course any card carrying Republican will counter that America can’t have it both ways. Although some get left behind in the Bush vision of America, the greater good is fed by enacting policy that places economic growth as trumping secondary issues such as the environment or workers rights.
Luckily for the rest of us, Costco shines as the beacon of hope on the hill. Pay STARTS at $10 an hour. Workers receive tremendous health benefits and are generally treated like they matter. As Slate notes, the results are that “Costco’s turnover is a third of the retail industry average of 64 percent and shrinkage – the amount of inventory lost to theft – is about 13 percent of the industry norm.” Although Costco might not be the biggest or the most profitable, the company has been outperforming Wal-Mart in many categories as of late and more importantly it’s creating an ecosystem of happiness for those whose lives the company employs. Isn’t that the indicator that should really matter?
http://slate.com/id/2104988/
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Raising Arizona
Character: Nathan Arizona Sr.
Setting: H.I. and Ed have stolen one of the famous Arizona quintuplets, as “biology and other peoples' opinions conspired to keep us childless.” While being interviewed by the police, who suspect a disgruntled employee may have stolen Nathan Jr., Nathan Sr, owner of the Unpainted Arizona chain of furniture stores, explains his management style by stating, “Hell, they're all disgruntled. I aint running no damn daisy farm. My motto is ‘Do it my way or watch your butt!’"
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Nathan Sr.’s management style is an example of a red state business owner. That was a joke. Don't get all riled up, red state people.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
While the article only makes a cursory mention of the ideology that drives management decisions at Costco and Wal-Mart, the two companies do sum up the two political parties quite effectively. A summary of Wal-Mart is a microcosm of everything that ED doesn’t like about the current state of the GOP.
Wal-Mart is overtly aggressive and will do about anything to ensure that it’s the clear alpha male in its industry (and the world for that matter). The AVERAGE wage at Wal-Mart is less than Costco’s LOWEST wage. The company is oft-criticized by labor groups for failing to provide adequate healthcare and benefits, for discriminating against women, for locking cleaning personnel in the stores at night to reduce the need for security personnel and forcing overtime without additional pay.
Aside from its shoddy labor practices, the company routinely forces its way into communities despite widespread protest. In a recent highly publicized attempted store opening in Inglewood in Southern California, Wal-Mart essentially tried to incorporate its own city so that the company could skirt environmental laws. A Wal-Mart sponsored ballot initiative was rejected by the voters of Inglewood. The company also has utilized its standing as the world’s largest company to force its own agenda. The company rejects music CDs and movies that it finds objectionable and forces suppliers of nearly every consumable good and/or product on the planet to conform to its standards.
But, at the end of the day, Wal-Mart is a wildly successful entity and has lined the pockets of tens of thousands of investors. The company from any monetary measurement is one of the most glaring and shining examples of American capitalism. And that all about sums up the Bush administration doesn’t it… as long as money is being made, everything is fine, despite the consequences of that growth (sadly, it’s tough to make an argument that the economy is in a wildly successful state, but that’s a different column).
Of course any card carrying Republican will counter that America can’t have it both ways. Although some get left behind in the Bush vision of America, the greater good is fed by enacting policy that places economic growth as trumping secondary issues such as the environment or workers rights.
Luckily for the rest of us, Costco shines as the beacon of hope on the hill. Pay STARTS at $10 an hour. Workers receive tremendous health benefits and are generally treated like they matter. As Slate notes, the results are that “Costco’s turnover is a third of the retail industry average of 64 percent and shrinkage – the amount of inventory lost to theft – is about 13 percent of the industry norm.” Although Costco might not be the biggest or the most profitable, the company has been outperforming Wal-Mart in many categories as of late and more importantly it’s creating an ecosystem of happiness for those whose lives the company employs. Isn’t that the indicator that should really matter?
http://slate.com/id/2104988/
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Raising Arizona
Character: Nathan Arizona Sr.
Setting: H.I. and Ed have stolen one of the famous Arizona quintuplets, as “biology and other peoples' opinions conspired to keep us childless.” While being interviewed by the police, who suspect a disgruntled employee may have stolen Nathan Jr., Nathan Sr, owner of the Unpainted Arizona chain of furniture stores, explains his management style by stating, “Hell, they're all disgruntled. I aint running no damn daisy farm. My motto is ‘Do it my way or watch your butt!’"
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Nathan Sr.’s management style is an example of a red state business owner. That was a joke. Don't get all riled up, red state people.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, August 10, 2004
Lester Bangs
Welcome to Lester Bangs, a new and recurring column that details what tunes have broken into the rotation at El Duderino radio. Music reviews aren’t ED’s specialty, so all content has been lifted from other sites, as noted. If one person finds enjoyment from a new band as a result of Lester Bangs then all the time and effort will have been worth it.
America Loves You
MODEST MOUSE (Good News For People Who Love Bad News)
“Half expansive, burnished radio-rock, half swampy Delta hoodoo-hollerin' that reeks of Brock's Southern sojourn.” Spin, May 2004
“Never happily slotting into any template demanded back in their home town, MM are nearer to some wondrous mish-mash of Pavement and Beck; closer in harmony to The Flaming Lips.” Logo
SONIC YOUTH (Sonic Nurse)
“Every song but one falls fully developed in the five- to seven-minute ballpark, brimming with enough dissonant wizardry, smart vocal imagery, and tonal shades of rock to fly the freak flag like no aging rockers ever have.” Austin Chronicle
“All told, this album is probably the band's best balance of pop melodies and avant-leaning structures since Washing Machine; even if it doesn't rank among their most ambitious work, Sonic Nurse sounds like the kind of album Sonic Youth should be making at this point in their career.” All Music Guide
STELLASTARR* (Stellastarr*)
“The New-York four piece makes its full-length debut with this 10-track effort that has drawn comparisons to the usual suspects (Joy Division, The Cure, The Pixies, et al) as well as to newer bands who also draw from the same sources (Interpol, Hot Hot Heat, et al).” Metacritic
“I know the whole ‘retro-rock’ thing is en vogue in about a bazillion different ways, but Stellastarr*’s take just seems a bit more energetic and vibrant than most. Considering the genre, this disc is a frighteningly solid listen.” Delusions of Adequacy
THE BUZZCOCKS (Operators Manual – Best of…)
“Did The Buzzcocks invent pop-punk? Probably not. Did they perfect it? You bet. Marrying glorious pop melodies, the chainsaw roar of a downstroked guitar, and the furious angst of a million confused teenagers, The Buzzcocks played punk rock that was physical, passionate, and emotionally compelling, but also joyously listenable (and danceable) in a way The Damned and The Clash could never dream of being. If the Buzzcocks Mk. 1 (1976-1981) ever made a bad record, they've done a splendid job of keeping it a secret; all three of the group's original albums are brilliant, and Singles Going Steady (which collects the A and B sides of their first eight 45's) is as perfect a compilation album as you're ever likely to encounter.” MusicMatch
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
America Loves You
MODEST MOUSE (Good News For People Who Love Bad News)
“Half expansive, burnished radio-rock, half swampy Delta hoodoo-hollerin' that reeks of Brock's Southern sojourn.” Spin, May 2004
“Never happily slotting into any template demanded back in their home town, MM are nearer to some wondrous mish-mash of Pavement and Beck; closer in harmony to The Flaming Lips.” Logo
SONIC YOUTH (Sonic Nurse)
“Every song but one falls fully developed in the five- to seven-minute ballpark, brimming with enough dissonant wizardry, smart vocal imagery, and tonal shades of rock to fly the freak flag like no aging rockers ever have.” Austin Chronicle
“All told, this album is probably the band's best balance of pop melodies and avant-leaning structures since Washing Machine; even if it doesn't rank among their most ambitious work, Sonic Nurse sounds like the kind of album Sonic Youth should be making at this point in their career.” All Music Guide
STELLASTARR* (Stellastarr*)
“The New-York four piece makes its full-length debut with this 10-track effort that has drawn comparisons to the usual suspects (Joy Division, The Cure, The Pixies, et al) as well as to newer bands who also draw from the same sources (Interpol, Hot Hot Heat, et al).” Metacritic
“I know the whole ‘retro-rock’ thing is en vogue in about a bazillion different ways, but Stellastarr*’s take just seems a bit more energetic and vibrant than most. Considering the genre, this disc is a frighteningly solid listen.” Delusions of Adequacy
THE BUZZCOCKS (Operators Manual – Best of…)
“Did The Buzzcocks invent pop-punk? Probably not. Did they perfect it? You bet. Marrying glorious pop melodies, the chainsaw roar of a downstroked guitar, and the furious angst of a million confused teenagers, The Buzzcocks played punk rock that was physical, passionate, and emotionally compelling, but also joyously listenable (and danceable) in a way The Damned and The Clash could never dream of being. If the Buzzcocks Mk. 1 (1976-1981) ever made a bad record, they've done a splendid job of keeping it a secret; all three of the group's original albums are brilliant, and Singles Going Steady (which collects the A and B sides of their first eight 45's) is as perfect a compilation album as you're ever likely to encounter.” MusicMatch
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Thursday, August 05, 2004
Random Thought of the Week
ED is curious... have the sales of digital video recorders, such as Tivo, gone through the roof during the political season as annoying spots dominate the eight minutes of commercials we receive during a standard 30 minute show? Have sales taken off particularly in the so-called battleground states?
