A PATH WITHOUT HEART September 24, 2008
Posted by wmmbb in US Politics.trackback
One way of considering the options before the US voters in November is to consider the choice as a selection of different paths. Carlos Castaneda in The Teaching of Don Juan, suggested that there were many spiritual paths that could be followed, and they might be equally good, but the question, and the only question, to pose was: Do they have a heart? Political paths being different, the most important question might be: What is the quality of the mind?
John Tirman in Alternet reviews the Palin- McCain ticket:
One of the peculiar oversights of the Sarah Palin media blitz is her strong anti-science views. In keeping with her Pentecostal faith and alignment with the far right of the Republican Party, Palin is opposed to stem cell research, declaims evolution, and believes global warming to be a hoax. Of her many controversial qualities, this anti-science ideology may be the most troubling — in fact, devastating — for the economy, ecology, and health.
If the McCain-Palin ticket is elected, we would have the prospect of an administration constantly at odds with scientific advance. As vice-president, Palin would not only be the proverbial “heartbeat away” from the presidency, but the leading contender for the top spot eight years hence.
McCain himself shows some worrisome tendencies as well, supporting the teaching of “intelligent design”– the beard for anti-evolution propaganda — in schools, for example. Overall, the prospect of 8-16 years of this kind of bias sends a chill through the science community, even after years of dealing with the Bush anti-science agenda.
The Union of Concerned Scientists, an independent watchdog group, has documented dozens of cases where the U.S. government has interfered with, undermined, or falsified science in public policy over the last seven years. It is a shocking record, revolving mainly around environmental issues but ranging from abstinence-only AIDS prevention (shown repeatedly to be ineffective) to phony information about breast cancer. Bush cut funding for the National Institutes of Health and the Center for Disease Control, among other science agencies, in his final budget. Overall, he has starved non-defense R&D at a time when China, the EU and other rivals are investing vigorously.
More of the same, and possibly worse, is likely to be in store if Republican rule continues. The right-wing hostility to science is a mystery. Some years back much skepticism about scientific progress came from the left, ire focused on the way science was used to further corporate priorities. But an attack on science per se is now the province of the right wing, partially based on religious dogma (itself reserved to a tiny minority of the fundamentalist churches) and partly another way to divide the political culture into an us (small-town just folks) versus them (pointy headed intellectuals). But whatever the reasons, this steady assault on science is alarming. Why?
While the importance of the financial crisis cannot be denied, it is still the case the climate crisis is the more important, and the one that the necessary action is both imperative and urgent. Further detail, made possible by the peculiarity of religious beliefs will not make the situation worst.
Palin, who reportedly shoots wolves from helicopters, does not seem to have a heart either.
UPDATE:
Naomi Wolf via Alternet and Huffington Post has the full conspiracy theory. The question, given the pervasiveness of the financial crisis, who would be dumb enough to vote for Ms Palin? Who was dumb enough to vote for George W Bush? As they keep reminding us 300 million people gives you a few options, especially when you can chose which votes to count. More seriously, under the present conditions, I do not think the Palin-McCain ticket will work – but sadly I could be wrong. On the other hand: Why would you put a person like Palin up, if there was not an ulterior purpose?
Now what Nader is proposing is not crazy is it? Only different. But what chance has he got?
I think one of the main things we are missing, is that both candidates promote, as the toltecs call it, the “dream of the world”. Just because Obama claims faith does not mean it guides anything he does further than political stunts. Even his longtime confident mentor for 20 years was likened to a crazy old man he didn’t know too well, as soon as politics asked for it.
Obama devistates the environment, while sounding good, and his presidency promises more of the same, with the Democrats in full control. They voted for an end to civil rights, if we can remember that far back. When Obama’s people cried out against Exelon, he pretended to fight for them and instead ended up making it legal for them not to report nuclear leaks, not before getting hundreds of thousands of dollars from their executives and employees. Now, “two top Exelon officials, Frank M. Clark, executive vice president, and John W. Rogers Jr., a director, are among his largest fund-raisers.” With all the money and free jet rides he gets from Archer Midland Daniels, it is not coincidence he promotes corn ethanol as “clean”, even though the process they are using damages the earth even faster by any scientific measurement. They use almost the same amount of oil to make it, get huge subsidies from taxpayers, you pay at the pump, and it reduces your milage making you need more gas. He does this with a warm smile that it is helping the earth, when the only net gain is to get more money to some at the expense of a damaged earth and starving people.
If you have any faith, I hope you see his is one of the most ultimate deceivers on the stage these days. We all have different names for it, but the facts are there. He talks soothing words, and takes devistating actions against the environment and people’s rights. We can all call it what we will. I call it just another politician, but who’s deception is more dangerous than most.
I think to save the earth and ourselves, we have to throw off the illusion of both the Democrats and Republicans.
A slow, smiling, happy rush to the abrupt end is no better than fighting it kicking and screaming, perhaps.
What am I to say James?
The way I see it the system – the institutional structures, including the media – produce the politicians since they have to accommodate to the political culture to be in a position to acquire political power. Simply, it is the system that has produced the financial crisis. Most people are players within the existing structures, and are “gaming the system” to the best of their ability.
I do not think that means the effective choices are not real and significant choices, nor do I think that democratic politics begins and ends with electoral politics. I do however think that we have to be alert to the dangers that exist within the situation, and such awareness might influence our voting behavior.
Having said that, I am disappointed, that alternative voices, including all those who do not wish to continue to play along, are excluded from expressing their point of view. That seems to me fundamentally wrong and undemocratic. The more closed the political universe, the less the alternatives are open to public debate and consideration. Consensus then is held as an expression of conformity and belief, not held provisionally subject to the weight of opinion of the changing majority.
I know it’s not your fault. I just have such a fear that McCain is posed so scary, we are overlooking how corrupt Obama is too sometimes. In many ways, because he puts a better face on big money Imperialism, he may be worse. At the very least, they way he played his church politically and the huge contradictions between his words and actions show me he’s no more truly spiritual than McCain. He may know better, but that may make him worse, in a way.
I think we need to keep fighting for alternative voices, beyond the big, corporate sponsered, fake two choices. That is the big growth that will occur spiritually in humanity soon, or not… It may not be Nader, but we need to wake up soon.