ST

Obama speaks from Illinois:
"Change is coming to America"
Did you hear that lowering of his voice that he tried to mimic King?

How much longer is he going to do his bs red-state blue state crap? They stood up for change? The voices of the people can be heard? Maybe we don't have to be divided by race, region, and gender.

What bs.

"Yes we can."

Can what?

"Because you are tired of being let down"
Wtf? You are going to be the biggest let down ever when you don't win.

"This time we have to seize the moment, write a new chapter in American History."
What will we write, exactly? That we had a chance to erase Bush but instead we chased a fantasy.

"This Fall we owe the American people a real choice."
Right...Clinton agrees with McCain on everything. Like 100 years in Iraq.

"Between change and more of the same"
Right...universal health care-more of the same!

Between backwards and forwards, future and past.
Unite everyone from all religions around a common purpose.
Who is most likely to change Washington.
Put an end to the politics of fear

Uh, ok...?

(Uh, at this point, he basically repeats word for word his previous speech)
We can take our politics to a higher level. They have been taught to be cynical.
Ordinary people can still do ordinary (extraordinary) things. Freud-slip?



Yes we can!
Yes we can!
Yes we can!


Is it just me, or am I just tired? I've heard this speech before, and his attempt at uplifting. But other than saying we are one, how is he going to bridge the disparities?

I would not be opposed to a Obama presidency. But he is just way too out there to win the general.

Race doesn't matter? But Obama lost overwhelmingly on Latino voters.
Race doesn't matter? Then why did African Americans vote 8-1 against Clinton?
Not rich vs poor? Then why is 50,000$ the dividing line between Clinton and Obama voters?

If Obama and Clinton were tied among different tracks of Dems, then I'd somewhat agree with his assertion that we can move beyond. But among blacks, Latinos, rich, poor, educated, not, young, old, south, urban, men, women, there are serious divisions.

Differences in demographics, but not deep differences in ideology that divide the Republicans.

Anyway, I've settled on Clinton and I'm ready to dig in. But I really want this to be over VERY soon. The primary is just painful, since I don't like to see 2 people I like attack each other. Oh well.

Will it ever end?

How many people will have to die before we get it in our heads to stop imposing our values on others? This latest brutality from Kenya shows things don't look good.

Who would have thought? The pro-Bush nypost has a great article on the roots of the violence. Here is what he says:


The horrific violence in Kenya has its roots in three things: the corruption we overlook, the forms of democracy we demand - and, above all, the tribes that left-wing academics insist are only wicked European inventions....

The process has played out hundreds of times, in dozens of countries, but we still insist that democracy means "one citizen, one vote" for a central government with Western-style ministries. The model we've enforced around the world assumes that enlightened citizens won't be bound by tribal or religious loyalties.

But democracy as we know it doesn't work in countries where competition for resources persists along tribal or religious lines. (Kenya also has a Christian-Muslim fracture, though it's not at the forefront now.)

But our attempts to ride roughshod over fundamental identities to which human beings cling for dear life only resulted in the sort of failures we've witnessed in the post-colonial years - and the problems we faced in Iraq as we brushed aside sheiks in favor of corrupt bureaucrats.



And tragedy continues because the liberals and neo cons don't want to admit something deeply simple: The rest of the world is DIFFERENT from us. And there's nothing we can do about it.

Liveblogging pre Super Tuesday Debate

8:35
Moral imperative to make health care affordable. I am not sure. Again, the health care is 3 separate issues. One is the conflict of interest w/ the HMOs. The other is the question of whether we should pay for each other's health care. And the third is the degree to which pharmaceutical companies should be allowed to keep profits from innovation.

8:41
Immigrants NOT causing lower wages? Obama's answer is bs. The Mexicans do bring down wages, because even though they take jobs that no one wants, if the wage rises, people will want them.

"The only people who get the jobs are the ones without proper documentation."
HAHAHA I'm sure that guy said "Mexicans" to Clinton and she tiptoed around it.
Try to learn English? Learn it, dammit!
Anyway, one has to somewhat admire Obama. Either way, given McCain's record, the Dems won't get hit too hard on this issue.

In the short term, the immigrants are good for the US as a whole (economically, they are the equivalent of a free trade agreement). In the long term, it's bad to let in unassimilated large groups of low IQ people whose loyalty lies across the border. But given that opposition to immigration comes from white supremacists, my heart isn't 100% against the Mexicans.

8:58 Civil Rights attorney. Suing companies to force them to hire more minorities?

9:04
Zinger! What kind of exec is Romney if he sucks at his campaign?
And MBA Bush totally failing at running the US!
Obama pulls another one. It's starting to seem like the Dems would run circles around McCain and Romney.

9:11 Zinger! A Clinton needed to clean up after a Bush.
Oh, what timing.