This may be ED's chance to break a national story...
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
This may be ED's chance to break a national story...
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
It's Not a Lie. It's a Gift For Fiction.
Much has been made of the Michael Moore movie Fahrenheit 9/11. Despite being decidedly anti-Bush, this movie has bothered me since it started to be heavily promoted by the media prior to its opening night. I’ve held off writing because I couldn’t really figure out why I was finding myself so anti-Michael Moore. I’ve seen several of his movies and generally found them to be effective, if obviously a bit slanted, in raising real questions and concerns that needed to be addressed by the larger public. Nothing wrong with creating dialogue even if it’s dialogue that I personally didn’t agree with.
But the time has come to end the silence. After much thinking and speaking with a number of friends from opposite ends of the political spectrum, I’ve come to two primary conclusions as to why this movie bothers me. El Duderino speaks:
First and foremost, Fahrenheit 9/11 is based on false logic. Michael Moore is the master of using satire, sarcasm and surprise to manipulate the viewer into believing positions that he presents as fact. He takes shots that by themselves would be completely innocuous, adds music and his own dialogue and suddenly transforms his target into a bumbling idiot. Scenes that come to mind from 9/11 that fit this bill include the showing of President Bush golfing and Moore surprising a Congressman on the street and pushing him on his willingness to send his own children to Iraq. Surely we as a nation don’t really have a problem with Bush golfing, and just because a Congressman doesn’t want to send his child into war, that doesn’t prove the war is wrong.
Unfortunately, the examples noted above, trademarks of Moore’s films, are the least offensive results of this movie. In this latest effort, Moore clearly had a point he wanted to prove and formed the facts the way he wanted to bolster his case.
Up until recently I had only read articles countering Moore’s claims within the film from journalists that clearly had a personal vendetta against the filmmaker. Recently ED was introduced (thanks Hartman’s My Pulpit blog) to a Newsweek article that demonstrates the factual errors in a clear and concise fashion without attacking Michael Moore. I’ve included the link to the article below, but essentially what the article states is that the central themes of the movie, that President Bush has compromised his duties as the leader of our country because of his loyalties to Middle Eastern interests (and money), are completely without merit. Moore’s actions more than push the ethical envelope of being a responsible documentarian, which is particularly disappointing on such a highly volatile topic.
In addition to many of his arguments being without merit, I also find this movie annoying because instead of acting as a unifying factor for a nation, liberals have taken their standard holier-than-thou approach and effectively further polarized the voting public. The movie hasn’t bolstered the anti-Bush cause, it’s just made the left and right more perturbed with each other. We should be striving for open communication and a willingness to agree to disagree with each other. This movie takes the opposite view of teaching us as a society to belittle those with opposing views to our own. Thanks Mr. Moore.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5335853/site/newsweek/
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: State & Main
Character: Walt Price
Setting: In a conversation with screenwriter Joseph Turner White (played by the brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman) regarding the need for script changes, director Walt Price (played by the equally brilliant Bill Macy) provides White with information that’s not quite true. White responds saying to Price, “that’s a lie.” Price responds with, “it’s not a lie. It’s a gift for fiction.”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Michael Moore likely feels the same way as Walt Price… that his movie isn’t a lie. It’s a gift for fiction. After all, it is just a movie and Moore presents himself as a satirist. Unfortunately, the repercussions from Moore’s “gift for fiction” are a polarized, embittered nation.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
But the time has come to end the silence. After much thinking and speaking with a number of friends from opposite ends of the political spectrum, I’ve come to two primary conclusions as to why this movie bothers me. El Duderino speaks:
First and foremost, Fahrenheit 9/11 is based on false logic. Michael Moore is the master of using satire, sarcasm and surprise to manipulate the viewer into believing positions that he presents as fact. He takes shots that by themselves would be completely innocuous, adds music and his own dialogue and suddenly transforms his target into a bumbling idiot. Scenes that come to mind from 9/11 that fit this bill include the showing of President Bush golfing and Moore surprising a Congressman on the street and pushing him on his willingness to send his own children to Iraq. Surely we as a nation don’t really have a problem with Bush golfing, and just because a Congressman doesn’t want to send his child into war, that doesn’t prove the war is wrong.
Unfortunately, the examples noted above, trademarks of Moore’s films, are the least offensive results of this movie. In this latest effort, Moore clearly had a point he wanted to prove and formed the facts the way he wanted to bolster his case.
Up until recently I had only read articles countering Moore’s claims within the film from journalists that clearly had a personal vendetta against the filmmaker. Recently ED was introduced (thanks Hartman’s My Pulpit blog) to a Newsweek article that demonstrates the factual errors in a clear and concise fashion without attacking Michael Moore. I’ve included the link to the article below, but essentially what the article states is that the central themes of the movie, that President Bush has compromised his duties as the leader of our country because of his loyalties to Middle Eastern interests (and money), are completely without merit. Moore’s actions more than push the ethical envelope of being a responsible documentarian, which is particularly disappointing on such a highly volatile topic.
In addition to many of his arguments being without merit, I also find this movie annoying because instead of acting as a unifying factor for a nation, liberals have taken their standard holier-than-thou approach and effectively further polarized the voting public. The movie hasn’t bolstered the anti-Bush cause, it’s just made the left and right more perturbed with each other. We should be striving for open communication and a willingness to agree to disagree with each other. This movie takes the opposite view of teaching us as a society to belittle those with opposing views to our own. Thanks Mr. Moore.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5335853/site/newsweek/
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: State & Main
Character: Walt Price
Setting: In a conversation with screenwriter Joseph Turner White (played by the brilliant Philip Seymour Hoffman) regarding the need for script changes, director Walt Price (played by the equally brilliant Bill Macy) provides White with information that’s not quite true. White responds saying to Price, “that’s a lie.” Price responds with, “it’s not a lie. It’s a gift for fiction.”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Michael Moore likely feels the same way as Walt Price… that his movie isn’t a lie. It’s a gift for fiction. After all, it is just a movie and Moore presents himself as a satirist. Unfortunately, the repercussions from Moore’s “gift for fiction” are a polarized, embittered nation.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Monday, August 02, 2004
Nobody’s Looking for a Puppeteer in Today’s Wintry Economic Climate
If I hear one more Bruce Ratner (new owner of the New Jersey Nets) is cheap because he didn’t resign Kenyon Martin comment, I’m going Robert Deniro in Taxi Driver.
New Jersey did indeed reach the NBA Finals in consecutive years with the trio of Kidd, Martin and Jefferson. But, the Eastern Conference was extraordinarily weak during those two years (the Celtics made the conference finals one of those years for christ’ sake!), they got blown out by the West representative both years and, more telling, last season, the Nets were clearly several notches below the Pistons and Pacers. Being significantly over the salary cap for the foreseeable future, mediocrity was the Nets future without big changes.
