Politics
U.S. Policies...
Randy Black writes: "It might be interesting
to hear in greater detail specific aspects of what Ms. Negrin believes is
“G.W. Bush’s …illegal foreign policy.” What is it that she believes is
specifically illegal and which laws is the United States violating? I am also
interested in her position regarding the Patriot Act. As a resident of Paris,
just what “freedom” does she believe that she is lacking due to that Act,
passed by the U.S. Senate, 98 to 1 and the House, 356 to 66. Has she evidence
that her freedoms have been weakened? Which ones? Further, is she aware
that the United States Congress, not any US President, past or present,
authorizes and funds U.S. policy as it relates to Bosnia, Somalia, Panama,
Grenada, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq and all the rest? Finally, that the percentage
of US residents living at or below the poverty line rose by three tenths of one
percent is a concern but not the disaster that Ms. Negrin would have us believe.
Taking into account that the population of the US rose at a faster rate, coupled
with the fact that the US entered a recession four years ago, and is yet to
totally turn around and you have a picture that is more clear as to the whys and
hows of our current economic state".
Politics of Terrorism...
I asked "Were American Minute Men
terrorists?". John Heelan replies: "It depends from which viewpoint
they are being regarded, that of the British of the time or that of latter-day
Americans. If they killed civilians (not armed militia)- then they would
have had a"terrorist" tinge. To broaden the historical picture
of American combatants- were the Native Americans "terrorists" when
they killed civilians in the Indian Wars or "freedom fighters"?
Perhaps it would not be politically correct to term "terrorists" the
ancestors of today's Native Americans. While driving the blacktops in New
England I found many plaques describing individual and multiple massacres of
settlers and their families; was that "terrorism" or "freedom
fighting"? Which of those terms would one use to define the
"Trail of Tears"- or would one say "ethnic cleansing and/or
genocide"? The combination of slippery semantics and histories
written by victors confuses the picture".
American Political Conventions...
From the UK, John Heelan writes:"Do not the
recent Democratic and the current Republican Conventions echo the
characteristics past fascist rallies- such as Nuremberg- albeit in a slightly
less regimented manner? Unending eulogies of the
"Leader", emphasis on national bellicosity, choreographed adulation,
rabble-rousing addresses, rampant patriotism, forests of flags, identification
of the "Other" as the enemy and so on. All taking place within a
"ring of steel" of thousands of police, army and Gest- (sorry)
security service people [apparently so necessary in the "safer world"
in which we all now live]". RH:I was reminded of Argentine
meetings addressed by Juan Peron.
Women in Parliaments...
For a long time, Sweden was the leader of the
Inter-Parliamentary Union's ranking of women in parliament. But, in the latest
survey of June 2004, Sweden no longer boasts the highest percentage of female
MPs. At 45.3%, Sweden still ranks first among highly-industrialized nations. It
is followed by its fellow Nordic states: Denmark 38%), and (37.5%), the
Netherlands 36.7%) and Norway (36.4%).
Although many people would automatically point to the United States as the
leading country in terms of historic achievements for women's liberalization, it
lags behind in electing women to political office. With 62 women holding
legislative seats in the 435-member House of Representatives, the United States
ties for 58th place with Andorra at 14.3%. Cuba just misses a top-five ranking
by a narrow margin. It boasts 36% of women in Parliament, while Norway ranks
just above with 36.4%. Still, Cuba has the highest percentage of women in
legislative seats among the countries in the entire Americas region. Costa Rica
(35.1%) and Argentina (34%) follow Cuba as the next
countries from the Americas with the highest percentages. With 219 women in a
Lower House seat out of 609, Cuba also boasts the highest total number of
women in parliament behind China. There, women claim 604 out of a total of
2,985 seats. Women are also numerous in the parliaments of sib-Saharan Africa
RH: These figures are surprising. That the number of women representatives
is high in Scandinavian countries and low in Muslim countries was to be
expected, but what about the high number in China, Cuba and black Africa?
I commented on a list of the numbers of women in parliaments: " That the
number of women representatives is high in Scandinavian countries and low in
Muslim countries was to be expected, but what about the high number in China,
Cuba and black Africa?" From Moscow, Cameron Sawyer says: "The real
question might be: do any countries among Cuba, China, and sub-Sarahan
Africa have real parliaments elected in competitive elections which actually
decide anything? Or are their parliaments just for show? The answer
to that may tell you something about why there are high numbers of women in
them.". RH: The 1978 Chinese constitution recognizes the National People's
Congress as the highest organ of state,. but real power resides in the Standing
Committee.
Political Convention in New York
The Republican Convention is beginning in Madison Square
Gardens, New York. Formal speeches at the convention will contrast both with the
whooping crowd inside and the yelling, `protesting mob outside. I was in Madison
Square Garden once when my daughter took my wife and me to see a circus. I
believe it was Russian, but, like political conventions, circuses are basically
all the same. Acrobats .leaped through the air, calm animal trainers made
snarling tigers act like kittens. A political convention features similar acts.
