The Lone Elm

Walking in George Bush's Shoes

Communications can be helped enormously when we put ourselves in someone else's shoes, thinking about what they are facing and dealing with.  Instapunk has an outstanding post that, in the end, tries to help us understand George W. Bush's position -- the guy that hears the security briefing every morning, the guy that knows that LA or Chicago or the Capitol Building in Washington DC could be the next target.  He also is likely to hear about the movie that dramatizes his  assasination. He is also the target of a long shopping list of invective and completely baseless accusations, incessantly continuing day after day.  How many of us could walk in his shoes and still function as a leader of the country?

Two questions follow from this analysis -- how did we get to this state, and how can we improve the dialogue?  The latter is the more important regardless of the historical trail, but the diagnosis may be required to fix the problem.  I think that one of Instapunk's commenters is right -- the lack of dialogue started when Al Gore and the ideological democrats decided they weren't going to concede the election of 2000, that they believed was "stolen" from them.  From there, no dialogue of any sort was possible. I also think that the Republican Congress has been no blessing for the President.  (There is an interesting series of articles by Republicans in the Washington Monthly discussing the advantages of a divided government.)  Perhaps to start, we have to visit the "psychbloggers" -- my favorites being Dr. Sanity (see this post on Bush Derangement Syndrome), Shrinkwrapped (see this fascinating recent post on Terror and Societal Regression) and Sigmund, Carl and Alfred (recent post A Nation with No Soul Pays Dearly).

9/11 Remembered

I certainly remember where I was the morning of 9/11/2001. This recollection is as vivid as only one other event -- the morning when John F. Kennedy was assasinated (it was morning in Oregon).  Here in southern NH, 9/11/2001 was one of those clear, clean, sparkly, cloudless, early fall days -- like today.  I was working at my computer, and my sister called to tell me about what was happening.  I turned on the TV and watched as the second tower was hit, and both towers fell in.  It was horrible.  The next most awful moment was figuring out how to explain events to my 10 year old son when he came home from school (mercifully, the school did not discuss the events with the children).  Today, what is hardest is observing and rebutting the denial of a vocal part of the American population, perhaps most exemplified by their vocal critique of ABC's 9/11 movie.  Fact is that this did happen, and it was not a conspiracy of the U.S. government.  Further, we had actually suffered a number of terrorist attacks before 9/11, one of which was also on the World Trade Center, during those "wonderful" Clinton years. It was well known that the terrorists had been considering using passenger airplanes as a terror instrument.  As Mark Steyn points out this morning, the terrorists are here waiting for their moment to execute another dastardly deed against our people in our homeland.  For lots and lots of reference to various 9/11 related material, go to Lorie Byrd's compilation at Wizbang -- there is no point in recreating what has been done so well. 

I will not forget.

The Attack on ABC's 9/11 Film

Regarding the ABC 9/11 film, Mary Katherine Ham pretty much sums up where I stand on this. The over-arching problem is that the activist Democratic preoccupation with this sort of issue is not productive. Hugh Hewitt points out that the talking point critiquers of the film don't even know the key players, such as Ramsi Yusef!  Makes you wonder about how they have any basis for commenting on anything in the film.  Doug Ross makes the comparison between Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 and the ABC 9/11 movie (found via Hugh Hewitt).

The Democrats are spending their time and energy revising the history of the past rather than developing and selling a persuasive and strong policy position on the big issues that now face the U.S., like immigration, homeland security, Iraq, health care etc.  By creating such a firestorm over the film, they have also ensured that the audience for this show is going to be vastly greater than it might have been otherwise. Thomas Lifson points out that YouTube outtakes will also be popular.  In fact, the Democrats are simply digging their own grave even deeper by pushing these sorts of revisionist history vendettas. The activists of the party are moving it further and further left, causing many to leave the flock.  See, for example, this statement by Ari Kaufman, a young man, former Democrat and now a "Conservative Libertarian".   I am sure that he is not alone.  Will Americans sit out the coming mid-term election out of frustration with both parties?

 

Politics and 9/11

With Labor Day now past, we have entered political "silly season."  Beware.  All actions taken or statements made by any politician standing for election in November are oriented towards winning votes, not towards the best public policy.  Case in point is the hoorah over the Disney 9/11 movie.  The Democrats feel the movie plays fast and loose with the facts and makes the Clinton Administration look bad.  Fair enough -- they are welcome to make their case.  However, now the Senate Democratic leadership has asked Disney Company to pull the program, suggesting that it does not comport with federal legislation.  This sort of threat starts to impinge on freedom of speech.   I think that Captain Ed has it about right: "The Democrats do not do subtlety, or do not do it successfully. They plan on using the power of the federal government to demand political changes to a program before it airs, a dangerous precedent ..." JunkYardBlog takes the time to unearth some interesting historical material about the Clinton Administration's bungled opportunities to capture Osama bin Laden.   Furthermore,  the Democrats in the Senate should worry more about important issues, like immigration and homeland security, and less about a movie!