The situation is quite similar to that faced by the Seattle Sonics management after the 96/97 season. The team had reached the finals in ’96 but faced increased pressure in a tough Western division, losing out in the semi-finals to the eventual NBA champion Houston Rockets. Although the core of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp would likely guarantee the Sonics a playoff team for many years, the Sonics decided to trade Kemp for Vin Baker, a move that netted the team 61 wins, although an eventual playoff loss to the The Diesel led Lakers.
Ultimately, the Sonics trade was doomed by the alcohol consumption of Vin “and Tonic” Baker, but the team had little choice, similar to the Nets. Rod Thorn and Bruce Ratner should be commended for the gutsy, unpopular moves they’ve made to give the Nets a shot at a championship long-term. The team netted three first round picks, two of which have the potential to be high lottery picks, while creating salary cap flexibility down the road. If Thorn can figure out a way to rid the team of the cancerous Jason Kidd, which will likely result in an additional round of hemming and hawing, the Nets will have a bright future upon their move to Brooklyn in a few years.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Being John Malkovich
Character: Craig Schwartz
Setting: After facing a beat down at the hands of an audience member due to a sexually explicit puppeteering street show, Craig shares his lack of faith in his professional aspirations with his wife, Lotte.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Craig Schwartz had a vision and passion for what he wanted to be and attain with his life… to become the world’s greatest puppeteer. Although he often faces abuses and violence for his life’s ambition, he perseveres. After commandeering the mind of John Malkovich, he determines a plan for fulfilling his goal by utilizing the Malkovich brand. Likewise, Ratner and Thorn may not be taking the easy path, but they’ve got a vision and are confident in the final outcome.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
New Jersey did indeed reach the NBA Finals in consecutive years with the trio of Kidd, Martin and Jefferson. But, the Eastern Conference was extraordinarily weak during those two years (the Celtics made the conference finals one of those years for christ’ sake!), they got blown out by the West representative both years and, more telling, last season, the Nets were clearly several notches below the Pistons and Pacers. Being significantly over the salary cap for the foreseeable future, mediocrity was the Nets future without big changes.
The situation is quite similar to that faced by the Seattle Sonics management after the 96/97 season. The team had reached the finals in ’96 but faced increased pressure in a tough Western division, losing out in the semi-finals to the eventual NBA champion Houston Rockets. Although the core of Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp would likely guarantee the Sonics a playoff team for many years, the Sonics decided to trade Kemp for Vin Baker, a move that netted the team 61 wins, although an eventual playoff loss to the The Diesel led Lakers.
Ultimately, the Sonics trade was doomed by the alcohol consumption of Vin “and Tonic” Baker, but the team had little choice, similar to the Nets. Rod Thorn and Bruce Ratner should be commended for the gutsy, unpopular moves they’ve made to give the Nets a shot at a championship long-term. The team netted three first round picks, two of which have the potential to be high lottery picks, while creating salary cap flexibility down the road. If Thorn can figure out a way to rid the team of the cancerous Jason Kidd, which will likely result in an additional round of hemming and hawing, the Nets will have a bright future upon their move to Brooklyn in a few years.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Being John Malkovich
Character: Craig Schwartz
Setting: After facing a beat down at the hands of an audience member due to a sexually explicit puppeteering street show, Craig shares his lack of faith in his professional aspirations with his wife, Lotte.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Craig Schwartz had a vision and passion for what he wanted to be and attain with his life… to become the world’s greatest puppeteer. Although he often faces abuses and violence for his life’s ambition, he perseveres. After commandeering the mind of John Malkovich, he determines a plan for fulfilling his goal by utilizing the Malkovich brand. Likewise, Ratner and Thorn may not be taking the easy path, but they’ve got a vision and are confident in the final outcome.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Mini-Me, Stop Humping the Laser
William Buckley, whose largely credited with jump starting and pressing the conservative movement over the past fifty years through his magazine, National Review, has called it quits and is handing over the reins to a board of five members. While this news in and of itself isn’t much of a story for El Duderino, it has provided an opportunity to look at what conservativism meant originally and what it has become – which our friends at the New York Times have done via a July 17 article.
The original intent of the conservative movement was to fight communism, diminish the federal government and uphold “traditionalism” in social affairs. As the Times notes, “that formulation held together for five decades” until the fall of communism, and interestingly enough, the end of big government, through actions such as welfare reform that occurred during the Clinton administration (yes, both houses were indeed controlled by Republicans).
So now what? The mantras of the conservative movement have become irrelevant in many ways, yet the party still needs a rallying cry. The GOP has seemed to grab hold of traditionally Democratic ideals, such as a federally funded prescription drug bill, pushed the broad support of a $256 billion federally funded highway improvement bill, enacted education reform and has taken on the cause of immigrant workers. The Bush administration has also pushed foreign policy that reeks of imperialism, in a striking contrast to the isolationism that had dominated the party’s doctrine for decades.
So what’s El Duderino getting at you ask? Well, either Bush is a Democrat disguised in sheep’s clothing or his entire presidency has been aimed at minimizing all of the Democratic strengths. ED is going with the latter. It’s certainly been a successful strategy in confusing the living beejeezus out of the Democratic Party. Other than the war and the economy, albeit two fairly significant issues, the Kerry/Edwards party hasn’t been able to communicate a single policy that differentiates themselves from Bush/Cheney.
Yet there’s something sinister and sleezy about pushing an agenda on the sole ground that it will help in a re-election bid. It’s surprising that more conservatives haven’t taken the administration on for its views on the role of the Federal government, although many pundits have noted that the White House is seemingly getting much more pushback from those Republicans in the House and Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/17/arts/17CONS.final.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Character: Dr. Evil
Setting: While Dr. Evil shows off his new tool of world destruction, his three-foot tall protégé, affectionately described as Mini-Me, displays his enthusiasm and love for the weapon of mass destruction by giving it a little of the old in-out, in-out. Dr. Evil, whose trying to show off the laser to his minions, asks Mini-Me if he couldn’t stop his actions via the headline quote.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Dr. Evil has dreams of world denomination and is constantly plotting new schemes, in this instance a laser that he will use to blackmail the world for “beelyons” of dollars. In this analogy, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney alternately play the role of Dr. Evil. President Bush plays the role of Mini-Me and the American public plays the role of Dr. Evil’s minions.
Mini-Me (aka G.W.) doesn’t really know what’s going on but he’s got urges that need to be expressed. Dr. Evil (Cheney/Rove) has elaborate plans for controlling the world and making loads of money in the process, but they tend to be ill-conceived. The minions, namely number two and Scott Evil, have alternate ideas that are less elaborate but would probably work just as well, i.e. “go back in time and shoot Austin Powers while he’s on the crapper or something”.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
The original intent of the conservative movement was to fight communism, diminish the federal government and uphold “traditionalism” in social affairs. As the Times notes, “that formulation held together for five decades” until the fall of communism, and interestingly enough, the end of big government, through actions such as welfare reform that occurred during the Clinton administration (yes, both houses were indeed controlled by Republicans).
So now what? The mantras of the conservative movement have become irrelevant in many ways, yet the party still needs a rallying cry. The GOP has seemed to grab hold of traditionally Democratic ideals, such as a federally funded prescription drug bill, pushed the broad support of a $256 billion federally funded highway improvement bill, enacted education reform and has taken on the cause of immigrant workers. The Bush administration has also pushed foreign policy that reeks of imperialism, in a striking contrast to the isolationism that had dominated the party’s doctrine for decades.
So what’s El Duderino getting at you ask? Well, either Bush is a Democrat disguised in sheep’s clothing or his entire presidency has been aimed at minimizing all of the Democratic strengths. ED is going with the latter. It’s certainly been a successful strategy in confusing the living beejeezus out of the Democratic Party. Other than the war and the economy, albeit two fairly significant issues, the Kerry/Edwards party hasn’t been able to communicate a single policy that differentiates themselves from Bush/Cheney.
