Musings...
Jul. 7th, 2004 09:23 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sgorny1.) I was just browsing through some stuff, and I found the following quote from this article:
"I did something for the worst possible reason," admitted the President. "Just because I could."
That was Bill Clinton speaking, doing his recent mea culpa about his oval office tryst with Monica Lewinski. To his belated credit, Clinton admits shame about this abuse of power: "I think that's just about the most morally indefensible reason anybody could have for doing anything."
Now let us fast-forward to George W. To his credit, W would not think of having sex with a White House intern. But this does not make him an innocent in the abuse of presidential power. What we've now learned from the 9/11 Commission and recent books by White House insiders is that George launched a war for the worst possible reason: Because he could.
Its clear that there was no geo-political necessity for his attack on Iraq, no threat to our national security, no weapons of mass destruction or ties to al Qaeda, no reason to send American men and women to die –– except for the worst reason: Because he could. He and his gang of neo-con chickenhawks had an ideological score to settle with Saddam Hussein, and they were out to do it regardless of rationality, right, or consequences.
Here's a Bush quote from a talk he gave to the National Security Council: "I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation."
He has the power. Might makes right. He can cause death, gruesome injuries, vast destruction, horror, and increased danger to America –– just because he can... which is the most morally-indefensible reason anybody could have for doing anything.
Clinton abused his presidential power to work out his sexual fantasies with an intern. That's pathetic. Bush, however, has abused his power to work out his Saddam fantasies with other people's lives. That's beyond contempt.
"Because They Could," The New York Times, June 20, 2004.
LET'S STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH. Jim Hightower, 2004. BUSH AT WAR. Bob Woodward, 2002.
This inspired the following slogan:
"Fuck interns on the Senate floor
Just don't send our kids to war."
I'd love to hear people chanting that as they protested.
2.) I was out to dinner with the SO, and the couple behind us had 2 small children, about ages 5 & 2-1/2. The 2-1/2 year old was bouncing around, leaving his seat on the bench near daddy and hopping all over the aisle, pulling his pants up tight and grabbing his pull-ups. The older boy looked like he wanted to get down, too, but was just minding his manners. As Jack bound away, Daddy looked at him and said "Jack, come back. Right now, Jack." The boy continued to bounce away. Daddy called again, a little more forcefully, and Jack bounced back. Daddy said, "You need to stay here." Jack made a sound in the negative. "OK, we can go get the high chair."
"No, no!" Jack squealed, climbing up next to Daddy. We exchanged a look in appreciation of his child handling skills. But within 5 minutes, Jack was squatting in and bouncing down the aisle again. Then Mommy got up to deal with Jack.
She walked the 10 feet over to where Jack had bounced, reached out her hand, and said, "Let's go outside, bouncy boy!"
Jack grabbed her hand, and out they went. She handled him so well, not curbing his enthusiasm & energy, but directing it in a better way.
Contrast that to how a bad parent (ie - Jack & Joan Kinney) would have acted. If their kid had done that, one of them (probably Jack) would have gotten up and roared, "You little shit, I told you to stay here!" Likely punctuated by a slap, pinch, or punch. It really made me think about the intrinsic difference with the way Justin's & Brian's childhoods are portrayed.
3.) Read the greatest fics recently, and have to pimp them.
a.) Losing My Religion by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
zoisite84.
Category: Fanfiction
Characters: Brian Kinney, Justin Taylor, Michael Novotny, Lindsay Peterson, Jack Kinney, Joan Kinney, Debbie Novotny, Claire Kinney
Genres: Angst, General / Other / Misc, POV, Drama, Episode-Related, Timeline: Prequel, Timeline: Season 1, Timeline: Season 2, Timeline: Season 3, Timeline: Season 4
Warnings: Het, Minor Character Death, Violence, References to Child Abuse, Abuse, Child Abuse, References to Abuse, Spoilers
Summary: Brian observes his faith at a number of intervals throughout his life. Spoilers through 410.
Disclaimer: All characters and situations from Queer as Folk are properties of Russell T. Davies, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Showtime, and others. No copyright infringement is intended.
b.) Face to Face bybblanton. Definitely one of my top 5 ever fics. Only 3 fics have ever made me teary eyed, and this is one of them. Definitely not to be missed.
