Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Conspiracy theory vs. Realpolitik
Finally, the Supreme Court gets it right. Justice Sandra Day O'Connor delivered the opinion of the court, stating "We have long since made clear that a state of war is not a blank check for the President when it comes to the rights of the Nation's citizens," implying the president's conduct of the fight against terrorism is not immune to judicial review.
As an occasional conspiracy theorist, I entertain the thoughts that Michael Moore's film made the United States hand over Iraq's sovereignty to its new government two days before its scheduled time. As of tomorrow, Iraq will have legal custody of Saddam Hussein. In terms of realpolitik, this is a way for the Bush administration to get sympathy votes. I mean, when U.S. soldiers keep dying every day (3 Marines killed today), that was the least the lame-duck administration could do.
It's encouraging to see people flock to the theatres to watch Fahrenheit 9/11, even in traditionally Republican states. However, I remain pessimistic about November's election. For one thing, I want to keep low expectations so when Bush does get voted out I can truly rejoice. Second, the Republican party still has numerous tactics to manipulate the election like what happened in Florida four years ago. So we'll see. One thing for sure: the American people have independent thinking (though they don't often use it. The bright side is, yes, they did elect Clinton twice). Let's hope they make the right choice this time (well, if there's such a thing).
So the Iraqi government is handed back its sovereignty, where's the world's joy in all this?
P.S. The Supreme Court got it right again with this case, decided today. The Court ruled that a law punishing pornographers who peddle dirty pictures to web-surfing kids is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. The ACLU and other critics of the antipornography law claimed that it would restrict far too much material that adults may legally see and buy.
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As an occasional conspiracy theorist, I entertain the thoughts that Michael Moore's film made the United States hand over Iraq's sovereignty to its new government two days before its scheduled time. As of tomorrow, Iraq will have legal custody of Saddam Hussein. In terms of realpolitik, this is a way for the Bush administration to get sympathy votes. I mean, when U.S. soldiers keep dying every day (3 Marines killed today), that was the least the lame-duck administration could do.
It's encouraging to see people flock to the theatres to watch Fahrenheit 9/11, even in traditionally Republican states. However, I remain pessimistic about November's election. For one thing, I want to keep low expectations so when Bush does get voted out I can truly rejoice. Second, the Republican party still has numerous tactics to manipulate the election like what happened in Florida four years ago. So we'll see. One thing for sure: the American people have independent thinking (though they don't often use it. The bright side is, yes, they did elect Clinton twice). Let's hope they make the right choice this time (well, if there's such a thing).
So the Iraqi government is handed back its sovereignty, where's the world's joy in all this?
P.S. The Supreme Court got it right again with this case, decided today. The Court ruled that a law punishing pornographers who peddle dirty pictures to web-surfing kids is an unconstitutional restriction on free speech. The ACLU and other critics of the antipornography law claimed that it would restrict far too much material that adults may legally see and buy.
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