Yet there’s something sinister and sleezy about pushing an agenda on the sole ground that it will help in a re-election bid. It’s surprising that more conservatives haven’t taken the administration on for its views on the role of the Federal government, although many pundits have noted that the White House is seemingly getting much more pushback from those Republicans in the House and Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/17/arts/17CONS.final.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Character: Dr. Evil
Setting: While Dr. Evil shows off his new tool of world destruction, his three-foot tall protégé, affectionately described as Mini-Me, displays his enthusiasm and love for the weapon of mass destruction by giving it a little of the old in-out, in-out. Dr. Evil, whose trying to show off the laser to his minions, asks Mini-Me if he couldn’t stop his actions via the headline quote.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Dr. Evil has dreams of world denomination and is constantly plotting new schemes, in this instance a laser that he will use to blackmail the world for “beelyons” of dollars. In this analogy, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney alternately play the role of Dr. Evil. President Bush plays the role of Mini-Me and the American public plays the role of Dr. Evil’s minions.
Mini-Me (aka G.W.) doesn’t really know what’s going on but he’s got urges that need to be expressed. Dr. Evil (Cheney/Rove) has elaborate plans for controlling the world and making loads of money in the process, but they tend to be ill-conceived. The minions, namely number two and Scott Evil, have alternate ideas that are less elaborate but would probably work just as well, i.e. “go back in time and shoot Austin Powers while he’s on the crapper or something”.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Monday, July 19, 2004
Marriage Is What Brings Us Together Today
El Duderino will be on vacation for a better part of the next two weeks with little access to a computer. I’ve got some material nearly completed, so if I get access to an Internet connection, I may be able to get some new content posted.
And a hearty congratulations goes out to the soon to be Mr and Mrs. Brian and Katie Fosnick.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: The Princess Bride
Character: The Clergyman
Setting: The princess and Prince Humperdink are in the process of being married.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: El Duderino is going to a wedding.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
And a hearty congratulations goes out to the soon to be Mr and Mrs. Brian and Katie Fosnick.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: The Princess Bride
Character: The Clergyman
Setting: The princess and Prince Humperdink are in the process of being married.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: El Duderino is going to a wedding.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Our brief govoreet through the letter-hole was not, shall we say, satisfactory, yes?
One thing I’ve never understood about the GOP is how the party seems to be on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to the role of government. The party is based on less government. Less taxes. Pro personal property rights. Lax gun laws. Etc. Yet when it comes to supposedly moral issues, such as abortion, legalization of marijuana and gay marriage, the government suddenly has and wants a right to intervene.
I very much respect the religious aspects of these issues. I understand the passion that is felt by those for and against such issues. But one need not be in personal favor of abortion or gay marriage to not want those issues to be legislated, especially when it goes against everything else that voting segment believes. Fundamentally, it’s about realizing and respecting that we live in a society in which people have differing views.
With that, it was stunning to see the recent arguments about the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. It was stunning in that it went as far as it did. There are only what, 20 something amendments. THIS issue is the one that deserves an amendment!?! Amending the Constitution isn’t an easy task, requiring the votes of two-thirds of the members in both chambers of Congress and approval in three-fourths of state legislatures.
In the first round of debate in the Senate, the bill only received 48 votes, 12 short of the necessary amount needed to push the bill further along in the process. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but it makes one think. The administration has had a pretty successful track record when it comes to pushing through major legislation. It seems odd that they would push forward with this in a situation that so obviously didn’t stand a chance of being successful.
As El Duderino sees it, there are two potential reasons for the administration pushing this forward. The most plausible situation is that the administration, recognizing waning support for the situation in Iraq, recognized the need to bring forth an issue that would polarize the nation. Many pundits on both sides of the political spectrum have noted that gay marriage has the ability to be a wedge issue in the same way that abortion was a wedge issue how many ever years ago. The GOP no doubt has numbers that state that the numbers would be in its favor if it were to bring this issue into the limelight.
Secondly, the administration is using the gay marriage debate to divert attention from its own failures. Some in the liberal media have noted that there seems to be a trend of “terror alerts” being issued each time news arises that portrays the administration in a negative light. This happened most recently after the Senate Intelligence Committee announced its findings. Shortly after the report was made public, a vague warning was issued about the potential for the presidential elections to be interrupted by terrorist activities. Of course, the elections are still four months away, and there didn’t appear to be a specific reason why that story came out at the time it did.
Smoking-gun proof? No. Seems fishy? Yes.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: A Clockwork Orange
Character: Alexander de Large
Setting: Young ruffian Alex and his droogs have descended upon a home in the country where they intended to unleash a bit of the ol’ ulatraviolence. Upon initially being denied entry by the female homeowner, despite Alex’s pleas of his entrance to use the phone being a life-and-death matter, Alex breaks into the home through an open window. He recounts his previous conversation with the homeowner before ultimately killing her with a knock to the head with a fallic statue.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Clockwork Orange is set in a time and place where lawlessness runs supreme. The prisons have become overrun with inmates and the government has reached a boiling point in which it decides to take aggressive actions to counter its social ills – that action being the brainwashing of its down-trodden and immoral citizens. It’s such fear that seems to drive the Christian right. If we don’t legislate those who don’t prescribe to Christian values, that our world will descend into anarchy.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
I very much respect the religious aspects of these issues. I understand the passion that is felt by those for and against such issues. But one need not be in personal favor of abortion or gay marriage to not want those issues to be legislated, especially when it goes against everything else that voting segment believes. Fundamentally, it’s about realizing and respecting that we live in a society in which people have differing views.
With that, it was stunning to see the recent arguments about the constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. It was stunning in that it went as far as it did. There are only what, 20 something amendments. THIS issue is the one that deserves an amendment!?! Amending the Constitution isn’t an easy task, requiring the votes of two-thirds of the members in both chambers of Congress and approval in three-fourths of state legislatures.
In the first round of debate in the Senate, the bill only received 48 votes, 12 short of the necessary amount needed to push the bill further along in the process. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but it makes one think. The administration has had a pretty successful track record when it comes to pushing through major legislation. It seems odd that they would push forward with this in a situation that so obviously didn’t stand a chance of being successful.
As El Duderino sees it, there are two potential reasons for the administration pushing this forward. The most plausible situation is that the administration, recognizing waning support for the situation in Iraq, recognized the need to bring forth an issue that would polarize the nation. Many pundits on both sides of the political spectrum have noted that gay marriage has the ability to be a wedge issue in the same way that abortion was a wedge issue how many ever years ago. The GOP no doubt has numbers that state that the numbers would be in its favor if it were to bring this issue into the limelight.
Secondly, the administration is using the gay marriage debate to divert attention from its own failures. Some in the liberal media have noted that there seems to be a trend of “terror alerts” being issued each time news arises that portrays the administration in a negative light. This happened most recently after the Senate Intelligence Committee announced its findings. Shortly after the report was made public, a vague warning was issued about the potential for the presidential elections to be interrupted by terrorist activities. Of course, the elections are still four months away, and there didn’t appear to be a specific reason why that story came out at the time it did.
Smoking-gun proof? No. Seems fishy? Yes.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: A Clockwork Orange
Character: Alexander de Large
Setting: Young ruffian Alex and his droogs have descended upon a home in the country where they intended to unleash a bit of the ol’ ulatraviolence. Upon initially being denied entry by the female homeowner, despite Alex’s pleas of his entrance to use the phone being a life-and-death matter, Alex breaks into the home through an open window. He recounts his previous conversation with the homeowner before ultimately killing her with a knock to the head with a fallic statue.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Clockwork Orange is set in a time and place where lawlessness runs supreme. The prisons have become overrun with inmates and the government has reached a boiling point in which it decides to take aggressive actions to counter its social ills – that action being the brainwashing of its down-trodden and immoral citizens. It’s such fear that seems to drive the Christian right. If we don’t legislate those who don’t prescribe to Christian values, that our world will descend into anarchy.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Hey You Guys!
Ever been confused about which side of the political fence you lean? You support gun control but believe in low taxes? You think the homeless should trade in their shopping carts for a hairnet and mop yet you think it’s a woman’s right to choose? El Duderino feels the same way, so our crack staff has joined forces with Slate to determine a quiz that provides definitive proof of political leanings.
Just click on the following link and follow directions to determine your fate… http://slate.msn.com/id/2103764/.
