Points to Ponder:
(On Perceived "Allies", "Adversaries", and Striving For Objectivity In Our Assessments of Others)
It is natural of course to feel an affinity for those we perceive to be our "allies" in a fight and even a kind of operative animosity towards those we believe are opposed to us. These tendencies however should never get in the way of trying as best we can to make as fair an assessment of persons and situations. Otherwise, there is a problem with approaching moral and ethical issues in a uniform standard and more often than not there is the use of double standards. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa October 25, 2007)]
Saturday, February 16, 2008
I have not said much on the inevitable{1}nomination of Senator John McCain yet for the Republicans but President Bush claiming that conservatives should unite behind McCain because President Bush says he is a conservative is laughable. Seriously.
I am not going to claim that Senator McCain either is or is not a conservative in this posting -only that the last person who is credible on discerning this matter is President George W. Bush for reasons I have delved into in the past and probably will in the future. (When I go into my view on Senator John McCain as both a nominee for and possible future President of the United States in light of recent developments.)
As for now though, that is all I intend to say on the matter other than to inaugurate a new weblog category specifically to tag discuss the Arizona senator from here on out which I am also applying retroactively to the archives all things to the contrary notwithstanding.
I decided to take this approach because I do not have time or the desire at the moment to go into my archives to find choice bits for fleshing out this posting either in the body of the text or in footnotes; ergo the creation of this tag so that readers can review our archives and see everything we have said about the senior senator from Arizona over the years on this weblog.{2} And (of course) unlike a lot of people, I do not have anything to hide and my views on the senator at sundry times and divers manners have not always been flattering.
So with that noted, those interested in seeing what I have said thus far about Senator McCain (to get an idea of what I may say in the future) go ahead and have a look. That is all I will say about him for the time being though with a year being an eternity in politics{3} you can be sure there will be more in the months ahead as I am inclined (and have the time) to discuss that subject.
Notes:
{1} At this point.
{2} I did an archive search and tagged everything which was actually posted where I mentioned Senator McCain in any capacity whatsoever.
{3} As I have said so many times on this weblog when talking about politics.
I am not going to claim that Senator McCain either is or is not a conservative in this posting -only that the last person who is credible on discerning this matter is President George W. Bush for reasons I have delved into in the past and probably will in the future. (When I go into my view on Senator John McCain as both a nominee for and possible future President of the United States in light of recent developments.)
As for now though, that is all I intend to say on the matter other than to inaugurate a new weblog category specifically to tag discuss the Arizona senator from here on out which I am also applying retroactively to the archives all things to the contrary notwithstanding.
I decided to take this approach because I do not have time or the desire at the moment to go into my archives to find choice bits for fleshing out this posting either in the body of the text or in footnotes; ergo the creation of this tag so that readers can review our archives and see everything we have said about the senior senator from Arizona over the years on this weblog.{2} And (of course) unlike a lot of people, I do not have anything to hide and my views on the senator at sundry times and divers manners have not always been flattering.
So with that noted, those interested in seeing what I have said thus far about Senator McCain (to get an idea of what I may say in the future) go ahead and have a look. That is all I will say about him for the time being though with a year being an eternity in politics{3} you can be sure there will be more in the months ahead as I am inclined (and have the time) to discuss that subject.
Notes:
{1} At this point.
{2} I did an archive search and tagged everything which was actually posted where I mentioned Senator McCain in any capacity whatsoever.
{3} As I have said so many times on this weblog when talking about politics.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Miscellaneous Threads Worth Reviewing:
-40F
Bitter Cold, Whiteouts Hit Upper Midwest, East...
Chill Map...
Fairbanks has coldest temps in eight years...
All of the above threads are courtesy of Drudge and to serve as a reminder for those who may have forgotten{1} about the stance on global warming of your host at Rerum Novarum.
Note:
{1} On the Fraud of "Global Warming" With Greg Mockeridge and Kevin Tierney (circa April 13, 2006)
-40F
Bitter Cold, Whiteouts Hit Upper Midwest, East...
Chill Map...
Fairbanks has coldest temps in eight years...
All of the above threads are courtesy of Drudge and to serve as a reminder for those who may have forgotten{1} about the stance on global warming of your host at Rerum Novarum.
