craigfarmer
Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2004
- Messages
- 175
- Reaction score
- 6
There are the typical voices who decry American excess performing their usual criticism of our country's customs and ceremony again. This time the target is the upcoming Presidential Inauguration. They feel in the wake of the terrible Asian natural disaster, and the on-going War in Iraq, that there is an increased public appetite for their public gnashing. They are almost assuredly misreading public sentiment, but even were they accurate, these protestors would be completely wrong...
First of all, there is an appalling ignorance of economics in their perspective. The common error is to assume that the $40 million dollars spent on the "celebration" could be better used elsewhere, especially to help the victims of the natural disaster. Yet, the truth is a dollar amount ultimately represents an individual's labor and/or ownership rights to desired goods....
Second, there is tragedy every single day of the year. Were we to allow ourselves, a case could be made that any celebration is insensitive to those suffering. This is unacceptable, and not in the American spirit that has developed over hundreds of years....
Third, the real problem with this upcoming event is that President George W. Bush will be the honoree. I as did tens of millions of Americans voted for his opponent. Worse still, my vote wasn't actually for John Kerry but fervently against George Bush for various reasons. In our disgust with the election results we must be careful to maintain certain boundaries in our criticism...
As Newliberals we should use this time to celebrate the greatness of America, and plan to do better. One suggestion would be to focus on all of the Liberal ideas that still are flourishing even in a government completely controlled by so-called "conservatives". There are plenty to highlight, if we can get past the democratic/republican spats...
In 2008, if we nominate a better candidate who's surrounded by better advisors, we won't need to take a long-term view.
complete piece at: http://www.newliberals.org
Craig Farmer
making the word "liberal" safe again
First of all, there is an appalling ignorance of economics in their perspective. The common error is to assume that the $40 million dollars spent on the "celebration" could be better used elsewhere, especially to help the victims of the natural disaster. Yet, the truth is a dollar amount ultimately represents an individual's labor and/or ownership rights to desired goods....
Second, there is tragedy every single day of the year. Were we to allow ourselves, a case could be made that any celebration is insensitive to those suffering. This is unacceptable, and not in the American spirit that has developed over hundreds of years....
Third, the real problem with this upcoming event is that President George W. Bush will be the honoree. I as did tens of millions of Americans voted for his opponent. Worse still, my vote wasn't actually for John Kerry but fervently against George Bush for various reasons. In our disgust with the election results we must be careful to maintain certain boundaries in our criticism...
As Newliberals we should use this time to celebrate the greatness of America, and plan to do better. One suggestion would be to focus on all of the Liberal ideas that still are flourishing even in a government completely controlled by so-called "conservatives". There are plenty to highlight, if we can get past the democratic/republican spats...
In 2008, if we nominate a better candidate who's surrounded by better advisors, we won't need to take a long-term view.
complete piece at: http://www.newliberals.org
Craig Farmer
making the word "liberal" safe again
