| Core: noun, the most important part of a thing, the essence; from the Latin cor, meaning heart. |
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| Needless Commentary from Small-Town America |
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The Weblog at The View from the Core - Tuesday, December 02, 2003
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Federalism Shmederalism Got your attention? :-) If you have been reading The Blog from the Core for a while — and, surely, Faithful Reader, you have been doing so :-) — that title will probably take you by surprise. I bring up federalism because politically conservative folks who support a Federal Marriage Amendment to make it clear that marriage exists between a man and a woman are being accused of abandoning one of their cherished principles, federalism: that the states are the fundamental source of political power and that, concomittantly, the federal government's power is delegated from the states, and that's the way it ought to be; or similar ideas, perhaps stronger, perhaps more diluted. I do not say Federalism Shmederalism because I think federalism should be abandoned to prevent the judiciary from imposing its arbitrary will on the people, by inventing "gay" "marriage", but because I do not think that a Federal Marriage Amendment is an abandonment of federalism: I think it is an exercise in federalism. For the federal government does not impose a federal constitutional amendment onto the states; the states impose it onto the federal government and, insofar as is specified, upon all the states. Sure, the Congress proposes an amendment. But it proposes it to the "several states", each of which gets to vote it up or down. If — and only if — enough (3/4) of the states approve, it becomes part of the federal constititution. This has been quite clearly spelled out in the federal constitution from its inception — the amendment process is its own Article — and every state joined the United States of America knowing and understanding that a super majority of the states may thus impose their will upon all the states. And that's why I say Federalism Shmederalism. None of the Big Brains of the Blogsophere have said anything like this. Well, if any of St. Blog's resident attorney-types are paying attention, I'm sure I'll be set straight soon enough. ;-) P.S. See also Dust in the Light. Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Tue. 12/02/03 10:46:47 PM |
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The Report the EU Flunkies Don't Want You to See The rash of leaking is spreading overseas now. As you probably have heard already, EU flunkies wanted to suppress this report on anti-Semitism in Europe because it attributes so much of anti-Semitism in Europe to... Muslims. And we wouldn't wanna huwt their poor Islamic feewings. Or something like that. [Follow-up: "Manifestations of Anti-Semitism in the European Union".] Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Tue. 12/02/03 06:35:55 PM |
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"These Men and Women in the Military are Not Protecting Me...." Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode XXIII Letters to the Editor in the San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 28. + + + + + Bush drops in on the troops in Iraq Editor -- President Bush visiting Iraq for Thanksgiving? His arrogance and overblown self-importance really exposes him. Bush doesn't do his job by bringing the troops home. Instead he flies for a photo-op with them to use in his re-election campaign. He was there a total of two hours. These men and women in the military are not protecting me, and I do not want or need their protection. Bush should get off the big lie that they are there to protect me as an American. I would rather die than be protected in that way. I am ashamed to be an American as long as Bush is in office.
CHERYL MERRILL .... Editor -- In their current political TV ad, the Republican National Committee charges that people are, "attacking the president for attacking terrorists.'' Not true. The president is under attack because he is not attacking terrorists. America's enemy is those responsible for the darkest day in our history, Sept 11, 2001; Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. By invading Iraq, the Bush administration attacked the wrong target. Now, the majority of our forces are stuck in the quagmire of Iraq while al Qaeda is still alive and well, carrying out terrorist attacks in several countries. How long will it be until they strike here again? President Bush's policies in Iraq have made us less safe and more vulnerable on the homefront, only succeeding in creating more enemies of the United States. He has failed in his job to defend and protect America, and should be fired in November 2004.
RICHARD MARRACQ .... San Francisco's choice Editor -- Anyone who claims to be a Democrat in this city and votes for Gavin Newsom for mayor is a victim of the problem our party has faced in recent years: An increasingly right-wing ideology among moderate Democrats. We are moving further away from our once promising liberal reputation. This new feebleness of the Democratic Party has made this mayoral election into a nonpartisan affair. For once, true liberals can vote for a Green Party candidate without feeling the guilt of splitting the liberal voice. Matt Gonzalez can take us back to where we belong.
NINA RAQUEL .... The last angry man? Editors -- What? Democratic Party leaders are worried that leading presidential candidate Howard Dean is angry? And they're not ("Dean's tour de force has edge in primaries,'' Nov. 24)? Who are these "party leaders'' and who do they lead? Obviously not the vast majority of Democrats. Perhaps they lead the Republican wing of the Democratic Party. Howard Dean's platform, which Marc Sandalow's otherwise informative story didn't describe, is replete with an unquenchable optimism: That the American people working together can attain a bright and rewarding future. No other candidate has a platform so powerfully hopeful or a campaign that has touched more Americans where it counts -- in their hearts and minds.
BOB JACOBSON .... Editor -- I hope the Nov. 24 Chronicle article about Howard Dean possibly wrapping up the Democratic nomination for president before the California primary doesn't come true. I plan on voting for Sen. John Edwards in the March 2 Democratic primary election. Sen. Edwards offers the best hope for defeating President Bush in November 2004. Sen. Edwards has offered real solutions for young people to pay for college, to keep jobs from leaving America and for providing health care for all children. I ask your readers to visit his Web site, johnedwards2004.com, to see his Real Solutions plan. Edwards can capture key Southern states and attract independent voters during next year's general election to vote Democratic. I urge all Californians to consider John Edwards for the Democratic nomination when they cast their votes in March.
