Pat Robertson and the Ten Commandments

Reverend Robertson, What part of Thou Shalt Not didn't you understand?

P.S. If President Chavez's mother would have had an abortion, would that make you an advocate for the pro choice movement?

A Big Lie and then War

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082201447.html

The above article link conveys the thought that if you tell a Big "Enough" Lie....
People will believe you.

1) WMDs in Iraq were reason enough to justify the War. George Tenet, Director of the CIA, for whatever purposes, declared the WMDs in Iraq to be a "slam dunk". David Kay, appointed by Tenet to investigate the claims of WMD in Iraq after the war, found none. GWB 43 pinned the Congressional Medal of Honor on George Tenet's lapel.

2) Uranium found in Iran is not what the GWB 43 White House claims it was to be. The above article purports that Interational and US investigators disagree with the WH assertions. This should be enough to avert an invasion of Iran.

The Big Lie is what was used by Germany to initiate World War II.

History has taught us this lesson.

As Napoleon said, "History is nothing more than a lie agreed upon."

The Ideopolis extends to the Exurbs

Living Large, by Design, in the Middle of Nowhere by Rick Lyman describes the growing area of Wesley Chapel, Florida called New River Township. New River Township is the future of suburban sprawl and rim cities as the culmination of the exurbs. Interestingly enough, the term "exurbs" was coined by A.C. Spectorsky in his 1950's book called "The Exurbanites". Beyond the suburbs of today are the "exurbs". These area are the fast developmenting, planned communities that are slowly encroaching on the rural areas of many states. It is exactly the same population growth created by the new suburbs circling major cities in post World War II America.

As described in the article, The Harbinger of the New Deal, the Ideopolis extends from every city in America as people traverse the countryside in the pursuit of the "American BackYard". Like many American, the hopes and dreams of these families are enveloped in their children. The need for health care, good schools, a college education, a good job and a nice back yard completes all their wishes for the future. The move to the New River Townships of America will surely lead to a "New Deal" for all of America in
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Repeating Newt?

A news article found in the Washington Post today has Newt Gingrich promoting a future governing majority for the Republican Party. He promotes this idea by claiming that the larger media organizations have a liberal bias that they use in conjunction with bureaucratic "mole" in the federal bureaucracy to manipulate voters. He then points out that a message that is "repetitive" is the best way to maintain voter beliefs in voting Republican.

While promoting a political viewpoint and a future aspiration are both excellent forms of democracy in action. It is somewhat "chilling" to encounter the idea of using "repetition" to systematically inculcate voters with a set of beliefs and ideas. Democracy is for the free flow of all ideas. Political viewpoints need to based in fact and compared to other different ones. That is democracy. Repetition is rote learning which is fine when one is teaching the alphabet, but is alien to formulating words in order to engender the free flow of ideas.

Justice Roberts?

It is indeed a fact that Justice Roberts is a conservative. His lineage from the Federalist Society steering committee, to Reagan to GHW 41 reveals a strong inclination to the conservative side of the ledger. The worry for most on the Left is whether he is Anton Scalia in less boisterous opinions. The greatest benefit to John Roberts is his mind. He is indeed a brilliant man. He was an early graduate at Harvard as an undergraduate and a Harvard Law School graduate. As Plato said, "Morality is the highest form of reasoning." That being true, Justice Roberts will serve us well.

Nevertheless, in terms of capital punishment, affirmative action, abortion, immigration, civil rights and civil liberties, John Roberts' move to the right on the court may upset the beloved "precedent" that he so loves to admire in the Supreme Court. Will he encroach upon "stare decisis" or will he abolish it? The paper trial on his judicial understanding is thin. His work in conservative administrations is not. But whether one is a conservative president or a left leaning one, intelligent people come from both sides of the aisle, and for the most part, can work in any "Incumbents" administration. David Gergen and Defense Secretary Cohen come to mind.

John Roberts learned answers on the issue of capital punishment are reassuring. His answers on civil liberties and rights is not for this author. Abortion rights is anyone's guess.

If morality is indeed the highest form of reasoning, we will have a very moral man in the retiring robes of Justice O'Connor.