Kakki wrote:
> An honest answer, but it makes me sad that you lump all Republicans in
> together. They really are not a one-note, one agenda party
There's no reason for sadness here. I realize it's not as simple as
Republicans all being rich and thinking exactly the same on all issues, and
Democrats all being poor and having identical opinions. Of course not. When I
talk about the parties, I'm not thinking of individuals, but about the power
structure and about the different underlying philosophies regarding the role
of government.
That difference is especially obvious now that the conservative Republicans
are in power. The moderate formerly-Republican Senator Jeffords leaving the
Republican party is proof of the power the conservatives now have. He left the
party because he was threatened by Dubya and his cronies with lack of
financial support from the party if he did not vote for the Republican agenda,
ON EVERY ISSUE, and all the moderates are being threatened and controlled in
the same way. So, these days, there's not a very effective moderate Republican
voice. The idea of conservative Republicans shaping the future of American
life, including SS, is scary. It's way too limited a view.
I woke up this morning with the thought that I don't want to write anymore on
the jonilist about politics. It gets into offshoots like Social Security,
which probably isn't of any interest to most Americans and is so U.S.-centric
it must be annoying to all the non-Americans on the list, so even though I
have strong feelings about politics, it seems out of place to talk about it
here. (I wonder what dream gave me that conclusion? Good thing I don't
remember.) Plus, although not all of the unwanted emails I've received have
been about my political views, many of them are so maybe not talking about the
subject here will lessen that problem (if the public posting doesn't change
the situation). So, I'm going to try to keep quiet on political topics, unless
it's in response to something Joni's said or done. Anyway, that's my resolve
for today.
Debra Shea
NP: The Pogues, Summer in Siam. Boy, I really like this guy's world-weary
voice.