Have your musical tastes become stale? Sick of hearing the same 10 songs played over and over and over on the radio? Try the visually musicplasma.com. Type in a favorite band and find out what other bands are similar. Like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Maybe you should try out My Morning Jacket or Kings of Leon. Going to a concert but you don’t know if you should go early to see the opening band? Musicplasma is YOUR answer.
The link… http://www.musicplasma.com/.
And finally, I was going to write an entire article on this but I’ve never quite gotten around to it so I’m going with just a blurb. Best movie of the summer? Fahrenheit 9/11? Spiderman 2? Anchorman? Nope. The truly best movie of the summer is Control Room, a documentary that presents a behind-the-scenes look at the war from the perspective of the media, in this case Al Jazeera, the Arab news network. “Control Room shows how propaganda works on both sides and how the truth is often somewhere in between.”
I’m guessing that Control Room is showing on a fairly limited number of screens nationwide, but if you get a chance, I highly recommend checking it out. If you’re in New York, it’s showing at The Landmark Sunshine Theater on Houston between First and Second Avenues.
For a review of the movie, check out the following link… http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies8/ControlRoom.htm.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Goonies
Character: Sloth
Setting: After finding the pirate ship full of treasure (argh, matey), which would provide the Goonies gang with the necessary means to pay off the evil land developer, the Fratelli’s swoop in and commandeer the loot. Luckily, the captured Chunk has become best friends with Sloth, the Fratellis “Elephant Man” little brother. Sloth swoops in, wearing his Superman shirt, and saves the Goonies from certain annihilation at the hands of the evil ice cream-eating Italians.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Sloth saves the day and provides the Goonies gang with a new outlook on life. Similarly, El Duderino’s suggestions are hoped to have a similarly life-changing effect on the world at large. Baabyyy Ruuuth!
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Just click on the following link and follow directions to determine your fate… http://slate.msn.com/id/2103764/.
Have your musical tastes become stale? Sick of hearing the same 10 songs played over and over and over on the radio? Try the visually musicplasma.com. Type in a favorite band and find out what other bands are similar. Like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs? Maybe you should try out My Morning Jacket or Kings of Leon. Going to a concert but you don’t know if you should go early to see the opening band? Musicplasma is YOUR answer.
The link… http://www.musicplasma.com/.
And finally, I was going to write an entire article on this but I’ve never quite gotten around to it so I’m going with just a blurb. Best movie of the summer? Fahrenheit 9/11? Spiderman 2? Anchorman? Nope. The truly best movie of the summer is Control Room, a documentary that presents a behind-the-scenes look at the war from the perspective of the media, in this case Al Jazeera, the Arab news network. “Control Room shows how propaganda works on both sides and how the truth is often somewhere in between.”
I’m guessing that Control Room is showing on a fairly limited number of screens nationwide, but if you get a chance, I highly recommend checking it out. If you’re in New York, it’s showing at The Landmark Sunshine Theater on Houston between First and Second Avenues.
For a review of the movie, check out the following link… http://www.culturevulture.net/Movies8/ControlRoom.htm.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Goonies
Character: Sloth
Setting: After finding the pirate ship full of treasure (argh, matey), which would provide the Goonies gang with the necessary means to pay off the evil land developer, the Fratelli’s swoop in and commandeer the loot. Luckily, the captured Chunk has become best friends with Sloth, the Fratellis “Elephant Man” little brother. Sloth swoops in, wearing his Superman shirt, and saves the Goonies from certain annihilation at the hands of the evil ice cream-eating Italians.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Sloth saves the day and provides the Goonies gang with a new outlook on life. Similarly, El Duderino’s suggestions are hoped to have a similarly life-changing effect on the world at large. Baabyyy Ruuuth!
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Saturday, July 10, 2004
Say What You Like About the Tenets of National Socialism, At Least It’s an Ethos
For the second time in the past month, a bi-partisan committee has concluded that there was not a link between Iraq and 9/11. The latest findings have been revealed by the Senate Intelligence Committee (SIC), made up of nine republicans and eight democrats. As opposed to the 9/11 Commission, which was examining solely the events leading up to 9/11, the SIC was tasked with examining the intelligence that led to the decision to invade Iraq.
The committee, in the way of 117 findings, concluded that the intelligence community, primarily the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was primarily at fault for providing unreliable evidence to the administration and Congress. Among the most damning findings, the committee deemed that not only was there not a link between Iraq and 9/11, there was no evidence that supported a formal relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda, a premise that vice president Cheney continues to use to support the invasion.
The committee did, however, find that although an illegal weapons arsenal has obviously yet to have been found, Iraq did possess the capabilities to produce biological agents.
Okay, those are the facts of the committee’s findings. To include that data with what is generally accepted previously, here’s a summary of the findings…
- Iraq did not have an arsenal of biological, chemical or nuclear weapons capable of exacting damage on the United States.
- Iraq did not have any formalized relations with Al Qaeda.
- Although Iraq had the means to produce biological weapons in the future, as they were not actively in relations with terrorist groups and were generally unfriendly with other Middle Eastern countries due to their conflicts with Iran and Kuwait, even if those biological weapons were manufactured, they would not be a threat to the American public.
That leaves only nation building and the spread of democratic ideals to the Middle East as the sole, legitimate reason for the invasion of Iraq. Although many arguments can be made that the world is a better place with Saddam out of power, would the American public, the coalition, including Great Britain, and Congress have agreed to bypass the international community and enact a new standard by which countries can pre-emptively attack each other, just for that reason? My guess is no.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/politics/10INTE.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/politics/10ASSE.html
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/lit/iraq/documents.html#sicrpt
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: The Big Lebowski
Character: Walter Sobchak
Setting: The Dude (the muse for this blog) reveals to Walter that Nihilists are seeking to recover the ransom money for Bunny Lebowski and that they have threatened castration if the money is not delivered. Walter, astounded that a group of individuals, referring to the Nihilists, can be void of ideals on any topic, compares the group to communists.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: As Walter points out, although many may not agree with National Socialism (or a despotic regime with documented human rights violations in the case of Iraq), at least Saddam wasn’t a nihilist (to use the parlance of our times). Saddam’s ideals may not have been that of the U.S. but who are we to judge? There are many ills across the world and regimes that do not meet our standards of providing basic human rights. Are we going to invade all of those countries as well?
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
The committee, in the way of 117 findings, concluded that the intelligence community, primarily the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was primarily at fault for providing unreliable evidence to the administration and Congress. Among the most damning findings, the committee deemed that not only was there not a link between Iraq and 9/11, there was no evidence that supported a formal relationship between Iraq and Al Qaeda, a premise that vice president Cheney continues to use to support the invasion.
The committee did, however, find that although an illegal weapons arsenal has obviously yet to have been found, Iraq did possess the capabilities to produce biological agents.
Okay, those are the facts of the committee’s findings. To include that data with what is generally accepted previously, here’s a summary of the findings…
- Iraq did not have an arsenal of biological, chemical or nuclear weapons capable of exacting damage on the United States.
- Iraq did not have any formalized relations with Al Qaeda.
- Although Iraq had the means to produce biological weapons in the future, as they were not actively in relations with terrorist groups and were generally unfriendly with other Middle Eastern countries due to their conflicts with Iran and Kuwait, even if those biological weapons were manufactured, they would not be a threat to the American public.
That leaves only nation building and the spread of democratic ideals to the Middle East as the sole, legitimate reason for the invasion of Iraq. Although many arguments can be made that the world is a better place with Saddam out of power, would the American public, the coalition, including Great Britain, and Congress have agreed to bypass the international community and enact a new standard by which countries can pre-emptively attack each other, just for that reason? My guess is no.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/politics/10INTE.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/10/politics/10ASSE.html
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/lit/iraq/documents.html#sicrpt
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: The Big Lebowski
Character: Walter Sobchak
Setting: The Dude (the muse for this blog) reveals to Walter that Nihilists are seeking to recover the ransom money for Bunny Lebowski and that they have threatened castration if the money is not delivered. Walter, astounded that a group of individuals, referring to the Nihilists, can be void of ideals on any topic, compares the group to communists.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: As Walter points out, although many may not agree with National Socialism (or a despotic regime with documented human rights violations in the case of Iraq), at least Saddam wasn’t a nihilist (to use the parlance of our times). Saddam’s ideals may not have been that of the U.S. but who are we to judge? There are many ills across the world and regimes that do not meet our standards of providing basic human rights. Are we going to invade all of those countries as well?
