Gandalf’s judgment on Denethor as given in Lord of the Rings: The Third Age: Thus is the havoc when a steward breaks his solemn bond with his people. Gondor shunned counsel, chose to dominate its subjects. While its sons were sent to die in hopeless causes, alliances faltered. Hope withered. Armies were squandered, leaders lost.Continue reading “A Thought for the Day”
Category Archives: Politics
Some Fictional Perspective
“If the re-election of George W Bush for his second term as President has a significance in terms of global history, it is that this, far more than his original accession to power, was the point when certain facts became clear to the traditional allies of the USA. Namely, that not only was the behemothicContinue reading “Some Fictional Perspective”
Reflections on the Presidential Election
What happened four years ago–Florida, the Supreme Court, the election of Bush rather than Gore–shook my confidence in the American political process. What happened on Tuesday–the re-election of Bush (or the first election of Bush, depending on how you felt about Bush v. Gore four years ago)–shook my confidence in the American people. At timesContinue reading “Reflections on the Presidential Election”
Adventures in Voting
The polls opened in North Carolina at 6:30 this morning. I wanted to vote early, as early as possible, so I arrived at the local Baptist church–my polling place, two blocks from my house–about quarter past six. The line was already a good hundred and fifty people long. At 7:40 I finally entered the church.Continue reading “Adventures in Voting”
Get Out There!
Go vote. I Voted… Did You?
"Shame on Bush!"
Last night I attended my first political rally. Democratic Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards was holding a rally at the North Carolina State fairgrounds with Jon Bon Jovi. The arena was filled almost to capacity–five or six thousand people. The candidate’s daughter, Cate Edwards, introduced the singer, who performed a few acoustic numbers, then theContinue reading “"Shame on Bush!"”
Why I Worry For The Future
You know what’s frightening about the current Presidential election cycle? The level of willful ignornace shown by large segments of the American populace. I’ve seen several articles on the phenomenon, and Dave Pell, writer of Electablog, has the latest article on the subject. Pell writes: “A significant number of Americans are bewildered when they seeContinue reading “Why I Worry For The Future”
For the Conspiracy-Inclined
The Register today posted an article by Thomas Greene that looks at whether or not “[w]ireless technology might explain why US President George W. Bush performed better than usual in the last two presidential debates with his opponent, Senator John Kerry.” The article is worth a read. In other news, the spreadsheet project is done,Continue reading “For the Conspiracy-Inclined”
Odds and Sods
Paul Lewis, an English professor at Boston College, authored an editorial, “The Gollum Voters” for the Boston Globe earlier this month that describes how many “[miss] the deep ambivalence plauging many Bush and Kerry supporters, an ambivalence that characterizes what me might call their Gollum mindset.” What is that mindset? Lewis: “As Bush and KerryContinue reading “Odds and Sods”
An Invitation
The invitation came in the mail last week, for the dedication of the Clinton Presidential Library. A few years ago I received a letter asking for donations, and having some extra money at the time I sent a check, and since then I’ve received more fundraising letters, but not having much money the one IContinue reading “An Invitation”