Thursday, September 23, 2010

TIDBITS

Don’t Ask, Don’t Debate - Readers' Comments - NYTimes.com



I am Vietnam Vet, college educated, GI Bill MBA, now retired and grandfather of 4. I am an ex Republican turned Democrat when Bush, led by his ethically lobotomized mentor Rove, unleashed his lesbian innuendo against Texas Governor Ann Richards. My decision to bolt the Republican hate machine was further confirmed when Bush, Rove and the Republicans later destroyed Max Cleland and even later trashed CBS’s 60 Minutes when they tried to expose the bald faced truth about Bush avoiding Vietnam through then CIA Daddy's political influence.
Now the Republicans are going really viral. If Bush can start a war based on lies and doctored intelligence, I shudder to think of what this current crop of well financed, ignorant, religious zealots can do if they win a majority in both Houses of Congress.


Specifically, with regard to DADT I find it incredulous that no one of influence in the media or otherwise seems to want to point out that the majority of the other nations which prevent gay citizens from serving in their armed services are the very countries we generally disagree with regarding human rights. In many cases they are considered to be hostile to us and our democracy. These countries are: Cuba, China, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Jamaica, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, South Korea, Syria, Turkey, Venezuela, Yemen.
Maybe we are more like them tha we care to admit.

Compare that to the list of those which permit gays to serve, including our closest military allies, and those currently serving side by side with us in Afghanistan. They are: Albania, Argentina, Australia Austria, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Bermuda, Uruguay.

I don’t know about others, but to me this is a no brainer.

To me it shows we are truly becoming a jingoistic, hypocritical nation of fearful, overly religious, dumbed down citizens who have no clue what our Constitution really means or what it takes to govern in accordance with its principals. DADT is just one indicator of our current failure to adapt to the ever changing reality of our own people and the rest of the world we must live in.

Democrats have their shortcomings, but right now, at this point in our history, I blame the current Republican Party and its wealthy elitist financed Tea Party movement and associated hate and fear tactics for our deterioration.

I fought for this nation because I believed in it. In return it enabled me to earn an education under the GI Bill. Since then I have lived overseas but mostly in Texas. However, my job took me to Europe, Asia, Australia and Russia on business while living in Texas. Until very recently, I thought there was no comparison anywhere with what America had to offer its citizens if you work at being a success and play by the rules and vote as if your future depended on it.

That has all changed. The ultra rich have a strangle hold on our wealth and have bought Congress. The religious right is subverting our religious and moral freedoms and racism and bigotry are becoming subtly more pervasive than in recent decades. I fear for the future of my 2 grandchildren who live in America. Sadly, personal observation makes me more optimistic that my 2 grandchildren living overseas, in a “third world” country have a better shot at what was once considered the American Dream.

Now I am thinking it may be time to look around as there are other possibly more civilized alternatives to the current America. They have real social services, strong middle classes and equal or higher standards of living. I may be old in body but it is never too late to make the effort to avoid disaster if it becomes a real threat. November may become that tipping point. I suspect I may not be alone.

Bruce Olson, Houston

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