Welcome to Sad Salvation. Day by day by day by day ... this is my attempt to make sense of the world.

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Thursday, September 11, 2008

9/11/01 to 9/11/08

Today is the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on America. I feel very far away from it. Seven year is a long time. In fact I have lived more than 20% of my life since the 9/11 attacks. A lot in my life has changed since that. I really feel that those years are the prime of my life.

It also feel far way because I live on the West Coast. I think that 9/11 feels different on the West Coast than it does on the East Coast. So times I think that the people here see it as something that happened while in New York and Washington is feels like something that is still happening. I see lots of people out here roll their eyes when politicians wrap themselves in 9/11.

In some ways it is still happening. We have not got to the end of the fall out from 9/11. We have two wars going on, the TSA, RealID, the patriot act, changes in immigration policy, the price of gas, the presidential election, all of these things are happening now and are changed because of 9/11.

The attacks on 9/11 where the first global event of the 21st century. It is the event that informs much of the world today. I look forward to a day where 9/11 is something in the history books. All things get there eventually. I just wonder how long this will take.

Labels: 9/11, America, anniversary, RealID, TSA, war, war on terror

- Rich, 11:31 AM |

Monday, September 01, 2008

The McCain-Palin Ticket Part 3: The Blank Slate

I think that Sarah Palin has a very interesting quality. She is almost a blank slate on most issues. Salon did a piece where she has no record on Iraq. It is hard to see where she stands on any international issue. She has very little of a record. People will be searching all over for clips of her saying anything. I wonder if this will allow her to write her own ticket when it comes to her stances on different subjects.

Labels: election, Iraq, Sarah Palin, war

- Rich, 3:20 PM |

Sunday, September 10, 2006

In Perspective

In the Mercury News today there is a commentary by Ted Galen Carpenter titled Keeping the Al-Qaida Threat in perspective. (the website has a different title for it). Lately the Bush Administration has been comparing "Islamic Fasists" to Nazis and the Cold War. The administration has received some heat for this, but few people have put together good arguments for why the administration is wrong.

I think that Ted Galen Carpenter makes some good points. During World War 2 Germany was the Second biggest economic power in the world. During the Cold War the Soviets were the Second biggest military power. I am not sure how you can determine Al-Qaida's power, but they are not that powerful. Even if they took over the whole Middle East, they would not be this powerful.

I heard Louise Richardson speak about the September 11th attacks on KQED Forum. She wants to remind everyone that every year six times as many people die from drunk drivers every year than died in the September 11th attacks. The number I found for 2002 was 17,419. People do not talk about outlawing drinking. I do not think people see it that way.

Labels: Al-Qaida, Bush, Cold War, KQED, mercnews, Soviets, war, war on terror

- Rich, 6:45 PM |

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

The world of Biases

I heard about a newspaper. Two Views of the Same News Find Opposite Biases. It was a very interesting story. Here is a telling quote from the story.

In one especially telling experiment, researchers showed 144 observers six television news segments about Israel's 1982 war with Lebanon.

Pro-Arab viewers heard 42 references that painted Israel in a positive light and 26 references that painted Israel unfavorably.

Pro-Israeli viewers, who watched the very same clips, spotted 16 references that painted Israel positively and 57 references that painted Israel negatively.

Both groups were certain they were right and that the other side didn't know what it was talking about.

This would explain how I can watch the same broadcast as someone and not have the same reaction.

Labels: Arab, Bias, Israel, Lebanon, news, war, Washington Post

- Rich, 6:57 PM |

Somebody Please Listen to Thomas Friedman

Yesterday Thomas Friedman was on NPR's Fresh Air. I think that anyone who cares about the current war between Israel and Hezbollah should listen to him. I think that he sees this conflict from many angles. I am always impressed when I hear him speak.

I have to sum this up because I could not find a transcript. If you want to know all the words, you can listen to it for yourself. It really is worth your time listen.

I was stunned when he said that Hezbollah hates Israel more than it loves their own children. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah will stand on the ruins of Lebanon and said that he won. Israel is making microchip and you are potato chips and you won? Israel has the third most companies on the NASDAQ and Lebanon cannot make a light bulbs and you won?

Wow, these are powerful words. I have not seen anyone put it this way before. It is amazing. We need more voices like this if we want a better future.

Labels: Fresh Air, Hezbollah, Israel, NPR, Thomas Friedman, war

- Rich, 6:06 PM |

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