Current Conservative Philosophy

I got this from a blogger on Political Animal. He posts under the name 'bellumregio'. I think it's an awesome summary of how the conservative currently in power think and act.

1. Republican Party doctrine = American values

2. There are no universal human values beyond the values recognized and sanctioned by the Party. If there were than there could a moral human position AGAINST the Party and that is illogical since the Party embodies morality.

3. related to this is the belief that the group represented by the Party- the true Americans- are beyond good and evil. Whatever is done in the name of the True Americans and for the Nation is justified. Atrocities committed by Saddam Hussein are evil but atrocities committed by the United States cannot be evil. This is logical because the Party represents the moral order. Americans do not torture. Amnesty International, international courts, the Red Cross, the United Nations- these are all irrelevant and obstructionist because they are predicated on the belief that there are universal values outside of the Party and beyond the Nation.

4. Patriots are selfless men and women who are not interested in their own prestige but the prestige of the Party and the True American nation. Europeans and Canadians are failures. They are irrelevant. The Power of the Party and the true American Nation do not need to value their opinions. Only the powerful matter.

5. The Party is always winning. The leaders are always correct. Loss is the failure of those outside the Party- usually the traitors within the borders of the state or within the Party. The ideology of the Party is always aware of the undying power of the enemy although the enemy, by definition, is always too weak. This contradiction cannot be resolved.

6. All of history is the relation of power units. All life is a struggle. Detente and pacifism are trafficking with the enemy.

7. All truth is in accordance with the Party. Facts are irrelevant. Whatever the progress of the war in Iraq, whatever the course of history, whatever the motivations of the actors- all flows into the narrative of the Party and the success of the True Nation.

8. “From the viewpoint of an organization which functions according to the principle that whoever is not included is excluded, whoever is not with me is against me, the world at large loses all the nuances, differentiations, and pluralistic aspects which had in any event become confusing and unbearable to the masses which had lost their place and their orientation in it.”

Actually was written by Hannah Arendt Origins of Totalitarianism 1958

War on Science

Alan I. Leshner, chief executive officer of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says that at no point in his adult lifetime has he seen attacks on science, and on the universities that perform science, that are as serious as those today. While modern American history has had plenty of “blips” in the relationship between science and religion, there is a “substantial tension” today that is dangerous, Leshner says.

I sure believe this to be the case today. The fundies and conservatives are using higher education as a whipping boy even more than usual. It's a good way to divert attention from all their unsuccessful policies. Conservatives hate free thinking people because they are dangerous to their cause. You must see the emperor as clothed, not naked.

Neat little tune I found on the internet by Don Wise

sung to the tune of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic")

My bones proclaim a story of incompetent design.
My back still hurts, my sinus clogs, my teeth just won’t align.
If I had drawn the blueprint, I would cer-tain-ly resign.
Incompetent Design!
Evo-Evo-Evo-lution! Design is but a mere illusion.
Darwin sparked our revolution. Science SHALL prevail!

War on Christmas After All!

Holiday greeting cards sent out by President Bush and Gov. Jeb Bush did not mention Christmas. Why do these guys hate Christmas?

How Did I Become a Bleeding Heart Liberal?

I'm not sure. I was brought up in moderately conservative family. I spent 12 yrs in Catholic school being taught about Jesus, Love, social justice and being told that JFK is great. That might have played a role subconciously. I attended a 'liberal arts' college during the Vietnam War and I'm sure that had something to do with it. An unjust draft system certainly had something to do with it. I'm pretty sure we would have more liberals right now if we still had a draft. When I was first eligible to vote, at 21 yrs, I voted for Richard Nixon (not the second time though). I put up with 4 yrs of being around conservative Navy guys (not all of them were), but was still anti-war during my entire tour. I think what has turned me from being a liberal to a bleeding heart, leftist, commie, pinko liberal is 5 yrs of good ole G. W. Bush and a mindless republican controlled government. I'm still trying to analyze why I'm such a liberal. Maybe because I believe in our Constitution and the Bill of Rights. I'll dwell on it some more.

I Feel So Dirty Now!

Vice President Dick 'FU' Cheney was over at Ft. Drum lying to our troops today. The thought of him being so close (about 100 mi.) makes me feel all icky. Ft. Drum will need a heavy downpour to wash the stain of 'torture boy' away. How can such an obvious draft dodger even appear before our troops?

UPDATE:
One good think about the Cheney visit to Ft. Drum, all the soldiers got issued the new ACU (Army Combat Uniform). There was a huge rush getting these uniforms to the soldiers in time for the VP visit. The soldiers weren't scheduled to get the new uniforms for months.

Grant Money Available!!!

From the NYT:

The Templeton Foundation, a major supporter of projects seeking to reconcile science and religion, says that after providing a few grants for conferences and courses to debate intelligent design, they asked proponents to submit proposals for actual research.

"They never came in," said Charles L. Harper Jr., senior vice president at the Templeton Foundation, who said that while he was skeptical from the beginning, other foundation officials were initially intrigued and later grew disillusioned.

It's really hard disguising your 'hokum' as science once people start evaluating it by scientific criteria. Intelligent Design folks can't seem to come up with any experiments to test their 'theory'.

Defines An Adirondacker

Suggest a title for this.

Are We Safer? - Another Promise Broken?

"It's absolutely essential that eight weeks from today, on Nov. 2, we make the right choice, because if we make the wrong choice then the danger is that we'll get hit again and we'll be hit in a way that will be devastating from the standpoint of the United States," Cheney told supporters at a town-hall meeting Tuesday. "And then we'll fall back into the pre-9/11 mindset, if you will, that in fact these terrorist attacks are just criminal acts and that we're not really at war. I think that would be a terrible mistake for us."

Not according to the 9/11 commission. Police, firemen and government workers still have no common reserved radio frequencies with which to communicate during a disaster. Homeland Security funds are handed out like candy to those that don't have a high risk of a terrorist attack. Our intelligence agencies still cannot easily share information. Katrina proved that this administration is imcompetent. Do we need yet another terrorist attack to futher prove their imcompetency?

Iraq War Profiteering

Anyone hear about the $10 million dollar bat mitzvah party for a 13 yr old girl? She and 300 of her best friends (who has 300 best friends?) were entertained by 50 Cents (reportedly one-half million for 30 min act), Aerosmith, Kenny G., Stevie Nicks and hosted by Tom Petty. It was held for the daughter of David H. Brooks, CEO of DHB Industries. DHB Industries produces bulletproof vests but evidently not very good ones. Over 5000 of the vests were recalled last May because they did not meet contract specification (i.e. bullets evidently went through them). This guy made $70 million dollars in 2004 and sold DHB stock for another $186 million dollars. As of Nov. 21, 18,000 more vests have been recalled. How do people like this live with themselves?