I’ve always been a fan of Paglia, though I often disagree with her politics. I read her column yesterday, and really liked it — especially lines like this one:
“Feminism, which should be about equal rights and equal opportunity, should not be a closed club requiring an ideological litmus test for membership.”
cg
I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anyone (especially a presidential candidate) 100% – but I do agree with this:
‘This commercial was done by a local kid. You have to watch the whole thing. When he finishes talking and walks away, you get a sense of how this could be the commercial of the campaign season.
Jeff, that is an excellent quote, and I whole heartily agree with it and, dare I say, most of what Paglia writes in this opinion piece.
cg–I’m unable to view that at my present location; I’ll have to wait till later this evening when I return to my underground, concrete-reinforced bunker. I”ll let you know what I think.
That was an excellent article and I agreed with most of it as well. As a woman I think is refreshing to have someone out there who you can actually identify with….or more importantly who can identify with the average working woman.
Mike the Eyeguy
cg–
I watched the video you linked. I have a lot of respect for the veteran who made the ad, like I do all veterans. On that count, I walk the walk, having taken care of veterans for the past 16 years. I have taken care of men and women who have seen the worst of it. I have helped bind their wounds, in some cases treating the scars and impediments left behind by mistreatment and torture, and listened to their stories.
And this is what I have learned: You can be a patriot and serve this country and still disagree on the necessity of this war, or any war for that matter. As heartfelt as his message is, it is very presumptuous of this young veteran to lecture Senator Obama on how he has “disrespected the service” of those who have served in Iraq.
I have met many returning Iraqi veterans (some with wounds themselves) who would disagree with the sentiments of this veteran in the video. Does that mean they “disrespect” the service of their comrades? And what about the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who opposed the surge (now there’s something you’ll never see in a McCain ad)? Does he feel the same way about them?
Please.
I will have more to say about this closer to election day. But that’s enough for now.
cg
Politics isn’t really my thing, but opinions truly are like bellybuttons – we all have them – and they’re not all the same.
That’s a pretty postmodern thing to say, or, rather, relativistic and fatalistic thing to say. Forgive me, but it’s a pretty easy thing to dismiss all of these conversations, as mere opinions. Since we have a voice in our own governance, and since we are bound by God’s guidance in scripture to honesty and truth, we cannot be reckless or dismissive about our “opinions,” especially if we decide to share them publically.
I fear that we are becoming unmoored from any desire for truth-telling and honesty. Republicans this cycle have dismissed outright lies from their ticket because “every politician lies” or because a narrative or some principle outweight “these little facts.” Democrats have done it in the past, and the press is enabling this bad practice ever more this year.
Our opinions reflect our view of the world, and we must be self-critical, self-skeptical and ready to engage in some truth-finding and accountability, even if the reality we discover is at odds with our initial “opinions.”
You should not be satisfied to dismiss this merely as opinions, even your own. We govern ourselves, so our opinions, and the basis for those opinions, matter a great deal.
Politics may not be your thing, but concern about our common self-government must be.
cg
JRB, you are correct. Our government was founded as a Republic, NOT a Democracy. As The Pledge of Allegiance says ‘…and to the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation under God…’ A Republic is a government of, for, and by the people – not a bunch of elected lawyers who pander to lobbyists with the most money or their own self-interests, which, by the way, both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of. I’m not a big fan of either McCain or Obama, but, IN MY OPINION, Governor Palin has proved herself as a defender of ‘government of, for, and by the people’ at the state level, and that’s the main reason I will vote the Republican ticket in this election.
bpb
After the past 7 years, I will vote for Donald Duck before voting republican.
Mike the Eyeguy
cg, you may be right, Gov Palin may indeed be “the real deal.” I suppose that after she has been vetted by the press like the other three candidates have (and yes, they’re sometimes unfair, but many times they’re on the mark, and regardless, a free press is a necessary component of a free society), we will know more.
All I know for sure is that she’s a mild myopic astigmat and that those Kawasaki 704s are to die for!
Hopefully, I made my case to you on why opposition to a war is not grounds for deeming someone unpatriotic or “disrespectful” to the troops.
bpb–you get the award for the most concise comment of the day! I love you!
Mike the Eyeguy
Donna, my apologies, your comment was caught in the Spam-zapper for some reason but I rescued it after several days. Sorry!