Did anyone see the Ron Paul sign? That would be alot of fun if he was at the debate too.

9:18. The Iraqi government will fail at making tough decisions. But either way, Americans shouldn't die because of their incompetence. Deadlines will force them to do something, even if it won't hold. And wtf is going to happen to our embassy?

9:36 People should stop harping on Clinton for her vote. It was NOT a vote for war. Get over it. Or was it, when people look at realistically rather than just the words?
Eh, who knows. It was just a poisonous political atmosphere.

9:45 The cackle! Hillary always breaks it out when there are annoying questions that she wants to downplay. And this one was about Bill.

Dream ticket?

I don't know. After seeing this debate, there is now way the Republicans can win. Even though they may be right on some issues, the Republicans are sleazebags and Bush apologists and out of touch. I'm feeling optimistic. Despite the disagreements, there was a real sense of cooperation between them in terms of wanting to erase the Bush legacy. While the Republicans are busy arguing over who is going to inherit Reagan's mantle.

I am still yet to decide over Obama or Clinton, but am honestly okay with either of them.

And yes, there are racial differences in intelligence.
And yes, Muslims really suck.
And yes, illegal immigrants pose a long term challenge to the US.

But now we have different priorities. McCain's time was in 2000. Republicans screwed up by not picking him them. They may want him now, but it's too late. They had their chance and ruined this country.

Live blogging

Madame Speaker:

The President of the United States!

A Barack Obama moment, where we realize that despite all our partisanship, we (or at least most of our politicians) are still fighting for the same country. It's so fascinating that the patriotism really does supercede the politics for a night, and it represents a great tradition.

It is the last time (for hopefully a long time) that this tremendously divisive leader is making his address on such a grand stage in front of such a sympathetic audience.

Interesting to see Pelosi, Obama, and Kerry all standing and clapping.

Pleased to accept checks and money orders? No clapping from the left.
Make the tax relief permanent. Ouch. The politics returns. OMG Pelosi and Cheney actually spoke!

Gocernment should balance budget! At least we can agree on that.
And health care.
But not increasing government control. 9:20, decisions aren't made in the Halls of Congress. Is that really worse than decisions by HMOs?

NCLB highest scores? Uh, it's called teaching to the test. AF AM and Hispanic scores changed, but does it mean anything? 9:21


Why are the Dems against cutting earmarks? And WTF with those weird facial expressions? Why don't the justices stand?

9:22 is Kennedy sleeping?

I can agree on free trade. And the government helping people adjust.

9:25 Nucular power? The Dems stood up before the Repubs on environmental issues. And science funding they agree.



9:29 Moral boundaries and biotech. Fair comment on stem cells. Legislation banning cloning, patenting, selling human life? That seems a little broad.

9:32 Go LA! Save Social Security!
Seal the Border. Create temp workers. (no complaints). Uphold laws and ideals-complicatied, but good sentiment.

9:35 We trust that people choose freedom. People will reject terror.
This is the great tragedy of the neocons, this assumption. Why does he have to tell us that we're inspired?
Violent rule, or sharia rule?
We will deliver justice! What does that mean? What about Bin Laden?
Spreading Freedom! ...

9:43 Al Qaeda will be defeated! Sure, but they weren't there before the war. How is a Dem supposed to react to such a politically calculated statement?

9:56 Opposes genocide in Sudan? WTF does that mean? Are we going to do anything about it?

I applaud AIDS prevention and aid, for American political reasons.
The State of the Union is strong.

Meditations on Politics and Reality

Barack Obama won South Carolina today. As of yet, I'm still undecided on who to vote for in the February 5 primary. Essentially, both candidates have virtually the same policy prescriptions, evidenced by the lack of substantial differences at the Democratic debate.

So, what really is the difference between them? It is, on the surface, as the pundits like to say, a difference of demographics. You know, the whole young voter/women voter/new voter/last minute voter thing.

At the core of it, as we all know the cliche, is the challenge of differentiating between Hope vs. Experience. The New York Time choose experience. I don't blame them, nor do I enthusiastically support them.

Race and gender matter.

What does Hillary represent? Her being a woman, that America can join the modern world and become again a respected member of the international community. Many countries have had women executives, even Islamic ones. America hasn't, but having one shows that we are on planet earth, we aren't an evil imperialist that no one can relate to. America is back, ready to be a moral country and not have entire continents hate us.

What will Obama demonstrate? He will be the quintessential figure of American exceptionalism. He will show that America is SUCH a country that, for the first time in human history, the greatest power on earth will be led by a man of a racial minority, a minority that used to be enslaved, and still is to some degree. His candidacy is trying to put the critics, the cynics, and the doubters to shame. He will show that, unlike everyone else on earth, we are TRULY a people who look at a person on their merit, not on their race or religion. The world is a fundamentally different place. Politics is going to operate at a higher level. Through out the rule book.

