[Paleopsych] electile dysfunction

[Michael Christopher]

>>Well, he said he committed atrocities, and he 
didn't.<<

--You think someone would say he committed war crimes
when he didn't? If you believe that, you MUST think
he's psychopathic. I tend to think he did commit what
he considered (and probably what the Geneva Convention
considers) war crimes. 

>>He said he threw the medals, and he didn't throw
his.<<

--Politicians often retell stories in a way that
embellishes. Reagan did it constatntly. Bush does it.
Kerry did throw medals and ribbons, and simplified the
story in retelling it. How does Bush tell the story of
911? It probably doesn't include his reading My Pet
Goat when he could have been on the phone or on the
plane (don't blame Michael Moore for the My Pet Goat
thing, it was file footage from the day the towers
were hit). I wouldn't equate Kerry's war medal story
(which was based solidly in truth, with minor
embellishment) with Cheney's repeated allegations of
links between Saddam and Al Qaeda, entirely without
evidence. Or Bush getting photo-ops with programs
whose funding he went on to cut. That's a little more
cynical than saying medals when you mean ribbons.

>>He almost certainly had a dishonorable discharge,
but that has been hushed up.<<

--I think that whole questioning of Kerry's war record
was a GOP tactic to counter questions about Bush's
alleged "AWOL" period. I think in both cases the
accusations are overstated, and in some cases, purely
false.

>>But what bothers me is the other issues. He used
fear, undertainty, and doubt to get votes.<< 

--Hmm... who else uses fear, uncertainty and doubt to
get votes? Which party has been telling people the
Bible will be banned if they don't vote for Bush, or
that the country will be attacked and respond with
weakness if it votes Kerry? Which party keeps
insinuating that terrorists want Kerry? Which party
uses knee-jerk fear of the UN to avoid any possibility
of compromise in gaining allies? Who slandered McCain
during the primaries? Didn't Bush use fear of "big
government" against Al Gore and then go on to rack up
a huge deficit? Who sets the standard between
fear-mongering and pointing out serious problems that
need to be dealt with? Is it automatically "their guy"
who is in the wrong, when both are using similar
campaign strategy? I can understand saying they're
BOTH wrong, that the two-party system is inherently
corrupting. That I can agree with... but picking one
side and saying "They use fear" just seems
disingenuous or naive.

>>I long for a leader who will use vision, 
inspiration, and commitment.<<

--Me too. But the primary process would eliminate that
person, long before the public had a chance to vote
for her. You really have to be an actor to make it,
and that's why we elect people who believe their own
press and reject criticism from outside their circle
of insiders. They are the only ones who can believe
the act is real.

Michael



		
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