Tuesday November 28th, 2006
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Tuesday, November 28th, 2006
The Pope's a Turkey
The pope is going to Turkey today, and some people are mad about this, both Muslim and Christian, secular and fundamentalist. The issue is, of course, Benedict's history of anti-Islam sentiments, including a statement that Turkey should not be admitted to the European Union because it is "too Muslim." The irony is that the pope's going to Turkey could push the secular Muslims even further eastward. Turkey has the potential to being the epicenter of Mid-East peace, which makes sense, as it was the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire that more or less started all of the strife we enjoy today. With is mixture of all religions and degrees of religiosity, Turkey can stand as proof that there is no reason for opposing religions to be opposed. But, unlike the last pope, who spoke to religious cooperation and similarity, Benedict is too volatile a figure, too "young," in my opinion, to much protected by his lifetime term of service. I say, don't go, Pope. Adminiter to your own flock now, don't try and make the other flock even angrier.
Another Religion Losing Head
The leaders of the Christian Coalition say they are letting go of president-elect Joel Hunter because he does not adhere to their strict political model, but Joel says it's because the CC is too narrowly focused on moral issues, and refuse to get on task with environmental and social issues. Hunter wants to fight poverty and global warming, while the rest of the CC wants to keep fighting abortion and gay marriage. And all of this makes sense, as the Christian elite have become nothing more than a lobbying group for conservative control, while Joel and his ilk see the church as a progenitor of social recovery. Too bad. Between the CC and ultra-conservative Benedict (above), Christianity's bad name is just getting worse.
I Suppose I Should Comment on Michael Richards
I watched the tape, and in my opinion, Michael Richards is not a racist. He's something worse, an idiot. I'd like to preserve the word racist for people who perpetrate crimes against a race, not simply members of a race. By calling Richards a racist, we devalue the word, and take away the significance of battling those who keep minorities from jobs, equal housing, access to education, and so forth. The term should be used to battle congresspersons who pass racist laws, for police who abuse racial profiling, even for store owners who follow black youth around, waiting to catch them shoplifting. Michael Richards is just an idiot. He lost control, tried to cop some kind of Lenny-Bruce-wannabe point of view, and as it back fired, he dug himself in deeper. He displayed a serious lack of professionalism, a lack of sense of self, and a lack of consideration for the audience as a whole, neverminding the individuals who razzed him. I am not saying he was justified in any of this, but the people who heckled him are guilty of the same crimes. So it was an idiot yelling at idiots, a situation that never results in anything useful. But racism? Please. Pop culture is rarely that impactful.
Zelikow and Realpolitik Resign
Condi Rice's head naysayer is resigning, and it will be hard to use this against the Bush administration. Zelikow is described as practicing practical (versus idealogical) politics, and therefore saying that he is quitting over disputes between his suggestions and Bush policy would be contrary to his stature as any kind of politician. Nevertheless, Condi is having a difficult time filling Zelikow's shoes, as no one seems to want the job, not even people who have been asked twice. With 764 days to go in the Bush administration, even radical policy changes, the kind needed to bring the ship of state back away from the disastrous Iraqi iceberg, will take up too much remaining time in incorporating before implementation is recognized.
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