DONALD WONG + + + + + How about that? The Democratic Party's problem is it's becoming too... right wing. Well, there's a real opinion for ya. (Thanks, Michelle.) Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Tue. 12/02/03 06:15:33 PM |
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New Anti-American Propaganda from Hollywood Vacuumhead Democrats in Self-Destruct Mode XXII Here's an article on Tim Robbins' new anti-American propaganda, at FNC yesterday (ellipses in original). + + + + + Robbins' 'Embedded' Play Not So Realistic Embedded journalists brought the Iraq war live into America's living rooms. But now, actor and anti-war activist Tim Robbins has written and directed a play depicting his version of what he thinks happened in Iraq. Robbins, an ardent critic of President Bush, as well as the war, isn't a journalist, nor is he a soldier who has been to Iraq. In fact, he's never been embedded with the troops. But his play, "Embedded," profiles the journalists who traveled with and reported on U.S. soldiers in Iraq and features the president's war cabinet. It was written in Los Angeles and produced in Hollywood. Robbins portrays journalists as Pentagon puppets, U.S. soldiers as thieves and killers of innocent women and children, and the Bush cabinet as war mongers willing to start a war to escape the negative publicity of the Enron scandal. In production less than a month, the play received not one, but two glowing reviews from the Los Angeles Times. Robbins' audience appears to accept his version of the war as the gospel truth. "It is not propaganda. It is a voice of dissent, which is different than propaganda," said audience member Kadina Dayal-Halday. When Laura Israel, another audience member, was asked if she thought the play was accurate, she replied: "Yes, not only on what is going on there, but it also showed how we are being lied to by all the networks." One person who wasn't convinced by the portrayals was Marine Maj. Rich Doherty. "It was spun to make it look like that leadership started this war simply for its own political agenda … and that can't be further from the truth," Doherty said. Doherty, who has a Ph.D. from Berkeley, fought in Iraq and worked alongside several embedded journalists. After the show, which Fox News was not allowed to tape, Doherty discussed the performance with some of the audience and cast members. "You're not on the ground, there is no historical, no empirical evidence to say...that what you're believing or saying politically (is true)," Doherty said. "With all due respect sir, a lot of people in this country feel this administration went to this war with an agenda of their own and this play resonates with a lot of people who come to see it," countered V.J. Foster, an actor who plays the character of Col. Hardchannel in the play. "That is your opinion based on what you saw in the newspaper," Doherty shot back. "I'm giving you an opinion based on what I saw with my boots on the ground and in the sand." In the play, Hardchannel calls reporters "his bitches" and says that if he doesn't like what they write, he'll write it himself and simply use their names. He also censors all reports coming out of Iraq. Fox News journalists embedded with the troops, as well as other journalists interviewed for this story, said they never experienced any kind of censorship. Reporters were only told that they could not reveal operation details that might threaten the safety of U.S. troops — a condition the Pentagon put on the embedded journalist program. In reality, no one from the military or the government looked at copy produced by Fox News, touched the videotape, or edited scenes, and no one told reporters what to say. "Not everything is factual, and maybe that is our fault through satire," added another "Embedded" actor, Kirk Pynchon, who plays a journalist. "Sometimes we make those errors, but it's the same kind of laughter that one gets watching an episode of MASH." But most people, particularly journalists who actually were embedded with the troops overseas, will argue that Operation Iraqi Freedom was nothing like MASH. "That demeans the Marines that were killed in my battalion, (to say they) died because five guys in a room thought it was fun to go create a war," Doherty said. "That is bad, bad theater, bad taste." Robbins had declined to discuss "Embedded" with Fox News until after someone from the channel saw the play. But even after the viewing, Robbins declined interviews. As in any work of fiction, playwright Robbins was free to invent his own reality of what led to the war in Iraq and what happened there. But for the men and women who served and for those reporters who actually covered them, "Embedded" — while entertaining — is far from the truth.+ + + + + The Blog from the Core asserts Fair Use for non-commercial, non-profit educational purposes. Did you catch this? "It is not propaganda. It is a voice of dissent, which is different than propaganda," said audience member Kadina Dayal-Halday. I think that's quite an audacious re-definition of terms. Audacious or stupid. For propaganda, in this context, is not to be contrasted with dissent but with art. And art, whatever else it may be, must be a bearer of truth, not of falsehood. Nor can propaganda — here, I am anticipating their next proffered defense — nor can propaganda pretend to be art by purporting to tell some greater truth through lying. Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Tue. 12/02/03 06:01:42 PM |
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"Judge: Excluding Anti-Gay View at School Forum Troubling" From the Detroit Free Press, Nov. 25: .... Hinting at how he might rule in a lawsuit filed by former Pioneer High School student Elizabeth Hansen, U.S. District Judge Gerald Rosen said during a two-hour hearing that he is troubled that school officials at the Ann Arbor high school allowed only pro-gay clergy to participate in the discussion during the school's Diversity Week program in March 2002. He said the panelists expressed only the view that school officials and the school's Gay/Straight Alliance wanted to project. "Isn't this cultural hegemony, where you're only going to present one view to the exclusion of others?" Rosen asked, demanding to know why school officials were afraid of letting students consider diverse viewpoints.... Hmm. A judge apparently using left-wing-think against left-wing-thinkers. How about that! But how about that loaded word in the headline: anti-gay. Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Tue. 12/02/03 07:46:02 AM |
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