politics

Today was a bitch. I enjoyed being busy at work, finally (gotta love the patriotic holidays like halloween, where all the anti-war mini-van driving soccer moms dress their kid up as GI Joe). But wait! Get swamped with a line out the wazoo, to the point I can’t radio for help, have the “head cashier” standing next to me talking to her friend on the phone, and doing nothing. When I can radio, she’s off to lunch. So I went in search of SL, let him in on this instance, and bang, suddenly she’s apologizing to me, saying I should have called. Yeah, my voice is still out on vacation, and she expects me to yell over a radio, lots of customers, a fan, and her conversation to help. No, she can get in trouble because she shouldn’t be getting personal calls at work. The rest of us don’t, except SL, but he’s the manager.

In other piss off’s…
Some fucktard on an e-list decides to define war as silly. Then another one decides to read a definition as, 1. Exhibiting a lack of wisdom or good sense”, and invites readers: “See synonyms at *foolish*.” Yeah, my friends are getting blown up playing a dumb-ass game of war. Just being silly boys, they are.

Funny though, this morning, I wake to hear that Blair put the fear of every war god possible into the government of Sudan. He made a promise, don’t get things under control, or we’ll do it for you, and you won’t exist as a government anymore. Ghost of a Flea info on the topic. Seems we’re starting to get more done than the UN has in its entire existance.

Anyway, back to my bitching…I’m not an advocate for war, I never will be, I know what lurks in the darker side of humanity and it’s not pretty. I spend most of my waking day there, hence why I’m normally pissed off. But war happens, it’s a sad bi-product of an inability to communicate, whether through flat-out inability, or unwillingness. Violence happens at the least common denominator of communication. For some people, it’s the first though, for others, it’s the last thought. Negotiation only works when both sides are willing to make consessions. When those consessions don’t happen, and something has to be done, a hand is forced. That’s why those that ultimately make the decisions, learn the art of war and war strategy. Not because it’s a silly game we like to play, but because there is a major price, and fucking around and acting like children results in worse than what we are seeing in our own country. We are not the only ones being attacked. Yeah, we’re the main target, but we’re starting to see other targets, Egypt, women and children in the streets of Iraq and Afghanistan, you name it, it’ll be a target soon. Why? Because someone is getting desparate and starting to strike out in any way possible. It’s ugly this, war, but it is not in any means silly, by any definition of the word.

Ok, finally Rumsy says something I agree with. He wants to hold elections, regardless, and so does Allawi. If the Iraqi’s want to bitch about not being involved in the elections, then they can get off their ass and kick the insurgents in that area, that are hindering the democratic process, out. If they really don’t want us there and are serious about us leaving and want the elections then they can assist us by helping us quell the riots and insurgency.

In other news, I’m no longer squeaking. I’ve lost my voice. Gotta love the flu, ain’t it grand?

Got the care package all prepped, tomorrow I seal it up and ship it out. Hope they like it! I also need to write my letter to my newly adopted soldier. I now have help in getting things, for those of you who are interested, I’ll post websites for you to donate stuff to, or you can hand it to me and I’ll ship it out. I’m going to see if my boss is willing to help me out, or see if we can set-up an adoption of a local soldier/marine. Or maybe, if they’d help me out with MGYSG.

This is where my issue with the anti-war movement is, I’m not thrilled with the fact we’re over there, but we’re there. Support your fellow citizens who don’t really have a choice of what battle they’re fighting. They are under-prepped because of a congressional budgetary fuck-up that says “we love what you’re doing, but we’re not going to help out by providing you with support. Thanks for volunteering.” I have no issue with the publishing of the coffins coming home, that was a family choice. I take issue with the use of them for propaganda. Respect them, and respect what they are a symbol of, don’t spout off that this is why we shouldn’t be there. Coffins are not a reason we shouldn’t be there, come up with something solid that isn’t a cheap shot to the training and dedication that those men and women went through.

I’ll leave it that. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Political piss-off of the day:

I’m sick and tired of this fear-mongering that the republicans are trying to pull in the post-Spain episode. This is absolute bull-shit to try and persuade voters to vote republican by playing into the fear of Americans, that something in Spain (oh wait, don’t we mean “another 9-11”) might happen here. The problem with this argument, is that the attacks have happened on Bush’s watch, and if they happen to turn the vote, it’s not going to change a damned vote. At this point, pretty much everyone has decided who they’re going to vote for, and us “apathetic voters” are going to go on our merry way, thinking both parties need to be shot (for the idiots who think I’m serious, this is called wishful thinking).

