Politics

[gothwalk]

There are a few political things I sort-of want to post about. But mainly what it comes down to is pointing at Bush, and asking, "Will someone explain to that idiot, again, about the separation of church and state?" When there's an international conference, and the US position is agreed on by one single other representative, and that's the Vatican, is this not a clear signal that there is something seriously wrong? While I disagree with many things that Bush is pushing (or that other elements of his administration are pushing), it's his extension into international politics of his own personal insistence on abstinence over contraception that I find to be most reprehensible.

Comments

[caturah.livejournal.com]

it's his extension into international politics of his own personal insistence on abstinence over contraception that I find to be most reprehensible.

Am I reading that right? That he's trying to move his policies/personal opinons on contraception into other countries? (like us?)

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Guardian: America urges UN to renounce abortion rights

[caturah.livejournal.com]

I see

[bheansidhe.livejournal.com]

Oh, he's been trying to do that for years.

That's why I contribute to UNFPA when I can spare a dollar or two...

[arken-thell.livejournal.com]

That's all we need is to have somebody attempt to put us back another 30 years on the subject.

[kmusser]

The folks in power in the U.S. know all about the seperation between church and state - they don't like it. They've been pretty open about wanting to do away with the concept. Bleh, if I wanted to live in a theocracy I'd live in Saudi Arabia.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

The US don't really have seperation of church and state, and never have had, whatever they might claim. While the Bill of Rights might be based on self-evident truths, their Consitution is one nation under God.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

I heard something about the "under God" bit being added later. Anyone know if there's any truth to that?

[holzman.livejournal.com]

The words "under God" were added to the pledge of allegience in the '50s, when people were claiming Christian was the opposite of Communist. They do not and never did appear in the Constitution.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Thanks for clarifying that.

[holzman.livejournal.com]

The words "one nation under God" appear no where in the Constitution of the United States.

[bheansidhe.livejournal.com]

Not my fault. Not my fault. Not my fault. Not my fault. Not my fault. Not my fault. I VOTED AGAINST HIM. ARRRRRGH. Not my fault. Not my fault.

*pant pant* Sorry, everybody...

[graylion.livejournal.com]

I find it hard to call any suingle thing there the most reprehensible. And talking to people like Arthur and Alistair i am really getting a feeling of "Planet USA" here. Like a set of values and thinking that is so alien to us. The interesting part is that it is self-defeating. because they stifle crticial thinking. Be it in Science - where they are failing dismally so far - or in the CIA where the critical thinkers are leaving. This kind of thing tends to backfire

am nearly tempte to wish them another 20 years of anti-modern governments, they would be much less of a problem.

[holzman.livejournal.com]

It's not that he doesn't know. It's that he doesn't give a fuck.

[d2leddy.livejournal.com]

insistence on abstinence over contraception

Suppressing sexuality is a classically effective means of oppression (See Hitler, Stalin, Orwell's 1984. Even better when you get populations to do it for you.

I am so sorry about him--he's one of ours and it's bad enough he's mucking things up around here with half the population's approval, but it's worse when he's out there trying to influence other nations and cultures. I mean, non-Americans did not have any say in his selection and then his election and he's out there trying to tell you what to do.

On the other hand, you peoples need to get your acts together and defend yourselves, say, by forming an anti-US block, and collectively boycott/embargo US goods and services to, uh, "send a message". The economic cost will impact the majority of the American public and provided the Democrats don't fuck up (again), the next election will be quite interesting.

I'm just sayin'.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

As far as I can figure out, Bush thinks that if he says something often enough, it becomes true.

Including major changes to the US Constitution, it seems.

[smarriveurr.livejournal.com]

See, while I find almost every initiative of the Bush administration reprehensible, what bothers me most is rather his gloating belief that he makes no mistakes. I still remember clearly the moment, in a press conference prior to the last election, when a reporter asked the President what he thought was the biggest mistake he had made in his term in office, and he paused, chuckled, and said he couldn't think of any, boy he wished he'd known about that question in advance. The man couldn't admit to any mistakes at all there. I could rattle off dozens at the time, and things have only worsened.

It's that gloating condescension that really scares the fuck out of me. These people don't admit to error even when it's proven. They calmly rewrite history and pretend it never happened. No WMD in Iraq? Well, gee, that's not why we went to war! Uh... it was... the War of Iraqi Liberation! We went in to free the people now! I mean... that was always it. Anyone who said we shouldn't go to war hates freedom, because that's what the war was about! And if you remember different, you're an unpatriotic irrational liberal terrorist who hates freedom, and since you're an unpatriotic irrational liberal terrorist, you're wrong, so we're right, see!?