Jeff Slater
I’ve always been a fan of Paglia, though I often disagree with her politics. I read her column yesterday, and really liked it — especially lines like this one:
“Feminism, which should be about equal rights and equal opportunity, should not be a closed club requiring an ideological litmus test for membership.”
cg
I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anyone (especially a presidential candidate) 100% – but I do agree with this:
‘This commercial was done by a local kid. You have to watch the whole thing. When he finishes talking and walks away, you get a sense of how this could be the commercial of the campaign season.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8
Mike the Eyeguy
Jeff, that is an excellent quote, and I whole heartily agree with it and, dare I say, most of what Paglia writes in this opinion piece.
cg–I’m unable to view that at my present location; I’ll have to wait till later this evening when I return to my underground, concrete-reinforced bunker. I”ll let you know what I think.
Donna
That was an excellent article and I agreed with most of it as well. As a woman I think is refreshing to have someone out there who you can actually identify with….or more importantly who can identify with the average working woman.
Mike the Eyeguy
cg–
I watched the video you linked. I have a lot of respect for the veteran who made the ad, like I do all veterans. On that count, I walk the walk, having taken care of veterans for the past 16 years. I have taken care of men and women who have seen the worst of it. I have helped bind their wounds, in some cases treating the scars and impediments left behind by mistreatment and torture, and listened to their stories.
And this is what I have learned: You can be a patriot and serve this country and still disagree on the necessity of this war, or any war for that matter. As heartfelt as his message is, it is very presumptuous of this young veteran to lecture Senator Obama on how he has “disrespected the service” of those who have served in Iraq.
I have met many returning Iraqi veterans (some with wounds themselves) who would disagree with the sentiments of this veteran in the video. Does that mean they “disrespect” the service of their comrades? And what about the members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff who opposed the surge (now there’s something you’ll never see in a McCain ad)? Does he feel the same way about them?
Please.
I will have more to say about this closer to election day. But that’s enough for now.
cg
Politics isn’t really my thing, but opinions truly are like bellybuttons – we all have them – and they’re not all the same.
JRB
CG,
That’s a pretty postmodern thing to say, or, rather, relativistic and fatalistic thing to say. Forgive me, but it’s a pretty easy thing to dismiss all of these conversations, as mere opinions. Since we have a voice in our own governance, and since we are bound by God’s guidance in scripture to honesty and truth, we cannot be reckless or dismissive about our “opinions,” especially if we decide to share them publically.
I fear that we are becoming unmoored from any desire for truth-telling and honesty. Republicans this cycle have dismissed outright lies from their ticket because “every politician lies” or because a narrative or some principle outweight “these little facts.” Democrats have done it in the past, and the press is enabling this bad practice ever more this year.
Our opinions reflect our view of the world, and we must be self-critical, self-skeptical and ready to engage in some truth-finding and accountability, even if the reality we discover is at odds with our initial “opinions.”
You should not be satisfied to dismiss this merely as opinions, even your own. We govern ourselves, so our opinions, and the basis for those opinions, matter a great deal.
Politics may not be your thing, but concern about our common self-government must be.
cg
JRB, you are correct. Our government was founded as a Republic, NOT a Democracy. As The Pledge of Allegiance says ‘…and to the Republic, for which it stands, one Nation under God…’ A Republic is a government of, for, and by the people – not a bunch of elected lawyers who pander to lobbyists with the most money or their own self-interests, which, by the way, both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of. I’m not a big fan of either McCain or Obama, but, IN MY OPINION, Governor Palin has proved herself as a defender of ‘government of, for, and by the people’ at the state level, and that’s the main reason I will vote the Republican ticket in this election.
bpb
After the past 7 years, I will vote for Donald Duck before voting republican.
Mike the Eyeguy
cg, you may be right, Gov Palin may indeed be “the real deal.” I suppose that after she has been vetted by the press like the other three candidates have (and yes, they’re sometimes unfair, but many times they’re on the mark, and regardless, a free press is a necessary component of a free society), we will know more.
All I know for sure is that she’s a mild myopic astigmat and that those Kawasaki 704s are to die for!
Hopefully, I made my case to you on why opposition to a war is not grounds for deeming someone unpatriotic or “disrespectful” to the troops.
bpb–you get the award for the most concise comment of the day! I love you!
Mike the Eyeguy
Donna, my apologies, your comment was caught in the Spam-zapper for some reason but I rescued it after several days. Sorry!