Kerry is worthless, as a candidate. We don’t give a shit if he got purple hearts, a bronze medal, etc. So did many other guys! I’m beyond giving a shit about Bush’s “military” record. I think he’s a fucking pussy, and his whole tough-guy schtick is a means of trying to prove he has balls (ya know, closet gays make a point of emphasizing their heterosexuality? same concept). The guy isn’t even a fucking Texan, he was born in Connecticut and spent most of his life on the East Coast. If he’d like to claim he’s Texan, he can go pork a steer like the real men do.

Now, on to the Democrats:

Shut the fuck up about the god-damned medals. You have no room to talk on any war issue. Democrats voted for the Patriot Act right up there with the damned Republicans. Oh yeah, authorization for war? Should have made the requirement of a post-Saddam government not optional. Oh yeah, once you stick your foot in the door, walk the rest of your bloody body through it. Don’t bitch about it being too cold and leave everyone else to die. Yeah, I understand that there were some provisions that you didn’t like, should have offerred a different version of the bill to fund our boys and girls. Don’t shove them out the door in the middle of winter with no clothes on!

Another thing, quit complaining about a ban on guns you don’t understand yourself. You put Kerry up on a pedestal, so he can hoist a rifle up that was banned under that fuck-up. You think the US would be better off with no guns? Check with Mexico and England, ask how they’re doing. Or better yet, let’s take a look at cities and counties, like, oh Kennesaw GA, and see how their crimes rates are doing. Something tells me their criminals are a bit more cautious about going after the goods when people are actually around.

*sigh* I think it’s time to start a revolution. How about we teach our kids to think? Please?

As promised, to those friends I mentioned it to……

Republican Survivor

This is about the ONLY thing that I can laugh at, by the Democratic National Committee, because it’s actually witty amusing and not stupid amusing.

Note: The poster of these comments has officially endorsed Cthulhu for President-2004. Any assumption otherwise will result in dismissal and death.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program.

So, last night, in my morbid curiousity, I watched the rest of the video clip (the part that doesn’t get played). I’m not shocked at the actions of soldiers at Abu Ghraib, and to an extent, I’m not shocked about what I saw on that video clip. However, anything we do over there is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. In comparison, I think the men to had the audacity to do what they did to Mr. Berg are a bunch of pussies. Why? Because they all wore masks and gave no inkling about who they were. We know who the men and women are in those pictures, and we will know the men and women, who’s feet were there and who’s fingers clicked the shutter button. They are facing the penalties of their actions. These children, are fearful of the reprisal they know will come when we find them. They claim it’s for revenge of the men and women. I want to know which women they’re talking about, because as far as their opinion goes, women aren’t allowed in battle (except as a shield). It defies my logic.

Of course, I’m also of the opinion that there isn’t such a thing as a gentleman’s war. Yes, the Celts had their version of champion against champion, but I don’t see that happening in this case. War is war, it is ugly and it is inhumane. The goal is to be victorious, and that includes less-than-ethical behaviour on occassion. In this situation, there are two sets of rules, ours and theirs. There are going to be lines that have to be crossed in order to force their hand to our rules. They know that capturing and doing something like this, to a military serviceman (women included in that) will result in something worse…so they target the civilians. These are people who don’t have the protection servicemen do, and they’re not as cautious. They make for the easier target. Granted, I approve of the fact that contractors are over there trying to help these people. I don’t approve of the fact that we can’t provide enough security for them. IMO, it’s not the military’s job to provide that security, right now. If they want that, they can wait till we have the country completely secured, or go to areas that are and not in Baghdad. The military is there to quash an uprising, they have their hands full and don’t need to be babysitting. Private security firms are over there to do that job, and they should be protecting all contractors, regardless how much they’re paying that specific firm.

//End rant

Yeah, I’m going to hop on my immigration soap box, yet again…Mainly with a rhetorical question.

Bush seems to think that illegals take jobs that Americans don’t want. Late, last week, I read an editorial with this line – which caught my attention – It’s not exactly that they take jobs Americans don’t want, it’s that they take jobs middle class Americans don’t want. – Granted, I’m not a “lower-class” American, so I can’t speak for those who would classify, economically.

