Wrong of the South

I grew up in Washington D.C, and it has become abundantly clear what a bubble that was. My school taught me the value of tolerance, understanding, kindness to others. We celebrated MLK day with real enthusiasm, and even when teenage cynicism blunted our fervor a bit, we still held on to those ideals. And so, we convinced ourselves that everyone, or most people, shared these basic principles.

Well, as this election proved abundantly clear, I was wrong. But, if that wasn’t proof enough, Alabama just held a referendum as to whether or not to amend the state constitution removing the clause which calls for segregation. And it failed. The people of Alabama decided that they’d rather live in the American dark ages. The South hasn’t gotten over the Civil Rights movement; hell, they haven’t gotten over the Civil War. I think all the bad government we’ve had over the last ten years or so may be their revenge.

Congressmen to oust in '06, Part 1

I think our no. 1 priority should be....

Rick Santorum (R-PA)

- This obviously closeted homosexual has made a career out of bashing homosexuals, and said (of the proposed gay marriage ban amendment) "I would argue that the future of our country hangs in the balance because the future of marriage hangs in the balance. Isn't that the ultimate homeland security, standing up and defending marriage?"

What a dick.

- He's been consistently voted by congressional staffers 'the dumbest member of congress'. As one GOP staffer said "If you took the key out of his back, I'm not sure his lips would keep moving."
- He used t be a lobbyist for the World Wrestling Federation. While that's not a reason to vote someone out of office, it belies a certain lack of gravitas on his part.
- In 1997 Santorum bought a small two bedroom house in Penn Hills, PA. But his family never lived there - they live in an $750,000 house in Leesburg, VA. That didn't stop Santorum from taking around $100,000 of Pennsylvania taxpayers' money so his children could attend the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, whatever the hell that is.

When this embaarssing revelation came to light last week, he said he'd pull his kids out of school and start home-schooling them. I bet you can get a good tutor for $100,000 a year.

Really, Pennsylvania, is this the best you can do?

Who is Hary Reid

The Washington Post has a pretty good article about newly-elected Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV). Not terrific, though; it describes Tom Daschle as 'media-savvy' and describes his 'flair' as a speaker. If there was anything Daschle lacked, it was 'savvy' or 'flair' of any kind in any form.

As for Reid, he's a pro-life Mormon who grew up in a coal-mining town, used to box, and is a former police officer. He also supports a ban on flag-burning. Not to worry; he's famous for putting the party above everything else, and my hope is that he represents the socially conservative wing of the Democratic Party that formed the backbone of its working-class movement for many years.

Dick Durbin (D-IL) is the new Senate Minority Whip, is famous for his tough interragtory skills and fiery speaking. If we have some power in our words maybe we can regain some of the fire in our hearts.

Of course, it still leaves open the question of who will run for president in 2008. That's still wide open, and honestly I have no idea. I'll just throw out some names:

- John Kerry
- John Edwards
- Al Gore
- Howard Dean
- Barak Obama
- Wes Clark
- Hillary Clinton
- Bill Richardson
- Al Sharpton (Won't happen. But wouldn't it be great?)

One By One

So let's review the list of departing Bush cabinet members:

- Don Evans, Commerce
- John Ashcroft, Justice
- Rod Paige, Education
- Spencer Abrahms, Energy
- Ann Veneman, Agriculture
- Colin Powell, State

Good riddance, I say. But I'm afraid their replacememnts will be just as bad.

Music for a Better World

Conservatives have prayers and loyalty oaths. Liberals need something to inspire them and fillt hem with strength, and music is the prayer of the people.

But Singing isn't done anymore. It is not fashionable, not cool. People don't do it, not even when they drink.

Imagine if, during the DNC, someone had taken center stage and began:

I dreamed I saw Joe Hill last night,
alive as you and me.
Says I "But Joe, you're ten years dead"
"I never died" said he,
"I never died" said he.

"The Copper Bosses killed you Joe,
they shot you Joe" says I.
"Takes more than guns to kill a man"
Says Joe "I didn't die"
Says Joe "I didn't die"

And standing there as big as life
and smiling with his eyes.
Says Joe "What they can never kill
went on to organize,
went on to organize"

First of all, it would make all the corporate sponsors squirm in their seats; but that's a whole other issue. No, people would be simply embarrassed. It would seem like something from another era.

In fact, we'd be mortified if anyone began singing, even a good tune and simple poetry like this:

The people's flag is deepest red
It shrouded oft our martyred dead;
And ere their limbs grew stiff and cold
Their hearts' blood dyed to every fold.

Then raise the scarlet standard high!
Beneath its folds we'll live and die.
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer
We'll keep the red flag flying here.

Is it no longer true? Are those concerns obsolete? Hardly; modern music has become fractured and unsingable. All our new protest songs need a band and a dozen singers.

I await a new revolutionairy songwriter to give us a dozen notes to hum on our way to vote.

Those Victorious in War Might be Glorious in Peace

Two disgusting editorials from Democrats today.

One in an issue of the Justice which argued that the simplistic, evangelical, gay-bashing conservatives are the real majority in this country, and that the Democrats better move rightward or face oblivion. I don't think that would sound better even if it were true.

The second came from a rather more authoritative source - The New Republic. Now, I've had a soft spot for the New Republic since they published a letter to the editor of mine back in 2000. I still hold them in pretty high regard, despite their support for the war in Iraq and the fact that their editor, Martin Peretz, is a stupid son of a bitch. But this article here ("Back to Reality") exemplifies alot of what's wrong with the very structure of the party - we don't have any respect for our losers. Good luck finding a modern Democrat who'll speak fondly of Mondale or McGovern, even though they were right about everything, while the Republicans gush over Nixon and Goldwater like they were newborn babies. They (the Democrats) can't seperate the ideological strength of someone like Dukakis or Gore and their stylistic weakness. Just because a candidate espouses an idea, then that candidate loses the election, doesn't render the idea worthless.

If we're going to win, we can't be ashamed of who we are. We need to stop making concessions and reach out to the educated progressives and labor groups that are our natural constituencies. The last thing we need is two Republican Parties.

Save Your Ass

Walking around I keep hearing one of two things (from leftists, anyway): either "the Democratic Party is going to come roaring back, as per that book. Don't mourn, organize." Or, from the radicals, "The Democrats are finished! We're all doomed!" I haven't given up on the Democrats, not by a long shot. We have our differences, but I can live with that. And I choose resolve and hope over hysteria any day.

Monsieur Aaraft is not dead

Not yet, anyway. But soon. And after that, who knows what will happen?

I've always believe that if the Palestinians really wanted to wreak havoc in Israel, they'd leave, and watch the Reformists and the Orthodox Jews battle it out.

I'm a Jew myself, but I never had much patience or interest in arguing over religious law. Practical concerns always trumped spiritual ones for me.

Salvete

Who am I? Noah, currently a student at Brandeis University. And this is my attempt at expressing my opinions.

Exactly what this world needs is another left-leaning elitist blog from some college kid in Massachusetts. Well, here goes nothing.


To start, the election. I genuinely think that, in the future, historians may view this presidency as the beggining of the end of American dominance over world affairs. He's given the lie to our much-vaunted military power; from now on, no country will resist our invasions, merely let us in, and then engage in massive urban/guerilla warfare to win the battle of attrition. Not to mention the fatc that our debt is fast approahcing critical mass. So, as I see it, we have three choices:

- Lose our empire and become like Britain or Spain, a modern welfare state.
- Follow Marx, and become socialist.
- Devolve into a theocracy.

I'm holding out for option 1. But you never know.