absence

This blog will be devoid of posts until after the EOYs.

Sorry, but these are exams.

(And here’s something very cute to chew on:)

A Feminist President

The National Organisation for Women endorses… Sen. Barack Obama. A useful article for those who believe that Palin will be for the rights for women. Read this article:

“For more than a decade, Barack Obama has said “yes” to women’s rights, while John McCain has consistently said “no” – NO to pay equity, NO to contraceptive access and reproductive rights, NO to appointing Supreme Court judges who will uphold women’s rights and civil rights, NO to funding shelters and other anti-violence programs, and NO to supporting working moms and dads with policies that support work/life balance.”

No Way, No How, No McCain.

But, above all, NO Palin.

Yes, I support McCain.

Have a look at this video.

First of all, I must state that I do support McCain. He’s given so much to America – he was a soldier and an ex-POW and he served long-term as a senator of the US.

I believe that these two qualities make him the best candidate possible, ignoring the fact that he will provide the US with close-to-zero economic policy in the midst of a humongous sub-prime crisis, he obtained $4 million in campaign funds from oil companies and will give US $4 Billion tax breaks to them after he is elected, his VP Palin accuses those who have been “bound” by Washington and served for a long time in the government as the “elites” (oops did she just talk about her… President?!), his VP Palin was the the governer of Alaska and views energy priorities supercedes national security (oh and did we mention, she wants more logging, more mining, and more fishing in America). And ignore the fact that he is at constant conflict with the Republicans, which means he will get little support from his own party for a number of critical policies if he is elected President.

Nevermind that this video (receiving close to 8 million views at the time of print) contains the fallacy of appeal to emotion. After all, because Palin is a woman, because he is handicapped, therefore we should support McCain and the Republicans. There is nothing wrong.

But let’s just dissect this popular video and watch the logic crumble like cookies!

The caption is “An Iraq Veteran has a personal message for Barack Obama”. Which got me interested.

This guy has spent 12 months in Iraq. He has witnessed many sacrifices. He believes that the Iraq people are like everyone else, deserving to live and not survive.

I sympathise with his cause. I really do. I know for a fact that soldiers have been wounded, impaired, killed in conflict. It happens on both sides.

It is war. A war that Bush started.

But it’s the next part that makes me shiver.

“They (the Iraq and US soldiers) died for a purpose. Not a mistake. They died giving hope. They died for freedom…. You disrespect the service and sacrifice of promoting freedom…. Because you (Mr Obama) do not appreciate this, Sir…. I support John McCain… because he understands the fundamental truth, because freedom is always worth the price.”

Wait a minute.

FREEDOM?!!!

You call this war a movement towards freedom?!

YOU CALL THOSE MEN (the soldiers on both sides) WHO ACTIVELY RUN THE WAR… FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM?!

You call this war that Bush started… a step towards goodwill?!

You are myopic, narrow-minded and unthinking.

How much does this war cost? Do you know? Yes, you walk away with a broken leg, but do you know how much tax the citizens of the United States have to pay to support this war? And what type of war is this? A war “towards freedom”? Here’s the Iraq of today, thanks to the war you fought – more terrorists, more deaths, more corruption, more wasted funding, more irreperable social divides. How dare you! You think that this is a war that helps promote freedom?! (Or perhaps for you, freedom is all that really matters, isn’t it?)

But what is worse, you think that because John McCain served in a war, therefore he understands the soldiers better? Let me tell you who your idol actually is. He is the one who, after seeing that Obama had set a definite deadline to withdrawing from Iraq, followed suit. John McCain did not initiate a pull out. He wanted to “see how long it would take”.

McCain supports Bush 90% of the time. He thinks that the economy is still strong. After four of the Ten Giants of Wall Street (edit: after Wall Street) has collapsed, we still have strong fundamentals, don’t we? I mean, the Tokyo exchange ended its lowest in years… only years right? Not decades.

It is war. A war that Bush started. And McCain supports.

Freedom. Freedom. Hey, people in the Middle East want their freedom too.

And they really deserve more than just survival.

Why won’t you give them a chance? Why can’t you just think about their plight?

Why do you want to use your powers as a voter to screw up their country? Worse, why do you want to use your powers as an American to influence fellow Americans down your logical black hole?

Why are you so self-serving?

Why do you support McCain, especially on such a topic?

Why?