There are unpleasant notes in all of this, notably hatred and slander. These
seem to be the tools of certain groups, including a veterans' organization which
has attacked Kerry's war record. It was I believe the same organization which
sent me a note accusing me of praising some films by Jane Fonda. I cannot
remember the titles of the films they mentioned. I replied that I had never seen
a Jane Fonda film and that I had no use for her. I received no reply.
Apparently the group was just thrashing around looking for targets.
Bill Rauch, author of Politiking, tells a story about Senator John
McCain, for whom I have great respect. He and his wife (who has money) saw
in a Bangladesh orphanage run by a Mother Teresa organization two babies in
desperate need of medical care not obtainable locally. They arranged for the two
to receive medical treatment in Phoenix, the two were restored to good health.
and the McCains adopted them. Then came the bitter Republican primary in South
Carolina which pitted McCain against Bush. The religious right, which
favored Bush, spread the story that McCain had fathered two illegitimate
children with a Black woman. A `pro-Bush organization spread the story among
veterans that, while he was imprisoned in Vietnam, McCain had fathered two
illegitimate children. Both stories were of course lies. A newsman confronted
him, and of course McCain denied the stories and demanded that the newsman
produce evidence. The newsman retorted that it was up to McCain to prove
that he did not have illegitimate children. Poor McCain. No wonder
decent people hesitate to get into politics.
A new level of political discourse has been set by Ralph Nader. whatever you may
think of his ideas. Of course he does not have a chance, but his example
may shame the major parties into behaving in a more mature way. Incidentally he
is a great promoter of solar energy. Our posting on that subject elicited some
negative comments which indicated that the authors have not kept up with
technical developments. Of course the difficulties solar energy faces are
obvious and well-known.
A Musical Convention
I am unhappy.. One more circus, the Republican
convention, and mobs of protesters in the streets of New York, happy to be
featured on TV. Running a country and leading the world is an extremely
complicated job calling for unusual professional skills, not hoopla. This
message from Peter Orne did not make me any happier: "Rock 'n Roll helped
win the Cold War. Can it help win back the White House?" Is that the way
the Cold War was won? Peter appends an article on a plot by people like the
Dixie Chicks to take over tbe White. House. Here is an excerpt: "In
an unprecedented series of concerts in nine swing states, more than 20 musical
acts —including Bruce Springsteen , Pearl Jam and the Dixie Chicks— will
perform fund-raising concerts one month before the Nov. 2 election in an
effort to unseat President Bush. The shows, which will begin Oct. 1 in
Pennsylvania, will take an unusual approach: as many as six concerts on a
single day in cities across the states expected to decide the November
presidential race. Other stops on the tour are North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan,
Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Wisconsin and the key state in 2000, Florida.
"We're trying to put forward a group of progressive ideals and change the
administration in the White House," Springsteen told The Associated Press
in the most overtly political statements of his 30-year career. "That's the
success or failure, very clear cut and very simple. The anticipated millions of
dollars will be spent in the swing states before the presidential election, said
ACT president Ellen Malcolm. The shows will be presented by MoveOn Pac, the
electoral arm of the liberal interest group MoveOn.org" RH:
Springsteen sounds like the name of a South African animal, but I gather he is a
pop singer.
Overseas View of US Presidential Race
John Heelan from the UK and Christopher Jones
from France both sent messages titled "The overseas view of the US
presidential race". Paul Davis adds. "If WAISers haven't seen
the excellent "This Land" parody on www.jibjab.com,
they are missing out. While extremely funny, it satirises the puzzling
triviality of the race as viewed from outside; by myself at any rate".
Jewish Menace to U.S. Foreign Policy
John Heelan made the incredible charge that WAIS
was afraid to post criticisms of the Zionist lobby, etc. Now this comes
from Christopher Jones: "As Howard Beale learned, it isn't easy being an
angry prophet denouncing the hypocrisies of our times. For example, Ronald
Hilton dismissed a posting about Israel's hidden agenda in the Iraq war with
these words, "A great deal has been published about Israel's water
problems, but they would seem to have little relation to the Iraq war, which
presumably was initiated by the US, not by Israel." Of course, in the light
of the revelations that the Jewish financial lobby AIPAC has infiltrated US
government with spies and influenced US decision making prior to war in Iraq in
favor of the Likud agenda has proven me correct -- again. Nobody can deny
that there is a close symbiotic relationship between the US and Israel. Could
you conceive of a US Middle East policy in which the US is free to act and do as
it pleases regardless of ISRAELI opinion? If you say yes, then, in light of the
recent news, that is truly far-fetched. The fact of the matter is that US
intelligence stumbled from one mistake to the next, goaded on by faulty
intelligence whose origin was traced to Israel -- in particular, the plant in
Italy of the African uranium purchase story. The "Neo-Cons" are
Ashkenazi Jewish. Thanks to the right of return" they have an Israeli
passport in the pocket, i.e. they have dual loyalty, US and Israel. Israel
is the Jewish state. Likud is dominated by Ashkenazi Jews. Need I go further?
This curious US stubbornness to admit that Jews are immune to the " C
"* word is getting tiresome.