Sunday, July 11, 2004
Is That Smoke Coming Out of the Reichstag?
I've been tired of hearing the screed from the left on how Bush is an Imperial President. I supported his invasion of Iraq on grounds that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, and am left scratching my head over the fall out discussed below. Clearly, even though I've spent a good deal of my career working for republicans or republican leaning organizations, I've been disappointed by Bush's "leadership' on spending, the economy, growing the size of government and such. I don't think he's the devil incarnate, I just don't particularly get excited about his particular flavor of republicanism. (As if my bias isn't apparent in my previous writing) But what is more and more alarming is when the government comes out with announcements like this.
Election Day delay options discussed
http://www.cnn.com/2004//07/11/election.day.delay/index.html
On one hand, I suppose the old Boy Scout adage to "be prepared" is a good policy. Have a process in place to initiate a return to normal if something dreadful happens.
But, what level of dreadful are we talking about? Another 9/11 event? A nuclear explosion? Who would get to decide? Ridge? The CIA? A bi-partisan commission? How long would the delay be? Would Bush and Kerry be allowed to campaign during the delay and if not who would decide? It seems this leaves the door open to devilish manipulation, even if not today, than by some future unnamed leader that represents everything you the reader despises.
The greater question that needs to be asked (By liberals and conservatives) is under this 'plan' who exactly gets to decide to take away our collective right to bicker among ourselves, than cast a ballot for our favorite candidate? Hobbes wrote of a powerful creature created by man called Leviathan (for the uninitiated Leviathan is government), we all have to be wary of its power.
Yes, discussing options is good, but something about this makes me think of the Emperor in Star Wars saying he really doesn't want to be the Emperor and he'll return his powers as soon as he can. We all know what happened after that.
Election Day delay options discussed
http://www.cnn.com/2004//07/11/election.day.delay/index.html
On one hand, I suppose the old Boy Scout adage to "be prepared" is a good policy. Have a process in place to initiate a return to normal if something dreadful happens.
But, what level of dreadful are we talking about? Another 9/11 event? A nuclear explosion? Who would get to decide? Ridge? The CIA? A bi-partisan commission? How long would the delay be? Would Bush and Kerry be allowed to campaign during the delay and if not who would decide? It seems this leaves the door open to devilish manipulation, even if not today, than by some future unnamed leader that represents everything you the reader despises.
The greater question that needs to be asked (By liberals and conservatives) is under this 'plan' who exactly gets to decide to take away our collective right to bicker among ourselves, than cast a ballot for our favorite candidate? Hobbes wrote of a powerful creature created by man called Leviathan (for the uninitiated Leviathan is government), we all have to be wary of its power.
Yes, discussing options is good, but something about this makes me think of the Emperor in Star Wars saying he really doesn't want to be the Emperor and he'll return his powers as soon as he can. We all know what happened after that.