Are we a pragmatic people or an idealistic people? Is the American experiment just a farce, or is it the supreme culmination and conclusion of millennia of political thought, convulsion, change, ultimately leading to timeless greatness?

------
Throughout the night, the crowd erupted in chants of "We Want Change" and "Obama, Obama," "Race does not matter" and "Yes We Can."
------

We are ultimately human beings, however. Obama's victory, rather than transcending race, ultimately involves it. This article in Newsweek mentions the elephant in the room: Latino Voters. While white Democrats may be willing to look past race, Hispanics will operate on a different wavelength. Black voters, as soon as it is reasonable, will vote for one of their own.

Seriously, that is truly what this is about. For if we can't transcend race even in a campaign that is entirely based on transcending old divides, then how can we govern a divided America?

That's where pragmatism kicks in. Hillary is tired. She listens to consultants. She takes money from lobbyists. She uses Bill to attack Obama, and snipes at a well meaning comment on Reagan. It's politics as usual. We've been wanting to move past that, but yet it STILL works. The human animal is not fundamentally different from 10 years ago.

And that is our problem.

I want Obama quite badly. I am moved by his vision of America, and tired of Clinton (to say nothing of the Republicans). But ultimately, he has not come out with the bold policy initiatives, and is yet to convince most Americans that his vision of America is truly possible. We can move past Bush and correct his errors. But to TRULY transcend the Bush era is not that easy.

And so, moving beyond politics, the clash between idealism and pragmatism is always there.

I was inspired by the microfinance movement, but the movement is already approaching saturation while billions go hungry tonight.

I was inspired by the end of poverty, but IQ regressions on GDP are as robust as ever.

I was inspired by the seduction industry that men can become successful with women, and still truly respect and honor them. But I see too many broken hearts and disillusioned and unhappy players.

I thought that African independence will lead to a new era of prosperity and cooperation for them. Instead we have Rwanda and Darfur.

I thought that we could bring democracy to Iraq. I thought wrong.
Republicans still think we can. They are foolish.
Democrats think that leaving will solve the problems. Democrats don't want to face the reality of having the third genocide of the 21st century on their hands.

I thought girls would go for the nice guy like they say they want. Months of no play while playing that strategy say otherwise. Switching the strategy to cold and emotionally distant and OMG the girls are now giving IOI's. Wow!

I thought that reason and logic can bring people over to secular humanism, and we can get rid of divisive religion. Unfortunately, we are hardwired for God, and we define ourselves by our hatred of others.

I thought I could convince people to become vegetarians. But I didn't realize that people are phenomenally talented at not thinking about the suffering of others if it is in ones self interest.

When I traveled to South East Asia I thought I could convince a prostitute to forsake her unhappy life and make a decent living by getting educated. The lure of fancy cellphones and a lazy lifestyle begged to differ.

I thought capitalism was supposed to give power to the rational consumer. Madison Avenue and the field of neuro marketing do not agree.



Don't take this as complaining. Everyone goes through this. Bright eyed and idealistic and young, we think we can change the world. That everyone can get along. That man is fundamentally decent.

But we're not. As I am writing this, little girls are getting raped, killed, getting their genitals mutilated, enslaved, and humiliated. And there is nothing I can do about it. God stands by. Children are dying from preventable disease. Man and God stand by.

Now, at this point, people have a choice. This is a generalization, but it falls into three categories:

1) Begin to ignore the world. Retreat into the ivory tower or the peaceful suburbs. Assume that things can get better. That all we have to do is elect a candidate that promises change. Use your concern for the world and denigration of the "system" to gain pseudo-status in intellectual circles. Use political correctness to guard a foolish world view.

or

1a) Start a revolution implementing your radical ideas. The revolution stutters with the advent of reality, and dictatorship sets in. Either you remain oblivious to the outside world and continue to fail or eventually come to your senses.

2) Accept the world as it is, and say: too bad. I'm going to live for myself, and to hell with the rest of the world and the poor. I don't care about them.

3) You know, there are problems in the world, but it's part of God's plan. Look inward. Do your duty, find peace, find transcendence, and the world is just as illusion anyway. It doesn't matter in the long run.



I raise my fist in defiance. I will NOT remain oblivious to the horror of the world, and yet I will not work towards a solution that will ultimately fail.

Instead, I will put my faith in the machine .

What has religion done for us? It has found a way to explain the word. Why do the planets revolve around the sun? God did it. How do you explain the miracle of life? God did it. Why do bad things happen to good people? God is mysterious. Why do babies die terrible, painful deaths? God is punishing them for past sins. Why do we exist?
How should I live my life knowing that death will take away everything that I have worked for and loved? Jesus Christ is your Lord and savior.

