Daily Blague

The best quote in the NYT article was

"It sounds like you're being fair, but creationism is a sectarian religious viewpoint, and intelligent design is a sectarian religious viewpoint," said Susan Spath, a spokeswoman for the National Center for Science Education

It is not a difficult concept to understand that intelligent design or any other creation myth is not subject to being tested by the standard null hypothesis method, but it seems to be nearly impossible for a number of people, especially neo-con Christians, to grasp lately. Freedom in America means that you are allowed to be as dumb as you can be, even the President can exercise that freedom to its limits. GWB has shown us in the last five years ideas, policies and behavior that stretches the bounds of not only good taste but also good sense. Were it not likely to be mistaken for a threat and investigated by untold numbers of GWB's minions under the USAPATRIOT Act one might be tempted to give voice to ideas much in the style of Richard Harris in "Beckett" about troublesome presidents. But such morbid thoughts are neither acceptable nor required. What is required is to vote the bums out of office at every opportunity, all the bums, not just the topmost bum.

Unlike Johnson who had many repellent personality traits and policies, but still espoused some laudable landmark ideas, had some ground breaking policies and pushed through some legislation that changed history for the better GWB has yet to show any balance in any area. Somehow we survived all the social and political turmoil of the late sixties and early seventies which included massive riots and widespread property destruction with armed troops in the streets and scores of deaths without the huge burden of ideology or legislation that oppresses us now. One of the historic pieces of legislation that comes to my mind was simply titled, CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. Document Number: PL 88-352 Date: 02 JUL 64 88th Congress, H. R. 7152, now Public Law PL 88-352, a far cry from the incredible title, H.R.3162 Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT ACT) Act of 2001, now Public Law 107-56. Reading legislation is not commonly done by anyone but attorneys or law makers, but reading these two bills is enlightening for anyone. Even the untrained reader can sense the differences in the scope, purpose, and most of all the tone of the language in the bills. How things have changed, spin and fear, or perhaps even worse apathy have come to dominate political life much more now than during the late sixties and early seventies. I cannot comprehend how the current situation is more dangerous than the extremely troubled times of only forty to thirty years ago or how the current situation requires such stringent restrictions of fundamental freedoms as enacted in PL 107-56.