Incoherent Goals, Incompetent Management

Will the republic survive another 2+ years of this administration? They are zealots without a cause, managers without a clue.
Economy: Any hope of restraining Federal spending is now long past. Instead, the Federal Government has grown faster than ever. Comparisons to drunken sailors are unfair – to the sailors – because they are spending their own money. After inheriting a big surplus, the administration's promise of even halving their enormous debt by 2008 is delusional. Individually, in 2005 Americans spent more than they earned, a “negative savings rate” of -0.5%. In plain English, individual debt increased for the first time since the great depression. Once upon a time, anxious economic conservatives were ignored because “we owed our national debt to ourselves”. This fairy tale needs updating.
Education: see under: Testing. How can education, which is based on curiosity, have a hope when the country is “led” by such an incurious George? Likewise, the value of training, which is based on mastering “life skills”, is undermined when a Trust fund or a winning lottery ticket appear to be the most certain paths to success.
Security: After a wake-up call that even this administration couldn't ignore, their only genius was engaged. Their fear mongering has yielded enormous returns for their crony capitalists and political hacks. Now they're surprised that Americans are fearful of selling our ports to Arabs! (Dubai? Don't sell!) We need to be confident of the cargo allowed to enter the ports and we need plans to interdiction suspicious ships well out on the high seas. Screening cargo as it leaves the port is way too late. Sadly, Katrina has exposed the failure to plan for emergency. You can almost hear them testifying before the next Commission, “Nobody ever thought that terrorists would use ships to attack American ports.”
Iraq: The elected leaders cannot form a government. The leading clerics, who are keeping the country together, won't even meet with American representatives. God help them and our troops. According to the CIA, the most likely outcome remains a civil war. Will Turkey be destabilized by a incipient Kurdistan? There are worries enough for today. We'll leave this for the next administration (like Vietnam was left).
Middle East: We prescribe democracy for all trouble spots regardless of what ails them, unless the wrong candidates win. In Haiti, we forced the democratically elected President Aristide from office. In Venezuela, we have pressured and threatened the democratically elected President Hugo Chavez because of his socialist policies and refusal to kowtow to the US. We call for regime change in Iran, which has a functioning democracy. We pressure and threaten the newly-elected leaders of the Palestinians. The pattern is unmistakable and shameful.
Darfur: The administration happy talks about bringing the bounty of democracy and women's rights to Iraq. For a 0.1% of the cost, we could at least try to slow or stop the genocide, mass raping, and displacement of some of the poorest people on earth. Here, the administration defers to the Europeans. For some, this would reflect a genuine interest in cooperation. For this cabal of unlateralists, the translation is: we don't care.
Mexico: Is there any awareness in this administration of just how pervasive illegal immigrants are in this country? Senior Bush was ridiculed when he visited a grocery store and was amazed by the (amazing) scanners in the checkout. Junior Bush should visit Home Depot or Lowe's. Home improvement stores casually suggest “picking up a few Mexicans” for construction projects! What is the point of spending billions to control legal immigration if hordes of illegal immigrants pour into the country every day? How can less skilled Americans hope to find work when employers can pay much less to compliant illegals? (And may God bless them, too, but that is a topic for the future.)
Global Warming: Very few scientists doubt that man's activities have changed the atmosphere and will lead to even more dramatic changes in weather. This administration listens has blocked even baby steps to slowing the release of greenhouse gasses. The title of this website, antediluvian, seems all the more appropriate (but not prescient).
Space Exploration: This is a highly visible example of this administration's approach to the science and technology upon which our economic competitiveness is founded. They talk big about building stations on the moon and sending a manned mission to Mars. Meanwhile, “back on Earth”, there is no replacement for the aging and faltering shuttle fleet, which will be retired in the next few years. Money is drained from future programs to pay for retrofitting the remaining shuttles to keep them flying.

Is there even one ethical, moral, or practical principle guiding this administration?

Dick's Arrogance and Mortification

Dick Cheney is a bully. Bullies are cowards who fear, above all, embarrassment and ridicule. On a bird shoot last weekend, Dick met his worst enemy, and it was himself.

Dick made a career of talking tough but dodging the bullets. He could coordinate a campaign impugning John Kerry's Purple Hearts, earned in Vietnam. Dick got multiple deferments from that war -- which he supported from a safe distance -- and went on bluffing and bullying his way to become the Secretary of Defense. John Kerry has been at both ends of a gun, but for him, the wrong end was held by a mortal enemy, not a "blind" buddy. Dick never met the real enemy, so he has built a career by making enemies of his fellow Americans who happen to disagree with his big business cronyism.

Dick, what ethical concerns and simple decency could not do, your own blind bullying has accomplished. Don't hold you breath for another invitation to go shoot some birds.

NBC: NASCAR Beats (Olympic) Champions?!

What genius at NBC decided to show NASCAR "stock" car racing instead of the Olympics on Sunday afternoon? Let's review the facts of NASCAR vs. the Olympics:

• Who: A few fans anxious for the start of the interminable season vs. the World, but most importantly the many Americans wishing to see friends who aren't among the few spotlighted medal contenders!
• What: left hand turns, period, albeit at very high speed vs. sports you've never seen performed by people whose name and country may be unpronounceable. (Ok, maybe this one goes to NASCAR).
• When: nearly every week of the year (4 out of 5 weekends) vs. 2 weeks every 4 years (2%).
• Where: Contiguous US states only, mostly limited to the former Confederate States of America, vs. Global.

On the basis of sport or news, the Olympics should prevail. When most Americans know almost nothing about the world that we seek to dominate, this programming decision is irresponsible bordering on the criminal! NBC is licensed to broadcast in the public interest. If the FCC had any backbone, they would at least threaten to revoke NBC's license.

Ambrose Bierce had no idea how true his witticism would be 100 years later:

War is God's way of teaching Americans geography.

Shouldn't we at least have the decency to observe the natives at play before we invade? Who knows, it might even aid in post-war reconstruction planning (if we were to ever engage in it).

Torino, no?

Last nights' opening ceremony at the Turin Winter Olympics was bad even for a genre that tends to, well, Olympian heights of frenzied spectacle. It wasn't the worst*. But it was inexcusably formless and shallow for a country of almost unparalleled culture, taste, and history. People appeared to be literally climbing walls! And they were the participants! Ending with Pavarotti singing Nessun Dorma (nobody sleeps) is tired (see World Cup), sleepy tired, and it was way too late. This judge will give a 10 for fireworks but still only raises the final score to 2.

Note to planners – simply duplicating smaller acts to fill the venue never works. Study the recent Athens ceremony, where art and spectacle were merged beautifully on the requisite scale.

The centerpiece of these ceremonies is the parade of the athletes. Nothing can diminish the uplifting impression of so many countries represented by so many attractive, healthy young people smiling for the camera. This impression stills, however momentarily, the nagging sense that the Olympics has become a corporate tool, having evolved from a silly rich boy's fantasy. We can hope that it will continue to evolve.

*Americans take gold for the worst but that probably reflects our annual training at the Super Bowl. With the exception of Ali in Atlanta, never a memorable or moving moment.

Stones Rock Super Bowl XL

For the Super Bowl 40 halftime show, the Rolling Stones did it like nobody ever before. They actually made it seem like a concert instead of just the usual hurried stupidity. The band sounded good!

As Jagger mentioned, these guys could've played the halftime of the first Super Bowl! They are all in their 60's but move well. How do they still look so good when most bands half their age and one-percent as successful are fat, complacent slobs? The Stones are advertisements for debauchery, if you believe even a few of the stories. Still, it is fortunate there was no "wardrobe malfunction".