"I did something for the worst possible reason," admitted the President. "Just because I could."
That was Bill Clinton speaking, doing his recent mea culpa about his oval office tryst with Monica Lewinski. To his belated credit, Clinton admits shame about this abuse of power: "I think that's just about the most morally indefensible reason anybody could have for doing anything."
Now let us fast-forward to George W. To his credit, W would not think of having sex with a White House intern. But this does not make him an innocent in the abuse of presidential power. What we've now learned from the 9/11 Commission and recent books by White House insiders is that George launched a war for the worst possible reason: Because he could.
Its clear that there was no geo-political necessity for his attack on Iraq, no threat to our national security, no weapons of mass destruction or ties to al Qaeda, no reason to send American men and women to die –– except for the worst reason: Because he could. He and his gang of neo-con chickenhawks had an ideological score to settle with Saddam Hussein, and they were out to do it regardless of rationality, right, or consequences.
Here's a Bush quote from a talk he gave to the National Security Council: "I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing about being the president. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they say something, but I don't feel like I owe anybody an explanation."
He has the power. Might makes right. He can cause death, gruesome injuries, vast destruction, horror, and increased danger to America –– just because he can... which is the most morally-indefensible reason anybody could have for doing anything.
Clinton abused his presidential power to work out his sexual fantasies with an intern. That's pathetic. Bush, however, has abused his power to work out his Saddam fantasies with other people's lives. That's beyond contempt.
"Because They Could," The New York Times, June 20, 2004.
LET'S STOP BEATING AROUND THE BUSH. Jim Hightower, 2004. BUSH AT WAR. Bob Woodward, 2002.
This inspired the following slogan:
"Fuck interns on the Senate floor
Just don't send our kids to war."
I'd love to hear people chanting that as they protested.
2.) I was out to dinner with the SO, and the couple behind us had 2 small children, about ages 5 & 2-1/2. The 2-1/2 year old was bouncing around, leaving his seat on the bench near daddy and hopping all over the aisle, pulling his pants up tight and grabbing his pull-ups. The older boy looked like he wanted to get down, too, but was just minding his manners. As Jack bound away, Daddy looked at him and said "Jack, come back. Right now, Jack." The boy continued to bounce away. Daddy called again, a little more forcefully, and Jack bounced back. Daddy said, "You need to stay here." Jack made a sound in the negative. "OK, we can go get the high chair."
"No, no!" Jack squealed, climbing up next to Daddy. We exchanged a look in appreciation of his child handling skills. But within 5 minutes, Jack was squatting in and bouncing down the aisle again. Then Mommy got up to deal with Jack.
She walked the 10 feet over to where Jack had bounced, reached out her hand, and said, "Let's go outside, bouncy boy!"
Jack grabbed her hand, and out they went. She handled him so well, not curbing his enthusiasm & energy, but directing it in a better way.
Contrast that to how a bad parent (ie - Jack & Joan Kinney) would have acted. If their kid had done that, one of them (probably Jack) would have gotten up and roared, "You little shit, I told you to stay here!" Likely punctuated by a slap, pinch, or punch. It really made me think about the intrinsic difference with the way Justin's & Brian's childhoods are portrayed.
3.) Read the greatest fics recently, and have to pimp them.
a.) Losing My Religion by
zoisite84.Category: Fanfiction
Characters: Brian Kinney, Justin Taylor, Michael Novotny, Lindsay Peterson, Jack Kinney, Joan Kinney, Debbie Novotny, Claire Kinney
Genres: Angst, General / Other / Misc, POV, Drama, Episode-Related, Timeline: Prequel, Timeline: Season 1, Timeline: Season 2, Timeline: Season 3, Timeline: Season 4
Warnings: Het, Minor Character Death, Violence, References to Child Abuse, Abuse, Child Abuse, References to Abuse, Spoilers
Summary: Brian observes his faith at a number of intervals throughout his life. Spoilers through 410.
Disclaimer: All characters and situations from Queer as Folk are properties of Russell T. Davies, Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, Showtime, and others. No copyright infringement is intended.
b.) Face to Face by
bblanton. Definitely one of my top 5 ever fics. Only 3 fics have ever made me teary eyed, and this is one of them. Definitely not to be missed.