Personally, my view is that any book or movie of recent (or for that matter any) history is suspect, and likely influenced by the agenda and views of the author.  The only way to really understand history is to go back and read the first hand and contemporaneous documentation, which unfortunately most of us don't have the time or energy to do.  Regarding 9/11, however, Peggy Noonan does take us back to that terrible day and relates the messages that those that were about to die left their loved ones.  They didn't blame Clinton or George W. Bush; they expressed their eternal love for their family.

Wednesday Wanderings

Well, I must say that I am pleased to hear that studies now find that coffee provides significant health benefits.  The New York Times reports that coffee may have more antioxidants that other touted foods such as blueberries, grape juice, oranges or raspberries.  It apparently may add years to my life! Viva Java!

Michael Totten is back in the Middle East to get a first-hand look at the Israel-Lebanon border.  To get a feel for life in the war zone of Northern Israel read this recent posting.  And consider donating some money to help finance his trip!

And to top things off and keep you centered, watch "Make Mine Freedom" a 1948 film at Google Video. Hat tip to Greg Mankiw.

View from Across the Pond

Andrew Gimson, an Englishman, has written a perfectly wonderful essay on his view of Americans in The Telegraph.  I think that in this very difficult time this article is worth a regular read as an antidote to all those in this country that want to wimp out in our efforts to protect our democracy and others.  See further thoughts at Althouse.   The commenter Pogo provides us this excerpt from John dos Passos, a survivor and veteran of several wars during the first half of the twentieth century:

"Every generation rewrites the past. In easy times history is more or less of an ornamental art, but in times of danger we are driven to the written record by a pressing need to find answers to the riddles of today. We need to know what kind of firm ground other men found to stand on. In spite of changing conditions of life they were not very different from ourselves, their thoughts were the grandfathers of our thoughts, they managed to meet them sometimes lightheartedly, and in some measure to make their hopes prevail. We need to know how they did it.

In times of change and danger when there is a quicksand of fear under men's reasoning, a sense of continuity with generations gone before can stretch like a lifeline across the scary present and get us past that idiot delusion of the exceptional Now that blocks good thinking.

In our past we have the hope that kept Washington's army together the winter at Valley Forge. That was the world view of 1776. It still has meaning today."

John Dos Passos
The Theme Is Freedom
1956 pp.153, 159

Israel, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran

Steve Schippert at ThreatsWatch has a good overview of the current Israeli game plan and the broader strategic position of Iran and Syria.  He doesn't see Iran or Syria joining the fray. We can hope that Hezbollah is "on the ropes," as he suggests.  For an update on the apparently successful Bekaa raid, see Bill Roggio at Counterterroism Blog.  Some good thoughts from Michael Totten  (and interesting comments following) regarding the likely aftermath, particularly that the Shia may now be encouraged to work within the political establishment rather than joining up with a terrorist organization (Hezbollah) as they have in the past. 

I'm Back!

I am back to adding material to The Lone Elm, after a tough couple of weeks, both work and personal-wise.  I am truly amazed at the consistent amount of interest in the weblog, even when I am not posting regularly.  Thanks to all of my frequent and occasional readers! 

Generational Gazumping!

The English paper, The Mail, reports on a survey of 3,000 adults commissioned by UKTV relating to the reality of baby boomers' experiences during the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's relative to what  they may have told others more recently.  The article says that "the study revealed that 34 per cent of those who grew up in the Sixties admitted having embroidered their past to gain the respect of friends and family. Of these, a quarter claimed they were flexible with the truth so their children would think they were 'cool'.'  The Mail labels this behavior "generational gazumping" -- I love that!  Those growing up in the 1970's and 1980's were more accurate in their reporting.  See also the article at the Guardian Unlimited.  Wikipedia discusses the derivation of gazumping, which is most commonly used in real estate agreements, where a party backs out of a tentative deal to take a better one.  The Yiddish word that may be the root is gazumph which means to swindle or overcharge.

Wal Mart Dialogue

Slate has a dialogue between Jason Furman and Barabara Ehrenreich, both liberal politically, regarding Wal Mart, and whether it is good or bad for American Society.  Furman makes a number of good points about how Walmart's efficiencies resulting in low prices has improved the standard of living for low income individuals. Ms. Ehrenreich questions Furman's data and the general effects of highly efficient, cost-competitive business on our economy and labor force.

Prior discussion on Wal Mart on this blog:

Wal Mart and Organic Food

Organic at Wal Mart

Empirical Analysis of Wal-Mart

Talking to Liberals....