Politics – Page 57 – Public Intelligence Blog

Explains McCain's Loss,

January 29, 2005

Lee Atwater

Edit of 20 Dec 07 to add link to the others books on what Rove did to us.

This is quite a chilling movie, and it makes even more sense to me now that I have finished reading Lee Harris' “Civilization and Its Enemies: The Next Stage of History.” Never mind John Kerry, a world-class loser with a wife to match–what this movie explains is how and why John McCain lost the South Carolina primary to Karl Rove's dirty tricks.

What really chilled me is not that Rove plays dirty against Democrats, but that he plays dirty against Republicans.

The movie begins with an early look at Karl Rove's start with Lee Atwater teaching young Republicans, including “dirty tricks” that the movie takes pains to point out are questionable but not illegal.

Included in the middle year's are stories with on the record interviews and replays of old media stories that make it quite clear that Rove is not above planting a “bug” in his own office (one with a six hour battery life, only 15 minutes of which have expired by the time it is “found”), nor of co-opting a single rogue FBI special agent to “coincidentally” have opponents under supeona just when it matters most.

Over the course of the movie, one learns that Rove is a master of playing the politcal “game” (only his version actually kills people) at three levels:

1) Disciplined overt politics–staying on message
2) Underlying messages that are legal but misdirecting
3) Underlying dirty tricks that are out and out unethical

This is where I was able to see the connection between Rove's playbook from Texas, and how John McCain was done in after a roaring victory in New Hampshire, when the South Carolina primary suddenly produced carefully orchestrated whisper campaigns about McCain's mental abilities, his black “love child” (actually an adopted orphan), and his family member's drug addition (an open issue being dealt with but made to sound terrible). In all this John Weaver, McCain's political director, shines as a voice of reason and honor when discussing the details.

Over-all the movie suggests that Rove has brought politics to a new low in ethics, and a new high in efficiency. Rove is a killing machine. He turned 9-11, and the war on Iraq, into political devices, and suggests that Rove, who has never served in uniform or in combat (nor have Cheney, Rice, or Wolfowitz), is essentially sacrificing American lives to keep his candidate in power.

The movie comes to closure with more than one commentator from Texas, where they all know Karl Rove *real well,* saying, “There's no rule he won't break.”

Well, as a moderate Republican, I find this troubling. What was done to John McCain in the South Carolina Republican presidential primary, and to Max Cleland of South Carolina in his Senate race, strike me as so reprehensible as to call into question the future of the Republican Party.

I recommend this movie to every American, but especially to Republicans, in whose name some things are being done that should shame us all.

2004/12/122009/12/04

Review: The New Golden Rule–Community And Morality In A Democratic Society

4 Star, Civil Society, Consciousness & Social IQ, Culture, Research, Democracy, Philosophy, Politics

Learned Introduction to Social Ethics,

December 12, 2004

Amitai Etzioni

My eyes glazed over in places, and I had to struggle to finish the book, but on balance believe the author provides a learned introduction to social ethics and the topic of how morality, community, and democracy are inter-twined.

My over-arching note on the book is that information can and should be a moral force, and a force for good within any community.

The author's bottom line is that morality must be inherent in the individual–it cannot be imposed, only taught–that those who consider themselves religious are not necessarily moral, and that politicians cannot be neutral on moral relativism, or they open the door to moral extremists.

Among my notes in the margins, inspired by the author: cannot turn responsibility into duty; citizens failing to be socially responsible can open the door to tyranny; anarchy comes with excessive autonomy–deviance allowed is deviance redefined as acceptable; communitarians may be an alternative to the extreme right, something is needed with the collapse of the democrats; organizational morality is important–should corporations be allowed to degrade and exploit humans in the name of “neutral” economic values?; shared values are the heart of sensible sustainable policy making; laws can inspire corruption and crime; inherent morality is the opposite; many policies (e.g. transportation, housing, education) do not provide for social impact evaluation; no such thing as “value free” anything; monolithic communities harm the multi-layered community.

Given seven layers of dialog, from neighborhood to national, it is possible to have every citizen participate in a national dialog in the course of a single day. This makes it irresponsible for any of us to accept a political process that claims to be value neutral while opening the door for extremists. I have said this, but this excellent book documents it: you get the government you deserve. Participate, or lose it.