Note:
{1} On the Fraud of "Global Warming" With Greg Mockeridge and Kevin Tierney (circa April 13, 2006)
Boulder: Impeach Bush? (Rocky Mountain News)
If ever a snapshot of why I hold the hippie contingent in such derision was needed, the above link provides it. I have an idea: how about impeaching the Boulder City Council!!! They have local concerns to deal with and they waste time and energy in moronic notions such as supporting a presidential impeachment where there is no viable case to be made for it. Now it is true that President Bush came close to doing something that a good argument could have been made for impeachment{1}but it had nothing to do with the war in Iraq which was entered into for a variety of reasons -the most significant and concrete of which were the basis of your host's position on the war which was synthesized and blogged five years ago this week.{2}
Indeed I might be willing to go into these matters but for one problem other than lack of time: motivation. I am hardly going to play the kind of last year pig pile on the lame duck incumbent{3} game that is par for the course both this year as well as historically. (It is predictable as well as boring.) And this is also not to say of course that I will avoid criticism when I view it as both applicable as well as serving a viable purpose. But what it does rule out is any plans whatsoever to expend any energy whatsover on having President Bush's back on anything that is for his personal benefit. Or as I noted last July when talking about my unwillingness on these matters:
Admittedly I have lost any remaining motivation to complete it after the last round of trying to pass the illegal amnesty proposal and make it into law. The reason for lacking the motivation now is not because the arguments of the kooks are difficult to dispatch with. (Quite the contrary actually: the hardest part of it is finding the time to dispatch with them piece by piece in reasonable detail.) The problem is mainly that I have no confidence in President Bush to do much of anything right anymore. And since he has shown a lack of concern for having the back of those who have supported him over the years for the most part -or at the very least defended him from unfair attacks- why should anyone have his back now??? [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa July 11, 2007)]
That really sums it up nicely except for one small thing which I will briefly touch on soon. But that suffices for the time being in my view; ergo this posting will be concluded.
Notes:
{1} I have had on the drafting table for quite a while a planned post responding to twenty-five so-called "arguments" for impeaching President Bush. Most of those objections have been refuted in the draft as it is written now but the reason I am not likely to finish it anytime soon is this:
--I am inclining towards the view that the immigration policy President Bush wants to undertake is itself a potentially impeachable offense!!!
I do not intend to set forth the full panopoly of arguments to explain this at the present time. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa June 8, 2007)]
{2} My Definitive Position on the Eventual War in Iraq (circa February 9, 2003)
{3} Though for a lame duck, President Bush had a pretty good 2007. Or as I noted last year when commenting on the progress of President Bush and his Administration as of mid 2007:
On the whole, the Bush Administration is doing better in 2007 than in 2006 or 2005 but sometimes this is in spite of their intentions on some issues rather than because of them. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa July 11, 2007)]
Of course President Bush finished the year as well as he started it shutting down the pretensions of the Democratic congress again and again. If not for the fact that he lacked this kind of spine in standing up to his own party when they were running congress as wannabee big government liberals, I would be quite impressed indeed. But I digress.
If ever a snapshot of why I hold the hippie contingent in such derision was needed, the above link provides it. I have an idea: how about impeaching the Boulder City Council!!! They have local concerns to deal with and they waste time and energy in moronic notions such as supporting a presidential impeachment where there is no viable case to be made for it. Now it is true that President Bush came close to doing something that a good argument could have been made for impeachment{1}but it had nothing to do with the war in Iraq which was entered into for a variety of reasons -the most significant and concrete of which were the basis of your host's position on the war which was synthesized and blogged five years ago this week.{2}
Indeed I might be willing to go into these matters but for one problem other than lack of time: motivation. I am hardly going to play the kind of last year pig pile on the lame duck incumbent{3} game that is par for the course both this year as well as historically. (It is predictable as well as boring.) And this is also not to say of course that I will avoid criticism when I view it as both applicable as well as serving a viable purpose. But what it does rule out is any plans whatsoever to expend any energy whatsover on having President Bush's back on anything that is for his personal benefit. Or as I noted last July when talking about my unwillingness on these matters:
Admittedly I have lost any remaining motivation to complete it after the last round of trying to pass the illegal amnesty proposal and make it into law. The reason for lacking the motivation now is not because the arguments of the kooks are difficult to dispatch with. (Quite the contrary actually: the hardest part of it is finding the time to dispatch with them piece by piece in reasonable detail.) The problem is mainly that I have no confidence in President Bush to do much of anything right anymore. And since he has shown a lack of concern for having the back of those who have supported him over the years for the most part -or at the very least defended him from unfair attacks- why should anyone have his back now??? [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa July 11, 2007)]
That really sums it up nicely except for one small thing which I will briefly touch on soon. But that suffices for the time being in my view; ergo this posting will be concluded.
Notes:
{1} I have had on the drafting table for quite a while a planned post responding to twenty-five so-called "arguments" for impeaching President Bush. Most of those objections have been refuted in the draft as it is written now but the reason I am not likely to finish it anytime soon is this:
--I am inclining towards the view that the immigration policy President Bush wants to undertake is itself a potentially impeachable offense!!!
I do not intend to set forth the full panopoly of arguments to explain this at the present time. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa June 8, 2007)]
{2} My Definitive Position on the Eventual War in Iraq (circa February 9, 2003)
{3} Though for a lame duck, President Bush had a pretty good 2007. Or as I noted last year when commenting on the progress of President Bush and his Administration as of mid 2007:
On the whole, the Bush Administration is doing better in 2007 than in 2006 or 2005 but sometimes this is in spite of their intentions on some issues rather than because of them. [Excerpt from Rerum Novarum (circa July 11, 2007)]
Of course President Bush finished the year as well as he started it shutting down the pretensions of the Democratic congress again and again. If not for the fact that he lacked this kind of spine in standing up to his own party when they were running congress as wannabee big government liberals, I would be quite impressed indeed. But I digress.
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