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Friday, July 09, 2004
Stop Looking At Me, Swan
Ack! I'm a terrible blogger. But it's only partly my fault. Mostly Time Warner is at fault as it's they who have provided me with a less than stellar Internet connection from my home. No Internet connection, no El Duderino.
Any-who, my connection has been restored so hopefully the words will return as well. I leave you on this Friday with a quote...
“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.” - Groucho Marx
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Billy Madison
Character: Billy Madison
Setting: Billy is in the bath tub cleansing himself. While playing with the shampoo and conditioner bottle, he has a paranoid delusion that a swan is watching him. I, too, have sadly had this same delusion.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: At this early stage of the movie, Billy is not fulfilling his potential as a human being. Mostly he just drinks and hangs out. But, eventually he finds his way and graduates high school and inherits the president title of the family hotel empire, which he then turns down to become a teacher.
I hope to follow the path set forth by Billy. Although I'm not succeeding in my blog endeavor currently, with some perseverance I believe that I can have the same happy ending of Billy Madison, minus the becoming a teacher part.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Any-who, my connection has been restored so hopefully the words will return as well. I leave you on this Friday with a quote...
“Money frees you from doing things you dislike. Since I dislike doing nearly everything, money is handy.” - Groucho Marx
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Billy Madison
Character: Billy Madison
Setting: Billy is in the bath tub cleansing himself. While playing with the shampoo and conditioner bottle, he has a paranoid delusion that a swan is watching him. I, too, have sadly had this same delusion.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: At this early stage of the movie, Billy is not fulfilling his potential as a human being. Mostly he just drinks and hangs out. But, eventually he finds his way and graduates high school and inherits the president title of the family hotel empire, which he then turns down to become a teacher.
I hope to follow the path set forth by Billy. Although I'm not succeeding in my blog endeavor currently, with some perseverance I believe that I can have the same happy ending of Billy Madison, minus the becoming a teacher part.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
I Was Punched in the Face. What's Your Excuse?
There is a god. The Detroit Pistons have beaten the Lakers to win the NBA Championship. In addition to my general dislike for the Lakers (and Kobe Bryant), it’s good to see the Pistons win for a number of other reasons.
First, Larry Brown has been one of the great coaches of the past 25 years, from a successful playing career at North Carolina under Dean Smith to winning a championship at Kansas to a great run with the Philadelphia 76ers and maybe most impressive of all, he was the last coach to lead the Clippers to the playoffs. Although he clearly didn’t NEED an NBA title to prove his worth, there aren’t too many coaches in any sport that deserve a title more than Larry Brown.
Second, Joe Dumars, the Pistons general manager, has been under the gun all season for selecting 18-year-old European Darko Mlicic over Carmelo Anthony who led Syracuse to a national championship in his only season as an Orangemen. Dumars, knowing he already had his starting small forward of the future in TayShaun Prince, and blessed with an already well balanced roster, decided to take a gamble on the future by selecting a big man, which are much harder to find. Even after the Pistons had made the NBA Finals, the naysayers were out in full force saying that the Pistons would only stand a chance against the mighty Lakers if they had Carmelo Anthony. It’s not a slight on Anthony, but Dumars had a team concept and plan, he stuck to his laurels and it worked out. There’s a reason sports writers are sports writers and not general managers.
Third, and most important in my mind, Dumars and Brown have reversed the ugly NBA trend that superstars win championships. Dumars put his initial stamp on the Pistons by trading the team’s franchise player for Richard Hamilton, a solid yet unspectacular player that’s known as much for his off the ball movement and mid-range shot than any other facet of his game. He also pieced together players such as Ben Wallace, a player that wasn’t even drafted, Chauncey Billups, who had bounced around several teams without much success, and bench players such as Mike James, Mehmet Okur and Elden Campbell.
Although at face value, having a superstar dominated league isn’t such a bad thing, the impact it’s had on the team aspects of the game are undeniable. Nearly every team in the league drafts on the potential that they must find that one superstar that they can build their team around. Instead of building a system through the continuity of a coaching staff, front offices dump head coaches as soon as their supposed superstar players show any discontent. It’s no coincidence that Gregg Popovich and Flip Saunders are two of the longest tenured coaches in the game. They have true superstar players in Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, respectively, that have put aside their own egos and have adapted themselves to the systems that their coaches have put in place. Guys like Tracy McGrady and Jason Kidd have yet to discover this aspect of the game.
As an aside, here’s another example of what makes Larry Brown such a class act. After winning his first NBA title, the first words that came out of his mouth in a post-game interview were thanks to Rick Carlisle and his sorrows that Chucky Atkins, Cliff Robinson, John Barry and Michael Curry, former Pistons, couldn’t be a part of the celebration. Great guy.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Rushmore
Character: Max Fischer (played by Jason Schwartzman)
Setting: After the opening to Max’s “hit play”, he’s gone to dinner with Herman Blume, Rosemary Cross, a teacher of which he has a crush, and Peter, a friend of Rosemary’s (played by Luke Wilson). After consuming an alcoholic beverage, Max gets abusive towards Peter as being an uninvited guest. It’s at this point that he asks Peter in regards to the noted Wilson nose, “I was punched in the face. What’s your excuse?”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Rushmore is the story of an underdog who struggles through a portion of life, only to find his groove and come out okay. This seems to sum up the Pistons season. They came out of the gates playing well (analogous to the beginning of Rushmore when Max is on top of his game). Then they went through a brutal stretch in which they lost something like 10 games in a row (analogous to Max getting kicked out of Rushmore, losing his friendship with Ms. Cross, having to go to the public Grover Cleveland High School and ultimately dropping out of school altogether). Finally, after attaining Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons began to jell and ended up winning it all, just like Max finding his soulmate in Margaret Yang.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
First, Larry Brown has been one of the great coaches of the past 25 years, from a successful playing career at North Carolina under Dean Smith to winning a championship at Kansas to a great run with the Philadelphia 76ers and maybe most impressive of all, he was the last coach to lead the Clippers to the playoffs. Although he clearly didn’t NEED an NBA title to prove his worth, there aren’t too many coaches in any sport that deserve a title more than Larry Brown.
Second, Joe Dumars, the Pistons general manager, has been under the gun all season for selecting 18-year-old European Darko Mlicic over Carmelo Anthony who led Syracuse to a national championship in his only season as an Orangemen. Dumars, knowing he already had his starting small forward of the future in TayShaun Prince, and blessed with an already well balanced roster, decided to take a gamble on the future by selecting a big man, which are much harder to find. Even after the Pistons had made the NBA Finals, the naysayers were out in full force saying that the Pistons would only stand a chance against the mighty Lakers if they had Carmelo Anthony. It’s not a slight on Anthony, but Dumars had a team concept and plan, he stuck to his laurels and it worked out. There’s a reason sports writers are sports writers and not general managers.
Third, and most important in my mind, Dumars and Brown have reversed the ugly NBA trend that superstars win championships. Dumars put his initial stamp on the Pistons by trading the team’s franchise player for Richard Hamilton, a solid yet unspectacular player that’s known as much for his off the ball movement and mid-range shot than any other facet of his game. He also pieced together players such as Ben Wallace, a player that wasn’t even drafted, Chauncey Billups, who had bounced around several teams without much success, and bench players such as Mike James, Mehmet Okur and Elden Campbell.
Although at face value, having a superstar dominated league isn’t such a bad thing, the impact it’s had on the team aspects of the game are undeniable. Nearly every team in the league drafts on the potential that they must find that one superstar that they can build their team around. Instead of building a system through the continuity of a coaching staff, front offices dump head coaches as soon as their supposed superstar players show any discontent. It’s no coincidence that Gregg Popovich and Flip Saunders are two of the longest tenured coaches in the game. They have true superstar players in Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, respectively, that have put aside their own egos and have adapted themselves to the systems that their coaches have put in place. Guys like Tracy McGrady and Jason Kidd have yet to discover this aspect of the game.