2004/11/122009/12/04

Review: Our Plan for America–Stronger at Home, Respected in the World

2 Star, Politics

Shallow Undocumented Platitudes with No Budget Math,

November 12, 2004

John F. Kerry

This is an extraordinarily shallow–even glib–book, one obviously written by a committee that combined the worst of all worlds: the intellectual runts from the Clinton Administration who allowed terrorism to flourish on their watch, and the last gasp “spinmeisters” of the Democratic campaign staff. Kerry (more so than Edwards) failed the smell test during this past election, and this book documents how he failed on substance.

It consists of 123 double-spaced pages of shallow material, 16 pages of photographs that range from the goofy to the staged, and a remaining two thirds of the book reproducing old speeches with little in the way of substance and nothing in the way of math (as in a balanced budget).

Kerry's writing committee opens the book by claiming his plan is rooted in values-obviously a majority in America did not buy that, and I do not either.

The book is organized in three sections (not counting the old speeches), on Security, on Opportunity, and on Family. All three consist of so-called “policy” points that cannot be called anything other than platitudes. They are completely lacking in coherence and they have no budgetary or documentary basis in fact.

Within the security section, the four new “imperatives” are alliances, modernize an already over-funded military, deploy soft power (diplomacy, intelligence, economic, values and ideas), and free America from its dangerous dependency on Middle Eastern oil. There is nothing about environmental security and the book displays absolutely zero understanding of the points made by such distinguished commentators as J. F. Rischard in HIGH NOON: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them, or E. O. Wilson in The Future of Life. The security section is pedestrian and incredibly ignorant. It fails to mention even the most basic redirection of resources toward peacekeeping and preventive investments in aid. The section on energy (as a security issue) fails to discuss hybrid cars, solar power for neighborhoods, or meaningful conservation.

The section on opportunity focuses on the middle class and is disrespectfully oblivious to the working poor-indeed, I suspect that neither Kerry nor any of his advisors have read Barbara Ehrenreich's “Nickle and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America” or David Shippler, “The Working Poor: Invisible in America.”

Finally, and this is where I believe the Democratic Party really lost it this year, there is not a word in this book about electoral reform-about measures that are needed in order to make every American's vote count, such that we might one day aspire to having a government where Independents, moderate Republicans, Greens, Reforms, Libertarians, and agnostics all have a “fair share” of elected representation. As a moderate Republican, I was prepared to vote for an alternative to the Bush regime, but as a common sense person, I ended up rejecting this option because Kerry-and the decrepit isolated Democratic Party-failed the smell test. This book documents their shallow insularity and the breadth of their inadequacy.

2004/10/112009/12/04

Review: Unfit for Command–Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry

5 Star, Biography & Memoirs, Leadership, Politics

If 5% is true, it's over–wake up call for future wanna-bees,

October 11, 2004

John E. O'Neill

I agonized over this book. It is assuredly a destructive mean-spirited, politically-motivated revenge sort of book, and one is tempted to put it in the fire bin with the grossest sort of pornography, satanic writings, and other forms of trash without which we can do quite nicely (see my review of “Forbidden Knowledge”).

However, as a retired Marine, as a crusader for Dean (one of the 20% of the moderate Republicans ready to jump ship), and as a proponent for public intelligence as a means of keeping honest both the secret intelligence producers and their White House masters, I have to come down in favor of this book for two simple reasons:

1) If just 5% of this book is true, and I think at least 50% is, then Kerry–whatever his merits–took conniving and mis-representation to levels never before achieved, and is, as the book suggests, unfit for command. When I look at the genuine bleedling and pain that goes with most purple hearts (Zinni and Franks, for example), the blatant gamesmanship that this book documents, against the medal created by George Washington for the heroes of Valley Forge and other key battles, just makes my blood boil.

2) This book–and the many books dissecting Bush and Cheney–should also serve as a wake-up call for wanna-be Presidents. Hilary will never be President–the Secret Service retirees will surely publish what they know.

There are two bottom lines here: morality matters as a fundamental aspect of character and consistency; and there are no secrets anymore whenever more than one person is engaged in acts that are ultimately not in the public interest.

As we go into the election, we have more than one evil to contend with. Kerry is unfit to command; Bush picked or got hijacked by some truly dangerous neo-conservatives and inherently dishonest corporate cronies; and the Republican and Democratic party leaderships have both conspired to keep the best men (John McCain and Howard Dean) away from the candidacy, while illegally blocking the Green and Reform Presidential candidates from sharing the debate forum on television (see my reviews of three books: Running on Empty, Doing Democracy, and Gag Rule).

