Republicans and the Enemy

I haven't done many long political posts recently, mainly since I've been blogging so infrequently. In this case, I don't have to write because I couldn't have said what this article did any better. If you have any interest at all in world politics, and how it affects us at home, please read on. Otherwise come back tomorrow...

On Wednesday, Joe Lieberman wrote in the Wall Street Journal that the Democratic Party he and I grew up in has drifted far from the foreign policy espoused by Franklin Roosevelt, Harry Truman and John Kennedy.

In fact, it is the policies that President George W. Bush has pursued, and that John McCain would continue, that are divorced from that great tradition – and from the legacy of Republican presidents like Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

Sen. Lieberman is right: 9/11 was a pivotal moment. History will judge Mr. Bush's reaction less for the mistakes he made than for the opportunities he squandered.

The president had a historic opportunity to unite Americans and the world in common cause. Instead – by exploiting the politics of fear, instigating an optional war in Iraq before finishing a necessary war in Afghanistan, and instituting policies on torture, detainees and domestic surveillance that fly in the face of our values and interests – Mr. Bush divided Americans from each other and from the world.

At the heart of this failure is an obsession with the "war on terrorism" that ignores larger forces shaping the world: the emergence of China, India, Russia and Europe; the spread of lethal weapons and dangerous diseases; uncertain supplies of energy, food and water; the persistence of poverty; ethnic animosities and state failures; a rapidly warming planet; the challenge to nation states from above and below.

Instead, Mr. Bush has turned a small number of radical groups that hate America into a 10-foot tall existential monster that dictates every move we make.

The intersection of al Qaeda with the world's most lethal weapons is a deadly serious problem. Al Qaeda must be destroyed. But to compare terrorism with an all-encompassing ideology like communism and fascism is evidence of profound confusion.

Terrorism is a means, not an end, and very different groups and countries are using it toward very different goals. Messrs. Bush and McCain lump together, as a single threat, extremist groups and states more at odds with each other than with us: Sunnis and Shiites, Persians and Arabs, Iraq and Iran, al Qaeda and Shiite militias. If they can't identify the enemy or describe the war we're fighting, it's difficult to see how we will win.

The results speak for themselves.

On George Bush's watch, Iran, not freedom, has been on the march: Iran is much closer to the bomb; its influence in Iraq is expanding; its terrorist proxy Hezbollah is ascendant in Lebanon and that country is on the brink of civil war.

Beyond Iran, al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan – the people who actually attacked us on 9/11 – are stronger now than at any time since 9/11. Radical recruitment is on the rise. Hamas controls Gaza and launches rockets at Israel every day. Some 140,000 American troops remain stuck in Iraq with no end in sight.

Because of the policies Mr. Bush has pursued and Mr. McCain would continue, the entire Middle East is more dangerous. The United States and our allies, including Israel, are less secure.

The election in November is a vital opportunity for America to start anew. That will require more than a great soldier. It will require a wise leader.

Here, the controversy over engaging Iran is especially instructive.

Last week, John McCain was very clear. He ruled out talking to Iran. He said that Barack Obama was "naïve and inexperienced" for advocating engagement; "What is it he wants to talk about?" he asked.

Well, for a start, Iran's nuclear program, its support for Shiite militias in Iraq, and its patronage of Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza.

Beyond bluster, how would Mr. McCain actually deal with these dangers? You either talk, you maintain the status quo, or you go to war. If Mr. McCain has ruled out talking, we're stuck with an ineffectual policy or military strikes that could quickly spiral out of control.

Sen. Obama is right that the U.S. should be willing to engage Iran on its nuclear program without "preconditions" – i.e. without insisting that Iran first freeze the program, which is the very subject of any negotiations. He has been clear that he would not become personally involved until the necessary preparations had been made and unless he was convinced his engagement would advance our interests.

President Nixon didn't demand that China end military support to the Vietnamese killing Americans before meeting with Mao. President Reagan didn't insist that the Soviets freeze their nuclear arsenal before sitting down with Mikhail Gorbachev. Even George W. Bush – whose initial disengagement allowed dangers to proliferate – didn't demand that Libya relinquish its nuclear program, that North Korea give up its plutonium, or even that Iran stop aiding those attacking our soldiers in Iraq before authorizing talks.

The net effect of demanding preconditions that Iran rejects is this: We get no results and Iran gets closer to the bomb.

Equally unwise is the Bush-McCain fixation on regime change. The regime is abhorrent, but their logic defies comprehension: renounce the bomb – and when you do, we're still going to take you down. The result is that Iran accelerated its efforts to produce fissile material.

Instead of regime change, we should focus on conduct change. We should make it very clear to Iran what it risks in terms of isolation if it continues to pursue a dangerous nuclear program but also what it stands to gain if it does the right thing. That will require keeping our allies in Europe, as well as Russia and China, on the same page as we ratchet up pressure.

It also requires a much more sophisticated understanding than Mr. Bush or Mr. McCain seem to possess that by publicly engaging Iran – including through direct talks – we can exploit cracks within the ruling elite, and between Iran's rulers and its people, who are struggling economically and stifled politically.

