I got an email today that my mom forwarded from her good friend Laura Ward about Bush's "resume." As much as I don't like "Dubya," reading it sort of made me angry at whoever put it together originally because a lot of things are taken out of context or skewed to man something else. I mean, obviously, it only includes the bad things Bush has done because it's mean to make him look bad, but the part of me that always wants to play devil's advocate was able to find fault with nearly everything on the "resume." If I think about it again tonight, I'll post the whole thing and my objections to each part.
I only really bring this up because elections are coming up this year and it's important to start thinking about the future of this country, and by extension the world. As 2000+ US Marines are preparing to deploy to Haiti right now (to "defend" the US Embassy - probably by taking over Haiti), you have to wonder how much longer the American people will stand for the deployment of our troops overseas for extended periods of time against the wishes of the majority of the country.
My mom is concerned about a draft, and I have to admit that thought had crossed my mind. But let's remember Vietnam. You think there was draft dodging and protesting during the Vietnam conflict? Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet. This country will implode if the draft is instituted again. I think most people believe we have a duty to protect the lives and human rights of all people, but there are ways of doing that without resorting to force, and especially without resorting to taking a whole generation of 18-25 year old men and enlisting them in a cause they don't believe in. Not to suggest that Al Gore "won" the last election (they both knew how the electoral system worked, get over it already), but I think he would have been a better President. He knew intuitively the value of diplomacy and inobtrusive foreign assistance, but this is something Bush has yet to learn. And he never will with his war-monger buddies coaching him on. "The pen is mightier than the sword" for a reason.
But I digress. The point being that I don't think a draft is coming and that sooner or later, Bush will discover he's got no more military to send places because they're all deployed. American supports it's troops, but we'd rather support them being at home with their families. So start thinking about the future kids. Democracy only works when you participate.
I only really bring this up because elections are coming up this year and it's important to start thinking about the future of this country, and by extension the world. As 2000+ US Marines are preparing to deploy to Haiti right now (to "defend" the US Embassy - probably by taking over Haiti), you have to wonder how much longer the American people will stand for the deployment of our troops overseas for extended periods of time against the wishes of the majority of the country.
My mom is concerned about a draft, and I have to admit that thought had crossed my mind. But let's remember Vietnam. You think there was draft dodging and protesting during the Vietnam conflict? Baby, you ain't seen nothing yet. This country will implode if the draft is instituted again. I think most people believe we have a duty to protect the lives and human rights of all people, but there are ways of doing that without resorting to force, and especially without resorting to taking a whole generation of 18-25 year old men and enlisting them in a cause they don't believe in. Not to suggest that Al Gore "won" the last election (they both knew how the electoral system worked, get over it already), but I think he would have been a better President. He knew intuitively the value of diplomacy and inobtrusive foreign assistance, but this is something Bush has yet to learn. And he never will with his war-monger buddies coaching him on. "The pen is mightier than the sword" for a reason.
But I digress. The point being that I don't think a draft is coming and that sooner or later, Bush will discover he's got no more military to send places because they're all deployed. American supports it's troops, but we'd rather support them being at home with their families. So start thinking about the future kids. Democracy only works when you participate.
