Politics of the Day

[greybeta]

You would think that as an opinion editor for a campus newspaper that I would have a lot of opinions on the politics of a day. I do, but a little thing called "senior project" gets in the way. While I have already presented, there's the matter of the final product where I have to dot all my i's and cross all my t's. I do have some quick thoughts about the politics of the day...

Domestic

• Immigrant situation seems to be yet another application of realistic vs. idealistic thinking. Realism says we have to deal with the over ten million "undocumented workers" living within our borders. Idealistic thinking says we can pass laws to solve the problem. The thing is that each party wants to control who these illegal immigrants will vote for down the road (if they aren't already voting).


• The Bush leaks have caused some consternation among certain members of Congress. The only thing is that this isn't anything new...just more public thanks to advent of the Internet. I wonder if the Bush administration will increase the time for released gov't documents (currently 30 years) in an effort to improve national security.


• Sixty-two percent of students who identified themselves as Republicans said religion was losing its influence on American society, while 54 percent of Democrats said it was increasing its influence. Most agreed, however, that a candidate's religion wouldn't affect how they voted.

Foreign

• Iran wants to play ball with the big boys. The big boys are going to play ball back. Gotta love the "we came here first" mentality. Even if Iran is discouraged from continuing its nuclear program, it will win many favorable concessions as a result of doing so. Why wouldn't Iran stay on its current path? America is too outstretched to invade and nobody else is going to want to invade Iran.


• Prodi wins Italian elections. The boon of coalition politics is that it gives you a lot of choices. The downside is that it's difficult to create a stable and coherent direction. It's a razor thin coalition though, so I don't expect this setup to last more than two years.


• France back downs on youth law. One Fox News commentator said that the French just want cushy jobs where they can't be canned and that doesn't work under capitalism. I don't know just how true that is, but something tells me that's what a lot of Americans think. No, don't give me all that high end theoretical economic theory, I'm talking about your average American here who watches Fox News. You know there are a lot of them because otherwise we wouldn't have elected our current president otherwise.

Comments

[greybeta.livejournal.com]

Iran saw that we invaded Iraq and left North Korean alone. It has made the conclusion that if you are developing nuclear weapons, you may be invaded by the USA, but if you possess working nuclear weapons we will use diplomacy. This realization is the number one spur for them to hasten development of their nuclear weapons program, bar none. It's not about consessions, protection, being a "big player" it's all about Iran being worried sick about getting invaded and trying to get nuclear weapons so that we treat it like we do North Korea: like a dangerous rattlesnake to be handled with care.
Hmmm, interesting point. But quite a few other countries including Russia don't want Iran to go forward with their nuclear program either. Is it the same principle?

You don't have to watch fox to have that opinion. This is not a conservative opinion, it's an american one. Liberals look at those youths rioting because they don't want to be fired, and, well how did Jon Stewart put it? Something about, oh yes, these are the young people we want to hire, the ones wearing masks, who are throwing rocks at police, lighting cars on fire, they will make great employees.
I remember watching that show, with the Stewart rant from his past. I think I'm getting confused between conservatism and American ideals because I've had to read up on Bush too much.

[bonerici.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, interesting point. But quite a few other countries including Russia don't want Iran to go forward with their nuclear program either. Is it the same principle?

nobody wants iran to get nukes, that's obvious, but the usa is the only nation in the world which will wage a preventative war, so what the other nations say about iran and nuclear tech is not nearly as important to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. That's the critical thing to remember. Only the USA will and can invade Iran. Everyone else will be happy to use trade embargoes and diplomacy. So Iran has two choices, 1) quit making nukes and face the possibility of invasion anyway for a different reason and 2) develop nukes, test them in a way which shows they have them, and force the USA to the negotiating table.

[kmg-365.livejournal.com]

Only the USA will and can invade Iran.

Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Iraq's nuclear facilities. Do you think they would attempt the same thing with Iran? I'm sure they would have broad political support from Israelis for that action. I think the only thing preventing them so far is that Iran's facilities are so well hidden and protected.

[bonerici.livejournal.com]

no doubt isreal has the will to attack iraq if they think it poses a nuclear threat. Isreal in fact would attack iraq even after they had the bomb and were willing to use it to retaliate, that's the difference between them and the usa policy. If you have the bomb that means the usa wont attack and will negotiate.

[kmg-365.livejournal.com]

I think I'm getting confused between conservatism and American ideals because I've had to read up on Bush too much.

There are also French people who share the same view of the protests. They are conservative French people, but still...they're not American and don't necessarily follow American ideals. Conservatives with capitalist leanings, I suppose.