Iran's people need to know that their government, not the U.S., is choosing confrontation over cooperation. Our allies and partners need to know that the U.S. will go the extra diplomatic mile – if we do, they are much more likely to stand with us if diplomacy fails and force proves necessary.

The Bush-McCain saber rattling is the most self-defeating policy imaginable. It achieves nothing. But it forces Iranians who despise the regime to rally behind their leaders. And it spurs instability in the Middle East, which adds to the price of oil, with the proceeds going right from American wallets into Tehran's pockets.

The worst nightmare for a regime that thrives on tension with America is an America ready, willing and able to engage. Since when has talking removed the word "no" from our vocabulary?

It's amazing how little faith George Bush, Joe Lieberman and John McCain have in themselves – and in America.
- Joe Biden 5/29/08

I know it's crazy

I know gas prices are sky-high. And I know I'm going to need to invest in an old truck to tow it, but I think I want this:



I know a guy selling it. He's getting divorced and moving and wants to sell it, including the trailer, for $2500. It's a 19.5' Bayliner Capri.

More changes...

K and I have now bounced around several dates in late September and October and for one reason or another, each one didn't work. First it was our venue wasn't available, then certain family was out of town, then whatever. So we went back to the basics and are starting over from about Square 2.5. (It would be square one, but we have a theme we like, a good DJ in mind, and a favorite caterer.)

We're pretty sure we'll be married before the end of the year though. Just thought I'd share.

Memorial Day Weekend

It was fun. K and I took the kids and dog camping at one of the local lakes. We went fishing, hiking, swimming, and sunbathing. And we cooked out and had bonfires and roasted marshmallows. (Including those new yummy ones that are coated in toasted coconut.)

Here are a couple of pictures from the trip, and you can click on the link at the end of this post to see the rest.







EDIT: I removed the Flickr link and replaced it with Webshots. I like it better...

In case you were wondering

Nintendo DS games still work after going through both the washing machine and the dryer.

Consider yourself enlightened.

GB's Band Concert

It's hard to find him, but he's the second kid in on the back row playing the baritone horn.

Why Hillary Clinton is hurting the Democrats

The latest reference to Assassination is just the icing on the case:

Not June 21st

I know I haven't said anything but K and I had been considering a June 21st wedding. Yes it would have been very short notice, but the schedule of events would have worked perfectly for us. However we couldn't find a venue that would give us exactly what we wanted without breaking the bank. We had one that would have been really nice and we were all set to move forward with it but they wouldn't budge on the price of their alcohol. We even suggested that we will bring in our own alcohol and let them serve it. However, while they said they would do it, they charge a $20 per bottle "cork fee" to do so. That's absurd. $5 to $7 per bottle is fair to make sure their staff gets paid. No more than that though.

Anyway, it's just not worth it to settle for something we wouldn't be happy with, and doing away with the open bar or skipping alcohol altogether isn't an option. So now we're going to look at something in the fall and we'll no longer be rushed.

Jason Mraz

Weird. I just finished posting on a blog that I read that I really don't care for Jason Mraz because all his songs sound the same, and that "Wordplay" style he uses gets on my nerves.

Well, someone must be trying to tell me something since as soon as I finished the post, "I'm Yours" started playing on the radio. What's up with that?

Cool Wall Art

This was extremely well done:


MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.

Things that make you feel weird

This weekend's soccer tournament had excitement off the field as well. In this case, it extended to the sidelines. K and her kids decided they wanted to come watch DQ's game on Friday night. I didn't think much of it since Barbie wasn't supposed to be there. Turns out Barbie's plans changed and she was.

Now you have to understand, Barbie and K have not met before. Barbie knew what K looked like since she's been to my house and seen the picture of us on my fireplace mantle. But K had never seen Barbie.

So gametime rolls around and I have the girls on one side of the field while all the parents are sitting on the other. K and her kids are all the way towards one side when I notice Barbie show up and plop herself down somewhere in the middle. I'm thinking "What the hell is she doing here?" Then to make things worse, DQ notices K and her kids had shown up and waves to them. And I notice that Barbie notices who DQ is waving at.

Crap.

So now I'm trying to coach a game while thinking about all the worst case scenarios that could happen. Needless to say that I was distracted for the rest of the game. Then when the game ends I have to get the girls lined up for a handshake. As I look across the field, my heart drops into my stomach. Barbie went right over to K and struck up a conversation. And K had no idea that this was coming.

By the time I got over there, the introductions were already made and Barbie was on her way out of there. Turns out it wasn't so bad. K said Barbie was polite, but that she was still taken by surprise.

Anyway, Sunday rolls around and DQ has her 3rd place game at noon. K tells me that T2 wants to go watch DQ again. And K has decided to come because she doesn't want Barbie to think that she is only showing up when Barbie isn't supposed to be there. Since there wasn't any sort of animosity at their first meeting, I said fine.

I got there early with DQ for warmups on the far side of the field, and then about 10 minutes before the game starts Barbie shows up and sets up her chair on the parents sideline. Not 2 minutes later K and T2 show up as well. And to my utter surprise, K walks up to Barbie, says something, and then sets up her chair right next to her. That's not what I had envisioned when she said she wanted to go.