Now, one of the “positives” of having a worker corps made of illegals is that it’s cheap labour, locally. I haven’t had the chance to actually read over this Immigration reform bill, but I’m curious as to whether or not the changes include paying minimum wage. Now, should they start paying minimum wage, or even comparable wage (to the type of work), I’m curious as to whether or not they will continue to seek the new round of illegals – those who choose to opt-out of this program – on the basis that they can pay below minimum wage. On top of that, there has been speculation about how exactly this plan will be enacted. One issue that I have seen mentioned, is the inability for this new class of worker to form unions or any other type of labour group. Personally, I would like to see them form Unions, to prevent them from being treated like labour animals vs. humans (e.g. inability to complain without threat of losing job and being deported). The 3 years time-table is a bit of an iffy for me, as well. So you have 3 years to work here. It takes upwards of 7 years to become a naturalized citizen through the normal channels. Will there be any retro-active clause for those who’ve chosen to enter legally, in the first place, to gain their citizenship earlier based on being gainfully employed and their contributions to this society in the time that they’ve been here?

Honestly, I don’t fully believe the b.s. about “jobs Americans don’t want”. Yes, there are those out there who believe that working on a fruit farm are beneath them (though, farming has been pretty much relegated to the realm of technology than multitudes of farm hands), but there are also those out there who are willing to do it. How about also putting into place a national job registry that includes relocation assistance for jobs like in that realm? If we look at the way we run the job market right now, small time things (like, oh say, an Army-Navy store seeking employees) don’t get internet postings online. They seek through local print, maybe, but mostly through word-of-mouth or window-front signs. There was one example from the Dallas Morning News, that I found interesting. An out-of-work white collar guy went out to the local “illegal pick-up” in hopes that he would potentially gain a day job, doing something. He was passed over by every seeker who showed up. Not for lack of body build (granted, that’s an opinion that I didn’t form), not for lack of intelligence (he wasn’t even approached). It can be assumed it was because he was white, was legal, and various other reasons. But it does make an interesting point to ponder, for me, and it really does point to a variety of other issues that complicate this whole smorgasbord of the greater issue. Again, I find that we’re probably putting a short-term solution that will end up creating an even greater problem in the future. However, a point that I found extremely interesting, came from the former Mexican Sec. of State. He pointed out that the Mexican population is gentrifying. Right now, we are getting the influx of the younger generation that sees no future in Mexico. That will continue for a decade or so, gradually decreasing, year after year, as the older generations become less and less mobile. Of course, that leads to problems on Mexico’s side for their own economy when they don’t have enough workers and the economy, potentially, takes a down-turn for that reason. Granted, it might also be a cause for an exodus of the younger generations (coupled with wealth, give or take) back to Mexico to take advantage of investment opportunities there to create more jobs.

But, alas, my cynical side tells me it’s all bunch of blown-up crap and I’m thinking too positively.

Ok, Kerry just moved down a couple notches…

Q: What do you plan to do about the amounts of immigrants who are dying in the deserts trying to get into the US?

A: We need to take away the incentive for people to go into the deserts trying to get into this country. Through agreements with Mexico. (continues with more examples and whatnot but did nothing to address the fact we already have legal means in place)

Ok, no offense to the lovely people who decide to cross the desert, but I work with immigrants. They’re playing by all the rules that this government has put into place for them to be naturalized. Which, requires their two young children to remain in Mexico for another 2-3 years till they meet their 7 year employment requirement. They can’t visit their kids in Mexico because their Visas might be revoked at the border, and their kids can’t come here because of their age. Yet, once a month, at the local embassy they have amnesty days where illegal immigrants can get their legal alien cards without any run around from the government. Similar thing happened to a friend of mine who married a Canadian. They spent months going by the books to get her citizenship and avoid having her deported. The solution is not getting some “your citizens are my citizens” agreement with other countries, it’s making the process of going through the legal routes less painful for those who do it!

Women in Politics

Ok, now, I’m all about having women in politics. But fuck! Mosely-Braun support?!?!?!? Seriously, this is my major issue with most women’s groups. They’re in such heat to get women into office (and the presidency) that they don’t bother to give a shit about who they’re actually putting in there. My Scotsman says welcome to politics, and I wish we could go back to the day we had good women who were worthy of running (Geraldine Farrar anyone?). But no! We get stuck with Mosely-Braun. If we want people to take us seriously, then why the fucking hell do we not be more specific in who we let represent us?

Ok, livejournal sucks at the moment. Anyway, congrats to the Supreme Court for reminding our governments that they can’t sanction religious viewpoints in the law. My congrats go out to all my gay and lesbian friends who might have, or find, someone they wish to marry. You’re one step closer, south of the border. Why? because of this!. Not to mention, it tells states that they can’t fucking sit in anyone’s bedroom!