As an aside, here’s another example of what makes Larry Brown such a class act. After winning his first NBA title, the first words that came out of his mouth in a post-game interview were thanks to Rick Carlisle and his sorrows that Chucky Atkins, Cliff Robinson, John Barry and Michael Curry, former Pistons, couldn’t be a part of the celebration. Great guy.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Rushmore
Character: Max Fischer (played by Jason Schwartzman)
Setting: After the opening to Max’s “hit play”, he’s gone to dinner with Herman Blume, Rosemary Cross, a teacher of which he has a crush, and Peter, a friend of Rosemary’s (played by Luke Wilson). After consuming an alcoholic beverage, Max gets abusive towards Peter as being an uninvited guest. It’s at this point that he asks Peter in regards to the noted Wilson nose, “I was punched in the face. What’s your excuse?”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Rushmore is the story of an underdog who struggles through a portion of life, only to find his groove and come out okay. This seems to sum up the Pistons season. They came out of the gates playing well (analogous to the beginning of Rushmore when Max is on top of his game). Then they went through a brutal stretch in which they lost something like 10 games in a row (analogous to Max getting kicked out of Rushmore, losing his friendship with Ms. Cross, having to go to the public Grover Cleveland High School and ultimately dropping out of school altogether). Finally, after attaining Rasheed Wallace, the Pistons began to jell and ended up winning it all, just like Max finding his soulmate in Margaret Yang.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Friday, June 11, 2004
Now One of Us Is Going to Get Shot
After the initial wave of stories detailing the Abu Ghraib tortures, there was much debate whether the media was acting responsibly by publishing photos and providing detailed accounts of the abuses. I’m of the belief that the media did indeed act responsibly. The abuses may have continued if the story was not broken and our leaders need to have accountability to the world. If the media provides that accountability, I’m all for it.
But enough is enough already. The Washington Post ran a cover story this morning that it’s discovered that unmuzzled dogs were used to intimidate the prisoners. Now, I’d be as scared as an unmuzzled, vicious dog as the next guy, but is that form of torture worse than what’s already been reported, including various forms of sexual torture? What’s the news here?
We screwed up and it’s clear that this wasn’t an isolated incident from a few rogue soldiers (not that that should let those soldiers off the hook). Maybe it’s time that the media moves on to covering how this was allowed to happen and who should ultimately be responsible… my votes are for Rove or Ashcroft! Those have to be the two creepiest guys in the history of the White House.
On a completely unrelated topic, and I think I’ll devote an entire entry to this at some point, but does anyone else find it odd that Bush picked for his Attorney General a guy that lost to a deceased person in his run for Senate a few years ago. That’s right, John Ashcroft, America’s Top Cop, who was the incumbent at the time, lost to a candidate that had died several weeks prior to the election. You’ve got to be an unbelievably hated person to lose to a dead person, especially when you’re the incumbent.
Looking for a laugh? Check out this link… http://www.whitehouse.org/ask/jashcroft.asp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32776-2004Jun10.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Swingers
Character: Mikey (John Favreau)
Setting: Sue has just pulled a gun on “House of Pain” after they “stepped up on him” as he didn’t want to lose his “rep”. Mikey and the rest of the crew are exasperated with Sue’s actions. Mikey says, “haven’t you seen Boyz N The Hood? Now one of us are going to get shot.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Mostly I just wanted to use a Swingers line, but the Boyz N The Hood theory works. The debate around the media’s responsibility in the Abu Ghraib affair revolved primarily around the fact that showing American abuse of Iraqis and insurgents would lead to an “eye-for-an-eye” retaliation from the Arab world.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
But enough is enough already. The Washington Post ran a cover story this morning that it’s discovered that unmuzzled dogs were used to intimidate the prisoners. Now, I’d be as scared as an unmuzzled, vicious dog as the next guy, but is that form of torture worse than what’s already been reported, including various forms of sexual torture? What’s the news here?
We screwed up and it’s clear that this wasn’t an isolated incident from a few rogue soldiers (not that that should let those soldiers off the hook). Maybe it’s time that the media moves on to covering how this was allowed to happen and who should ultimately be responsible… my votes are for Rove or Ashcroft! Those have to be the two creepiest guys in the history of the White House.
On a completely unrelated topic, and I think I’ll devote an entire entry to this at some point, but does anyone else find it odd that Bush picked for his Attorney General a guy that lost to a deceased person in his run for Senate a few years ago. That’s right, John Ashcroft, America’s Top Cop, who was the incumbent at the time, lost to a candidate that had died several weeks prior to the election. You’ve got to be an unbelievably hated person to lose to a dead person, especially when you’re the incumbent.
Looking for a laugh? Check out this link… http://www.whitehouse.org/ask/jashcroft.asp
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32776-2004Jun10.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Swingers
Character: Mikey (John Favreau)
Setting: Sue has just pulled a gun on “House of Pain” after they “stepped up on him” as he didn’t want to lose his “rep”. Mikey and the rest of the crew are exasperated with Sue’s actions. Mikey says, “haven’t you seen Boyz N The Hood? Now one of us are going to get shot.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: Mostly I just wanted to use a Swingers line, but the Boyz N The Hood theory works. The debate around the media’s responsibility in the Abu Ghraib affair revolved primarily around the fact that showing American abuse of Iraqis and insurgents would lead to an “eye-for-an-eye” retaliation from the Arab world.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Random Thought of the Week
What's the media's fascination with filming world leaders coming off of planes? And who are those world leaders always waving at when they're walking down the steps of the plane?
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, June 08, 2004
We Follow Orders Or People Die
I’m currently reading a book by a conservative writer commenting on why the United States is increasingly being looked on negatively by the rest of the world. The first 40 pages have been chock full of useful and interesting information. I say this just as a means to provide a reason why my columns will be likely be focused largely on issues relating to U.S. foreign policy (as well as installment number two of the OC versus 9-0 debate). The book has, and I’m sure will continue to have, a meaningful impact on my outlook.
Anyhow, with that said, the recent revelation that White House lawyers discussed in detail the circumvention of the Geneva Conventions is one of the most poignant examples of how the United States is completely disregarding its role as the world’s unarguable leader.
As a bit of background, the Geneva Conventions were created as a result of the atrocities of WW II, although similar rules had been in place since the mid-19th century. Those who violate the stipulations of the Geneva Conventions, such as the stipulation in Article 13 of the third convention that POWs must be protected against "insults and public curiosity," risk being tried as war criminals at the International Criminal Court. I think most of us when thinking of war criminals have visions of beret-wearing dictators with an AK-47 draped over their shoulder or the Vietmanese guy with the menacing looking Fu Manchu. The U.S. has now made itself a part of that group! That is a big deal.
I’ve heard a number of commentators argue that the current state of the world, namely in regards to terrorism, changes the rules of the game. One could argue that the current state of the world is in a much better place than we were at during the Cold War, during the Vietnam War or during the Korean War, but that’s not even the point. The point is that if the U.S. felt that the Geneva Conventions were no longer relevant, they had an obligation to work through the international community to change the Conventions.
Rules are useless if no one pays attention to them, especially if the country not paying attention to those rules is the world’s 500-pound gorilla. This sets a dangerous precedent and is maybe the most profound example of policy enacted by the U.S. that have the potential to unwind hundreds of years worth of other rules that act as the fabric of everything we take for granted.
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080617
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: A Few Good Men
Character: Colonel Nathan Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson
Setting: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, is interrogating Col. Jessup over the death of a low-ranking Marine in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: At its most basic level, the movie tackles the topic of personal responsibility and values versus the need to conform to a set of rules that have a potentially larger impact on society at large. The Abu Ghraib controversy follows an analogous path from both the actual act of the torture, as well as in regards to the policy that the US has enacted.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Anyhow, with that said, the recent revelation that White House lawyers discussed in detail the circumvention of the Geneva Conventions is one of the most poignant examples of how the United States is completely disregarding its role as the world’s unarguable leader.
