MrPete's Blog

MrPete Commented on Is This America? by Naomi Wolf

2008-10-29T09:29:08Z

Ellen says it well. I'll take it further.

While many who are elected to national office are there to truly serve the nation, too many are not. They are there for greed: either representing their own selfish greed, or the selfish greed of their local area. They feed at the trough of the magical "tax base."

Whatever happened to government *service*, government *servants*, *ministries* (humble servants) of XYZ? Whatever happened to integrity above reproach, with no skeletons in the closet?

It all went away as election to office became a highly lucrative position. If *any* business offered the benefits that the senate or house did, it would quickly go bankrupt.

Is it any surprise when regional, local, and community leaders fall into the same trap?

We truly have become no better than developing world nations.

A turning point was when I began to see attitudes here that have horrified me in visits to the developing world.

On a visit halfway around the world, I read (and later confirmed) a news report... a politician had been convicted of embezzlement and removed from office. His supporters rioted. During the riot, they torched (and killed) a bus full of school girls. The judge let them all off, saying "of course they were upset! It was understandable violence."

Last week, I saw exactly this excuse made, for people in the USA who have harmed innocents (and not with the sanction of war, etc... I'm not discussing the ethics of war right now.)

Remember: an educated scoundrel is still a scoundrel.

MrPete Commented on How to Gauge Racism in This Election by Jim Sleeper

2008-10-28T23:59:23Z

I honestly think race is a minor factor in this election. From all I've heard, it's about even on those who actually vote for/against Obama because of race. If anything, more on the "for" side -- from those I personally know.

MrPete Commented on How to Gauge Racism in This Election by Jim Sleeper

2008-10-28T23:56:01Z

I find the arguments here amazingly... vapid. It's as if nothing matters but winning. Integrity, selfless service, etc etc are completely ignored. What matters is aligning oneself to the majority of voters (until the election is won.) What matters is hiding one's real aspirations and presenting a fresh face (until the election is won.) What matters is downplaying opposition strengths and dissing opposition weaknesses at every turn, while and glorifying "our" candidate's strengths and hiding the ghosts (until the election is won.)

Your list of questions are meaningless.

The situations you raise (of concern about the M-P camp) have entirely equivalent if not more concerning events for O-B. The press avidly picks up on the M-P situations (within hours or days), while downplaying or ignoring the O-B situations... sometimes for years.

Palin family... Obama poverty-stricken brother.

McCain not academic... Obama not even willing to share his academic record.

McCain in second marriage... Obama disavowing his mentors (Wright etc).

McCain an exonerated member of Keating Five... Obama chaired a $NNNm education fiasco (or do you prefer his quiver full of socialist mentors, goals, friends, etc?)

McCain a somewhat rough guy in the military... Obama's career full of involvements that he refuses to admit to this day.

[By the way, please update your memory on these things. McCain didn't even lose, let alone crash, seven planes. Look it up. He was cited not as a screwup, but a man with "superb airmanship."]

My attempt at realism... Plus for McCain: he knows how to work across the aisle. Minus for McCain: he's no saint. Plus for Obama: an inspiring orator. Minus for Obama: his "innovation" is smoothly hiding his traditional radical views until he's in power.

You have no idea what you are getting with Obama. Other than not-Bush.