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The State of the Union, Hilary Clinton, Top 5 Things People Talk About Ignorantly

The State of the Union Address

I happen to love how the State of the Union address and the Super Bowl occur within such close proximity of one another. No other time in the year can those passionate about health care reform and those passionate about a nickel defense both have a night of glory in the same week. For me, I get about an 8 out of 10 on the excite-o-meter for both events. Probably only a 7 this year because of how Washington is doing its best to suck as of late and how the Steelers are in the Super Bowl. I didn't really realize how I much I dislike the Steelers until they won three playoff games in a row and I was upset every time.

Anyway... more on the Super Bowl when we get closer to the big day. Today it's the State of the Union. If you didn't see it, here's a quick recap:

- Tribute was paid to Cloretta Scott King
- We'll fight for freedom across the globe
- Democracy has mushroomed in size the last half century
- Places like Burma, Zimbabwe, Iran, and North Korea (I think that is the exact list) need to be liberated
- We're letting the generals be generals in Iraq; they'll decide troop numbers
- Social Security should be reformed/privatized
- Health Care should be affordable
- Money will be going to research and education in physical sciences and math
- We're addicted to foreign oil and we need to encourage alternate energy sources
- We're tapping Al-Qaeda-related phone conversations
- We're doing the right thing.

I think the President did a good job of firmly declaring where his administration is going to stay the course and where there is going to be an active attempt at collaboration with Democrats. I found that the begining third and final fifth of the speech were rhetorical and idealistic, while the "minor" issues of Social Security, health care, education, and alternative energy were what actually have a chance of being seen through. These are the issues I believe will come out of this speech and have the most direct effect on my life.

Rebeckah brought up a good point: If Bush puts into place an act that will make most cars hybrid in the next 5-8 years, our first new car purchase will be influenced by that plan. It made me think about how I'm going to be moving back to the United States when I finish here at Bethany, and the medical insurance we buy will be directly affected by whatever Congress does in the next few years to change health care. I'm finally at the age where I care more genuinely about issues that before held no interest because these are going to actually effect me. I used to be a foreign policy guy... domestic affairs were just needed mundane issues for a politician. Now I'm begining to understand more how important they are.

For the record, the Democratic response to the State of the Union Address was giving to the newly elected Democratic governor of Virginia. Can I just say that I didn't really care about what he had to say? His speech was cold and contrived, his words were without conviction, and well, I frankly don't care too much about how well things are done down in Virginia. What made me completely shut him out was when he brought September 11th into his whole speech. Because the Pentagon is in Virginia. *sigh* You weren't even governor then. The governor of your state at the time is now a member of the President's cabinent, remember? It is a regretable strech that he tried to gain repore with the listener and political capital from a tragedy that took place a half decade ago (Wow, a half decade ago...).


A Word on Hilary Clinton

Aparently Mrs. Clinton did not take a note from Al Gore's poor performance in the presidential debates of 2000: People don't like it when you openly sigh, shake your head, and otherwise show physical disaproval while a charming man from Texas is talking. Gore did it in the debates and was mocked for the rest of the campaign about it. Hilary did it multiple times last night. What sucks is that the liberal media fed right into it, showing her when she had a noticable reaction. And what was that crap with the Democrats applauding themselves during the State of the Union for foiling the President. RESPECT THE OFFICE IF NOTHING ELSE. The way Hilary Clinton conducted herself last night was unbecoming of someone with aspirations of being elected president. Just for that, I hope that she does get nominated, and losses in a 1984-esque manner (Reagan beat Mondale 525-13) against Rudy Guliani.

I'll probably make a Guliani-in-'08 blog when the time comes, assuming another Republican I like better makes a run for the nomination. Guiliani is the man. And, thank you to the esteemed Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia for all of 19 days, Guliani is a man who can take credit and honor from the mention of September 11th legitamately. Eat that.


The Top Five Things People Talk About Ignorantly

5. Jazz Music. It made the list not because it is a normal topic of conversation, but rather because 98% of the time it is ranted about, the one talking doesn't know a thing about it. No, "I've Got Rhythm" and "Summertime" do not sum up the genre in its entirety.

4. American Wars of the 20th Century. That's right. I'm talking about all of the people who want to tell me that Iraq is the next Vietnam, that Nazi Germany was never going to win, that Mussolini was an idiot, that they know anything about World War One, or that the Korean War didn't really matter - which is not what people say out loud, but rather in their silence about it. I suggest everyone read about the wars of this century before they talk about them.

3. The Boston Red Sox. I'm not happy that we have holes this year, but I am happy that we are focusing on pitching and defense. It might be a bumpy road to another championship, but I think we're closer to another world series win than, say, the 1920 Red Sox. I've always maintained that if you don't know who John Valentin, Dan Duquette, or Troy O'Leary are, you haven't been a Sox fan long enough to not be a newbie.

2. Canadian Politics. Guilty. I do not know enough about Canadian politics to talk about it as much as I do. The sad thing is, however, that I find many inhabitants of this country don't know enough, either.

1. Energy Policy. First off, please do not tell me that Iraq was all about oil. What ambitions the United States had in liberating Iraqi oil are counterbalanced by the fact that France and Russia, two of the three largest anti-war cheerleaders in Europe, were both scoring large profits on Saddam's corrruption in the UN Food-for-Oil program. They were the ones already benefiting from Iraqi oil, so what cause did they have to let the United States take out Saddam?

Please do not tell me that there are sources of foreign oil past the Middle East that we should be using. We already get oil from both Venezuela, with its crackpot left-wing Castro-loving dictator, and Mexico, which is about as stable as a two-legged stool. Other than that, OPEC is where there is oil. And OPEC's goal is to get together and dangle a carrot in front of the rest of the world's nose, flirting with increased productoin that will lower prices and then cutting production once again to keep prices up. OPEC's members know exactly how addicted to oil the United States, Europe, and China are, and they know the political clout they gain from their corrupt agenda. People want to talk about rich men getting together in the proverbial smoke-filled room to conspire against the working man. I have good news for these people and bad news. The good: You're exactly right. Go ahead and continue to whine about it. The bad: They're not who you think they are. In fact, they don't even speak your language. They speak Arabic. And they sell oil.

Finally, please don't tell me either of the following:

- "Bush is from an oil state and worked in oil, so he must be driving up oil prices for his own gain..." Every penny that Bush makes is disclosed to the public. Besides, no one accused Carter of a peanut conspiracy, did they?

- "We could have hybrid/electric/solar/water/vegatble-oil/snot-powered cars by now. It's a conspiracy." No, no it isn't. It's much more expensive to make a car that runs on a new energy source. Until very recently, people weren't willing to pay that price. Gas, after all, was just so darn cheap.

What we CAN do with oil is:

- Live with it and realize there is no quick fix.
- Drill all the oil out of Alaska that is humanly possible.
- Help Mexico become more stable and cheap-oil-like.
- Make a personal decision to pay extra for a hybrid car.
- Introduce democracy to oil-producing countries. Voters like cheap oil. Dictators don't.


...there probably won't be this much content daily, but right now I'm unloading on some "...if I had a blog..." issues.

The End

posted by Michael @ 5:27 PM Comments: 2