By now you realize that I never finished my summary of the first debate. I probably never will. Trying to write my own loose transcript was a bad idea. Live and learn.
I took a different approach to this debate. I jotted down impressions and the occasional zinger. So, without further ado, here’s my take.
The home of my ancestors has been dissed.
Eurocrats leave Wales off EU map
A bureaucratic blunder has left Wales off a map of Europe on the cover of a prestigious EU reference book.
After having a nice chat with some friends, walking home in the brisk fall breezes, and catching up on my email, I can now sit down to record my thoughts on the presidential debate. I thought about having a transcript in front of me as I write, but decided against it. I want to record my perceptions, bias and all. I think my mistakes or wrong impressions might be at least as interesting as what I get right.
Before proceeding to my impressions, I want to make it abundantly clear that I’m not a fan of Bush or Kerry. I don’t intend to vote for either. I did not go into the viewing experience rooting for one over the other. To me, it was like watching a football game between teams that mean little or nothing to me. I just want to see good football. In this case, I just wanted to see a good debate.
Now, without further ado…
The resolution passed, and it was a good day for alliance-nurturing and burden-sharing
– for the burden of doing nothing was shared equally by all. And we are by now used
to the pattern. Every time there is an ongoing atrocity, we watch the world community
go through the same series of stages: (1) shock and concern (2) gathering resolve
(3) fruitless negotiation (4) pathetic inaction (5) shame and humiliation (6) steadfast
vows to never let this happen again.The "never again" always comes. But still, we have all agreed, this sad
cycle is better than having some impromptu coalition of nations actually go in "unilaterally"
and do something. That would lack legitimacy! Strain alliances! Menace international
law! Threaten the multilateral ideal!It’s a pity about the poor dead people in Darfur. Their numbers are still rising,
at 6,000 to 10,000 a month.
A bit of Monty Python’s The Life of Brian sprang immediately
into my mind when I read this
NYT op-ed. (Thanks, Nomad
Tavern)
Cell phones ringing during Mass is a major pet peeve. Worse yet is when someone
either lets it ring without turning it off or actually answers it and proceeds to
talk and not leave the room. Mexican churches are disregarding
law to avoid these problems. I’m not sure two wrongs make a right here, but
I can’t help but cheer the churches on.