Now here I am, standing on one side of a soccer field watching my future wife and my ex wife sitting on the other chatting it up. It was an extremely unsettling experience to say the least...

Soccer Tournament Pictures

DQ's soccer tournament was this weekend, and we finished in 4th place out of 8 teams. We finished 2-1 in our bracket, then lost the 3rd place game in a nailbiter, 3-2.

Anyway, here are some pictures from the tournament:

I voted

On my way to work this morning, I stopped and voted. Since Joe Biden was no longer on the NC Democratic Ballot, I was down to 4 choices.

Hillary Clinton
Mike Gravel
Barack Obama
Other __________

So now all I can tell you is that after I got up to walk out, Barack Obama is winning North Carolina 2 votes to 0. (I peeked at the woman in front of me when she was putting her ballot into the machine.)

At this rate it's going to be a blowout.

OK, maybe not...

The Joe & K Story

It's about time to start talking again. And telling a bit about myself is as good a place to begin, so here's the story of Joe & K, from the beginning:

Boy meets Someone.

Boy flirts with Someone, because boy is a) an incurable smartass, and b) will do anything for a laugh, and c) is secure in the knowledge that it can never go anywhere. And because Someone initiated the conversation.

Because you see, Boy had issues. From early adolescence, Boy had pretty much held himself apart from other people. Boy didn't want to seem like an insociable loner, so humor was the weapon he used to keep people at bay. He wore it like a mask to disguise himself. It became his schtick, to make people laugh. After a while, the act became so much a part of Boy that he found it hard to separate himself from the act.

Most people liked the act. Others thought Boy was an arrogant smartass, or even worse, not someone who could be taken seriously. And Boy pretended it didn't bother him, all the while secretly despising people who weren't smart enough to see behind the mask.

And then one day Someone peeked behind the mask, and didn't shrink from what she saw. Boy fell deeply in love with this Someone, and married her. They spent eleven wonderful years together, and two not-so-good years. During that time, Boy and Someone had two beautiful children, imperfectly perfect little creatures who taught Boy and Someone things about spirit and love and determination that they would never have known otherwise. Boy thought it would last forever.

Alas, Boy was wrong. Old habits die hard, and Boy didn't realize until it was too late that he wore that mask and used that act with Someone far more than he realized. Boy's first and only clue that Someone wasn't happy was the day Someone sat down on the couch and told him that she felt like a roommate, not a wife or lover. Someone wanted a separation. Boy was devastated.

Boy spent many months doing everything possible to rid himself of that mask. Then about a year later Boy learned that Someone had been seeing Someone Else for quite a long time, been sharing her thoughts and feelings with him - the ones she wouldn't share with Boy.

And Boy was consumed with such a rage that he contemplated very nasty thoughts about Someone Else. But Boy took a long hard look at himself and stepped back from the abyss. Boy came to understand that he was at least partly to blame for Someone leaving. He took her for granted. He didn't make her feel loved. Even with the most important person in his life, he still wore the mask. He still did the act. And Boy vowed that he would never again become the person he was, he would permanently destroy that mask. He would share more of himself, because frankly, going through life alone sucked.

Boy spent that next year rebuilding relationships with friends and family, and sorting his life out. Boy learned he could be more open with people, show them a little part of himself, and they'd still laugh. He discovered that people liked his humor, but they didn't shy away when he dropped the act and shared something painful and personal. On the contrary, they showered him with understanding and affection. Boy was absolutely amazed, and humbled.

With this newfound outlook on life, Boy began searching for that special person who would be that perfect compliment to the person Boy wanted to be. Boy had his clumsy dating adventures, some of them with very nice women, but none of them were right, and as such, none of them lasted. Near the end of one such adventure, Boy began to despair that he'd never again find someone he liked in that way. He still believed in fairy tales and white picket fences. He believed in happily ever after, and 'til Death do you part'. He just didn't think it was going to happen.

Then like magic, Boy met Girl. There was this something about Girl that he couldn't quite put his finger on, but Boy was powerfully intrigued. Girl was smart, funny, pretty, self confident, and Boy couldn't deny that he really was attracted to Girl.

Boy and Girl started talking all the time. Soon the conversations became a daily thing, and they would go on forever and take unexpected turns and Boy would laugh and think and argue, and then look up to see that six hours had passed. Some of the conversations would delve into very dark places that neither Boy or Girl felt comfortable letting people see. Yet they did anyway.

Then one day Boy realized that Girl had become his best friend. He found himself thinking about her at odd hours, and smiling with the whisper of her name on his lips. Boy realized what he had seen in Girl from the beginning; himself. Not himself as he was, but himself as he could be.

Boy fell in love with Girl. He was scared to admit it, because the last and only other time he had felt this way, he had gotten hurt. Boy also considered that not admitting things like that was the reason his love for Someone had died in the first place, and how he had vowed to never let that happen again. So Boy took a deep breath and told Girl how he felt. To his surprise, she told him she felt the same way.

And just like that, Boy's life changed. And in the months since, it has only gotten better. The future looks like a better place because Girl is a part of it. And soon it will be official.

I love you, K.