Tough questions that religion tries to answer. But every day we find out more and more that religion doesn't explain everything. And yet, we remain stuck with a terrible world and terrible people, and a lack of purpose in our lives.

Eastern philosophy has it right. Ego and desire is really what promotes human suffering. We should rise above it.

But why should the culmination of life be rising above our genetic desires and propensities? Is the purpose of life truly just to discard life and deny existence?

Instead of God, I look towards machine. I look towards a world and a universe without individuals. Without desire. Without STATUS. Without war and pain. But ultimately, it is a world without man. Because while we are man, we will be a species looking to maximize our fitness, NOT a species looking for greatness.

We will become one, all plugged into the same giant supercomputer universe, with our streams of consciousness merging into a giant consciousness, plugging away at the universe and existence at a thought process level unimaginable to the smartest being in the universe.

And then there was light.

Om.



P.S. That still doesn't resolve the question of Barack or Hillary.

The problem with the left

This article by Pipes demonstrates why the liberals in America have such a problem generating true enthusiasm and support.

The feminists are against male oppression, but yet they look down on criticisms of Islam, they embrace the Latin American peasants who are oppressive to women. They campaign for alleviating poverty in Africa, where genital mutilation takes place and the men do a fraction of work that the women do.

They protest the Iraq War, but instead of saying that the problem being Iraqis are too primitive to have a functioning civil society, they say that we're "imposing" our beliefs on them.

They have no problem using science to discredit Christianity, but won't speak ill of Islam, and won't allow science to look at race.

They decry the genocide in Sudan, but it never dawns on them that it is MUSLIMS committing the genocide, against blacks.

The decry global warming, but fail to note that the meat industry is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gases. Al Gore is not a vegetarian.

They decry the seduction industry for being misogynist, yet consistently fall for the Spanish guys with the same chauvinistic attitudes, while criticizing the white guys for oppressing women AND not being masculine enough.

They believe in multilateral institutions like the UN, but fail to note that a ton of really bad countries have a ton of voting power.

They love France, but fail to note that France has been unable to integrate their Muslim immigrant populations.

They believe that whites oppression, but only in the case of Hispanics and Blacks. Asians are on their own.

They say they are not racist, but damned if they will make their kid attend a majority black school!

They believe in helping the vulnerable, but don't care about a third trimester baby inside a woman.

They decry the West for imposing its values on the world, but don't realize that all their other beliefs about race, justice, and equality, are NOT shared by many people outside the West. That the US is one of the least racist countries in the world.

They decry the media for objectifying women, but have no problem sleeping with the frat boy dominant men who do it the most.

They look down on the men for seeking Asian women for their submissiveness, but have no problem going with African and Hispanic men for their dominance.

They decry prostitution, but don't want to realize that it is the pimps(usually black) who cause the problems for their women, not the white johns.

They decry free trade and insist on fair labor standards, but look the other way when children and their parents starve/prostitute themselves in the third world because the factory that wants to open can't afford the high standards.

They decry the white male sex tourist, but refuse to give him the time of day back home.

They believe that a woman shouldn't have to take care of a child she doesn't want, but make men bare that responsibility.

They get upset at men for staring at their breasts, but wear tight shirts to attract attention.

They love Barack Obama, but get upset if you mention his father was a polygamist.

They are in favor of unlimited Mexican immigration, but don't care about the poor intelligent desperate around the world that also want to come to America.

They yell at Don Imus for his comments, but fail to note that black culture is more misogynist than white culture.

They believe in gay rights, but fail to condemn Black, Hispanic, and Muslim culture that actively is against gay rights.




I am still, to some degree, a liberal. On whereIstand.com I still agree more with Democrats, by far, then Republicans.


I believe that dissent is good,
externalities occur in the economy,
gays are programmed by nature to be gay,
god does not exist,
global warming is a problem,
sometimes people are too brainwashed by Madison Ave to spend their money correctly and the federal government can do a better job on occasion,
that HMO's have a conflict of interest in providing health care and can't be trusted,
That being a true American is not dependent on race or religion,
That meat is bad,
That affirmative action may be the only way to prevent racial relations breakdown in the face of genetic intelligence differences,
That women should screw whoever they want and use as much birth control as they want in the first 3 months,
That guns are for the state government to defend against the federal government, not for people to use for hunting,
That our moral standing in the world is just as important as our military power,
That wiretapping is BAD,
That the War on Terror is really a war of ideas with Islam, and the phrase terrorism is being used to scare us,
That we should be allowed to burn the flag because otherwise the 1st amendment means nothing,
That pornography isn't sinful,
That examined life is better than the unexamined.

Sports

I was going to write something about how professional sports is useless because of commercialism and the steroid scandal.

But instead, I'll just gloat. The Giants are going to the Super Bowl! What a game!