Month: December 2003

Conservatives, Cranks, etc.

Note from a former conservative about his change of heart and the neocon kleptocracy.

Now, I don’t want to sound like a crank, but the New Yorker had a great article about the redistricting system, in which it described an “unholy alliance” between various electoral groups. But really– is it an alliance between the rich and the stupid, as some suggest? Are we really moving toward fascism? Is Krugman right that we’re undermining the foundations of democracy in our own nation?

I don’t think things are all that bad, but it’s true that our voting machines are owned by Republicans. Our registration systems are owned by Republicans. The districts are owned by Republicans. There oughta be a fair fight. Districting ought to create fair fights and reasonable electoral groupings… things like a neighborhood, a city, a region. Maybe not– maybe it needs to be all in squares, no matter what.

I’m not Pro-Freedom, I’m Anti-God

People like this give the South a bad name. I mean, where do you get off saying things like “Atheists … don’t have personal values”. Your personal values and mine are not even all that incompatible. But your ignorance is painful to me.

Look at the line “I do solemnly swear (or affirm).” Why does it say affirm? Because some people do not take oaths before God, because they do not believe in such a thing. Really. That and refusing to swear allegiance to anyone else but God. So, there. You’re just all wrong. Now, crumble before my obviously superior intellect.

Contempt for religious fundamentalism, like contempt for George W. Bush, is a caustic and potentially destructive emotion, but it’s one that most civilized human beings tend to wear as a badge of honor these days.

Are you talking about my mother?

I will never mention my gay mother in school ever ever again.

Well, little one. Welcome to the harsh, harsh world of reality. You know how Mister Rogers is a nice guy who likes you just the way you are? A lot of the world is the opposite, and they will hate you, no matter what, and they are often people who have power over you and will use it to hurt you, and there is nothing you can do about it but suck it up and wait for it to be over.

Shrill the alarm

The WSJ’s Allan Murray is turning on Dubya, reports Brad DeLong. Without a subscription to the WSJ, I haven’t read the whole article, but the excerpt has the wonderful line:

It is also possible that what really links Presidents Nixon and Bush is something else: an unbounded desire for a second term, even at the expense of taxpayers.

I saw somewhere the explanation “There are two political parties in my country: the Stupid Party and the Evil Party. When the Evil Party is in charge, the Stupid Party stands in the way and prevents them from getting much evil accomplished. When the Stupid Party is in charge, the Evil Party stands in the way and prevents them from doing anything stupid. But sometimes, they manage to cooperate, and do something that is both stupid and evil, and that’s how we get laws in this country.”

Delayed Post

Uneventful Thanksgiving, mostly: Wednesday I got to DC, stayed out til three dancing, got to Charlottesville early Thursday with a hangover, went out Friday with Nat and Peach and Joel and Savage.

I met some Charlottesville geek types who had actually heard of my book, which was cool: I was, as they say, “fanboyed” for the first time. Saturday, I saw Master and Commander, which was OK. They did show some relatively accurate moments: bad surgery, someone trying to take a dump in rough seas, and of course rum and lashing, but they skipped the sodomy.

And then, Sunday, the ride. Joel’s friend Will and Will’s father were going up to the Skins game and offered us a ride to the Metro in Vienna. They arrived at our house and we offered them coffee or snacks. Will’s father said, no, I’m havin’ the breakfast of champions, and pulls out a couple Bud Lights. So we drove off, Will (thank god) at the wheel. They had bourbon, soda, beer, wine, and no food. The father said he has his boots on and so they won’t need to buy booze inside the stadium either. He drank three or four bottles of beer and then started to pack a bowl. About five minutes before we get to Vienna he realized he’d forgotten the tickets, so they dropped us off and turn around to go get them– his wife was going to meet them halfway, in Warrenton.

Yeah, it was good to be back in Charlottesville for awhile.