Today's Good News

Figured I'd start with a general, long-term one.

The good news for today is that one of the bloodiest borders in the world, site of wars over the past several centuries and the deaths of millions of people, is peaceful and doesn't look to be headed to war any time soon.

Yes, the border between France and Germany, which has been peaceful for at least the past 40 years, and shows no signs of being fought over any time soon, after centuries of war. So it IS possible.

Two quotes

Blatantly stolen from Ken Macleod's blog (He's a science fiction writer, and a good one)

The two quotes are the ones he used to title his blog.

'Work as if you lived in the early days of a better nation.' - Alasdair Gray

"If these are the early days of a better nation, there must be hope, and a hope of peace is as good as any, and far better than a hollow hoarding greed or the dry lies of an aweless god." - Graydon Saunders

And yes, we can make a better nation. It's about time I started to get to work. Long past it, really, if I'd have been doing so, maybe we wouldn't be as doomed as we are now. And maybe not. Can't tell, but the future's waiting, and there's work to be done to make it one worth living in.

[meta: midscribbles]

You have GOT to be kidding me

Right, okay. So, the Republicans are the party of personal responsibility and morality. Right. Okay.

So, when the Majority Leader gets slammed numerous times by the House Ethics Committee, you'd expect they'd act instantly, right?

And they are.

First, they removed the GOP caucus rule that required anybody indicted for a felony to step down from a leadership position.

And now, they're cracking down even more on those villains!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A37888-2004Dec30?language=printer

They're trying to remove the clause in the House Ethics rules that says "A member . . . officer or employee of the House shall conduct himself at all times in a manner that shall reflect creditably on the House."

Because, see, it's far too easy for such a provision to be abused by aggressive lawmakers seeking to score partisan points on inflated charges. Or something.

I don't think I even need to get into the comparison with the six year long witch-hunt against Bill Clinton, do I?

Anybody who's in America, go to http://www.house.gov and punch in your zip code and write to your congresscritter. I actually think they might have voted on it today, but it's still worth a shot. If nothing else, it's something you can use against (or for) your Congresscritter come election time.

[meta: politics]

The 90s, a reflection.

Looking back on the 90s, it was a very unique time to grow up, I think. It was a hopeful time, at least to most everybody I knew. The US was mostly at peace, the economy was ticking along, and the Internet was exploding, feeling like it'd change everything. Politics was distant spectacle, a bunch of fundamentalists trying a witch-hunt against a popular president, trying to make things all about sex, which was all that got people interested in it. But the biggest thing was hope. The world seemed good, and headed toward being better. We could in good conscience do things like obsess over video games. Or at least, we felt we could.

Of course, in the background, those fundamentalists and kleptocrats who were busy chasing lurid made up allegations against the President were planning for the future. And everything changed then, when the Supreme Court appointed George Bush. And then again on September 11. Even if life doesn't seem to have changed on the surface, the hope and confidence of a better future are gone. Instead, our leaders no wave vague threats of "terrorists" and lie to us to keep us scared and convinced they're the ones to protects us. Instead of inspiring us with hope for the future, we get fed endless threats.

Surplus to deficit, hope to fear, loved to hated, jobs to unemployment lines... Is it too late to take this millennium back for a refund?

[meta: mindscribbles]
[meta: politics]