As a bit of background, the Geneva Conventions were created as a result of the atrocities of WW II, although similar rules had been in place since the mid-19th century. Those who violate the stipulations of the Geneva Conventions, such as the stipulation in Article 13 of the third convention that POWs must be protected against "insults and public curiosity," risk being tried as war criminals at the International Criminal Court. I think most of us when thinking of war criminals have visions of beret-wearing dictators with an AK-47 draped over their shoulder or the Vietmanese guy with the menacing looking Fu Manchu. The U.S. has now made itself a part of that group! That is a big deal.
I’ve heard a number of commentators argue that the current state of the world, namely in regards to terrorism, changes the rules of the game. One could argue that the current state of the world is in a much better place than we were at during the Cold War, during the Vietnam War or during the Korean War, but that’s not even the point. The point is that if the U.S. felt that the Geneva Conventions were no longer relevant, they had an obligation to work through the international community to change the Conventions.
Rules are useless if no one pays attention to them, especially if the country not paying attention to those rules is the world’s 500-pound gorilla. This sets a dangerous precedent and is maybe the most profound example of policy enacted by the U.S. that have the potential to unwind hundreds of years worth of other rules that act as the fabric of everything we take for granted.
http://slate.msn.com/id/2080617
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: A Few Good Men
Character: Colonel Nathan Jessup, played by Jack Nicholson
Setting: Lieutenant Daniel Kaffee, played by Tom Cruise, is interrogating Col. Jessup over the death of a low-ranking Marine in Guatanamo Bay, Cuba.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: At its most basic level, the movie tackles the topic of personal responsibility and values versus the need to conform to a set of rules that have a potentially larger impact on society at large. The Abu Ghraib controversy follows an analogous path from both the actual act of the torture, as well as in regards to the policy that the US has enacted.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Friday, June 04, 2004
Nobody Drink the Beer. The Beer Has Gone Bad.
Say what you want about the taste of Miller Lite, but once again, they’re blowing everyone away in the ad campaign department. Working on the premise that Budweiser is the King of Beers and thus can’t be suitable for a democratic nation, Miller Lite is running a campaign as the President of Beers. A few lines I found particularly hilarious…
“I’d like to tell you a story about my grandparents. They had a refrigerator that they knitted, themselves, out of yarn. It was small, not very cold, but it taught me a valuable lesson. Not all of us have King Size refrigerators.”
“That’s unacceptable,” says judge.
“You’re unacceptable.”
“This whole thing is a travesty, a sham, a mockery. It’s a travishamockery.”
“I would ask the King of Beers what he would say to that. Why won’t my opponent debate this issue. Is it because he’s a horse or is it because he’s got blinders on! No peripheral vision. Look at me. Both sides.”
Even more surprising is the Budweiser rebuttal ad in which they state that Miller Lite was bought by a foreign company and is thus ineligible for the presidency. Ta-dow. How you like me now.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Can’t Hardly Wait
Character: William Lichter
Setting: Bill, in a plot to embarrass his tormenter, Mike Dexter, attends the last high school blowout bash of the year. Having never consumed an alcoholic beverage before, after tasting the keg beer, let’s out the headline quote.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: The article is about beer. The quote is about beer. Connection.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
“I’d like to tell you a story about my grandparents. They had a refrigerator that they knitted, themselves, out of yarn. It was small, not very cold, but it taught me a valuable lesson. Not all of us have King Size refrigerators.”
“That’s unacceptable,” says judge.
“You’re unacceptable.”
“This whole thing is a travesty, a sham, a mockery. It’s a travishamockery.”
“I would ask the King of Beers what he would say to that. Why won’t my opponent debate this issue. Is it because he’s a horse or is it because he’s got blinders on! No peripheral vision. Look at me. Both sides.”
Even more surprising is the Budweiser rebuttal ad in which they state that Miller Lite was bought by a foreign company and is thus ineligible for the presidency. Ta-dow. How you like me now.
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Can’t Hardly Wait
Character: William Lichter
Setting: Bill, in a plot to embarrass his tormenter, Mike Dexter, attends the last high school blowout bash of the year. Having never consumed an alcoholic beverage before, after tasting the keg beer, let’s out the headline quote.
The quote is relevant to this story how?: The article is about beer. The quote is about beer. Connection.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Tuesday, June 01, 2004
And I’m No Slouch Myself
A refreshing John Kerry article, resulting from an hour interview, was published in the Sunday edition of the Washington Post. It was the first article or broadcast clip I’ve seen in which Kerry came across as just speaking his mind as opposed to “politicking”.
In the article, he touched on a few taboo foreign policy subjects, such as what our role in the world should really be. According to the article, “Sen. John F. Kerry indicated that as president he would play down the promotion of democracy as a leading goal in dealing with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Russia, instead focusing on other objectives that he said are more central to the United States' security.”
From strictly a political standpoint, given the current situation in which patriotism and the spread of democracy are commonly used to defend our invasion of Iraq, statements such as those by Kerry are likely to further alienate him from the far right. Previously, he seemed to not want to ruffle those feathers, despite the fact that no matter what he says or does, there’s a certain population that’s just not going to like him or any Democrat for that matter.
On a personal level, I’m happy to hear that the spread of American ideals isn’t the goal for at least a portion of our political elite. It seems that the more we try to exact our ideals on the rest of the world, the more the rest of the world hates us. Maybe it’s time to try a different tact, which appears to be what Kerry is proposing.
Although I’m in favor of his statements and policy, I can already envision the ad campaign portraying Kerry as un-patriotic – similar to the way he was portrayed for throwing his medals (or ribbons) over the wall during the infamous anti-war demonstration in the 70s. I’ve never understood why and how there’s a perception that wars are a patriotic action and anyone that personally doesn’t abdicate the use of force in a given situation is by default unpatriotic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1443-2004May29.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Caddyshack
Character: Judge Smails
Setting: Judge Smails trying to convince Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) to play golf with him. Ty Webb responds with, “ Don't sell yourself short Judge, you're a tremendous slouch.”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: John Kerry reminds me of Judge Smails a bit. They’re both Old Money, have that tight jaw look and a fakeness that’s hard to nail down. And Kerry up to this point seems to be a bit in the “don’t forget about me” role.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
In the article, he touched on a few taboo foreign policy subjects, such as what our role in the world should really be. According to the article, “Sen. John F. Kerry indicated that as president he would play down the promotion of democracy as a leading goal in dealing with Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, China and Russia, instead focusing on other objectives that he said are more central to the United States' security.”
From strictly a political standpoint, given the current situation in which patriotism and the spread of democracy are commonly used to defend our invasion of Iraq, statements such as those by Kerry are likely to further alienate him from the far right. Previously, he seemed to not want to ruffle those feathers, despite the fact that no matter what he says or does, there’s a certain population that’s just not going to like him or any Democrat for that matter.
On a personal level, I’m happy to hear that the spread of American ideals isn’t the goal for at least a portion of our political elite. It seems that the more we try to exact our ideals on the rest of the world, the more the rest of the world hates us. Maybe it’s time to try a different tact, which appears to be what Kerry is proposing.
Although I’m in favor of his statements and policy, I can already envision the ad campaign portraying Kerry as un-patriotic – similar to the way he was portrayed for throwing his medals (or ribbons) over the wall during the infamous anti-war demonstration in the 70s. I’ve never understood why and how there’s a perception that wars are a patriotic action and anyone that personally doesn’t abdicate the use of force in a given situation is by default unpatriotic.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1443-2004May29.html
Headline Quote Movie of Origin: Caddyshack
Character: Judge Smails
Setting: Judge Smails trying to convince Ty Webb (Chevy Chase) to play golf with him. Ty Webb responds with, “ Don't sell yourself short Judge, you're a tremendous slouch.”
The quote is relevant to this story how?: John Kerry reminds me of Judge Smails a bit. They’re both Old Money, have that tight jaw look and a fakeness that’s hard to nail down. And Kerry up to this point seems to be a bit in the “don’t forget about me” role.
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
Friday, May 28, 2004
Quote of the Week
“Don’t tattle, always make fun of those different from you, never say anything unless you’re sure everyone feels exactly the same way you do.”
-Homer’s code of the schoolyard
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
-Homer’s code of the schoolyard
Contact El Duderino at jaipf@hotmail.com.
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