This book is a form of “capstone” that represents rock-bottom in American politics. It makes it clear that we are all voting for the least of all weevils (pun intended), and that this is one little weevil that should not make it to the White House. It makes me angry that this great Nation should come down to this. It makes me angry that we get the government we deserve, and the books we deserve, and this book captures all of that, America at its most base–this book *is* America, consequently every American should be ashamed that we have allowed it to get to this abyssmal point.

2004/09/122009/12/04

Review: Where the Right Went Wrong–How Neoconservatives Subverted the Reagan Revolution and Hijacked the Bush Presidency

5 Star, Philosophy, Politics

Buchanan–and Nader–More Mainstream than Bush-Kerry!,

September 12, 2004

Patrick J. Buchanan

Edit of 20 Dec 07 to add links.

The most shocking aspect of this book, in a positive “eye-opening” sense, is that Pat Buchanan seems to be more in touch with what I as a moderate Republican believe, than anyone associated with the current Bush-Cheney Administration. Although he has some extremist views that I do not agree with, notably a desire to set back attempts to achieve racial equality, on balance his focus on avoiding elective wars, on eliminating the deficit, on reducing the size of government, on restoring state rights, and on putting the Supreme Court back in its place, all strike me as more “representative” than the views of the neo-conservatives, whom he attacks with eloquence and force.

There are some gems in the book that most people will enjoy because they are not being discussed. Chief among these is that the 2004 election is about the Supreme Court, and who gets to nominate as many as five new Justices. Fully enjoyable is the author's blistering critique of the Court, and the moral cowardice of the Congress in allowing the Court to take on powers of legislative review never envisioned by the founders. The author's quote of Lincoln is especially compelling on this point.

The author is also compelling in his discussion of the role that a common faith must play in keeping democracy alive. As the US foolishly strives to demand “secular democracy” in Iraq, something of an impossibility, the author is moving and thoughtful in showing that the decline of faith (and of the family) has harmed US democracy and its prospects.

Over-all the book is a litany of ills associated with an extremist Republican party run amok, funding Chinese weapons development at the same time that it exports jobs, funds the debt of loser nations while running up our own debt, etc. The author provides several lists of poor policy decisions that provide food for thought. Most troubling is the degree to which the USA is hostage to others for 72% of its medicines, 70% of its computer equipment, etc.

This is one of the few books I have encountered that covers both economic issues–the author is blistering on how “free” trade is not free, with fullsome detail on how we need *fair* trade–and national security issues. The author clearly understands that we are not winning the war on terrorism, only minor battles, and–in a phrase that especially moved me–that you cannot defeat a faith without a faith of your own. “To defeat a faith you need a faith.” I would refer the readers to Doug Johnston's Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik as well as Jonathan Schell's The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People.

Over-all, this book caused me to reflect on the reality that the two so-called “mainstream” political parties are no longer representative of America. Pat Buchanan is right–the moderate Republican Party with conservative values that I thought I was a member of has been hijacked and corrupted. At the same time, the same can be said for the Democratic Party, whose traditional values are now more ably represented by Ralph Nader. In brief, Americans are in limbo, lacking collective associations that truly represent their needs and concerns, and America is in need of a realignment of its grass-roots political organizations.

Super book, essential reading for anyone concerned about why the 2004 election is not a choice at all, only a pretense.

Estranged moderate Republican that I am, I grow more and more respectful of Patrick Buchanan. He saw this all coming. Little did we know.

Other books that add weight to his message:
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy)
Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
Blood Money: Wasted Billions, Lost Lives, and Corporate Greed in Iraq
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America
God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It (Plus)
Day of Reckoning: How Hubris, Ideology, and Greed Are Tearing America Apart

2004/02/152009/09/04

The Great Game of Politics: Why We Elect, Whom We Elect

4 Star, Politics

Germ of an Interesting Idea, From Left to Right & Back Again,

February 15, 2004

Dick Stoken

This is one of those books that caught my eye in a casual browse through the bookstore, where I buy perhaps 10% of my books. It has a germ of a good idea and is worth the price of the book for that alone–the book can be absorbed in a day or rapidly scanned in an hour.The core idea is that America swings from left to right and back again–from a pro-business risk-taking conservative right position to a pro-people risk-reducing social concern left position.

The author, who is evidently a very well-respected businessman and trader who is skilled at seeing business cycles, applies his skill to politics. Of the 43 presidents America has had to date, he identifies nine that were “paradigm movers”: George Washington (Federalists), Jefferson (Jeffersonian Democracy), Madison (New Nationalism), Jackson (New Democrats) Lincoln-McKinley (Transition), Roosevelt (New Progressives), Harding (New Era) and Reagan (New Economy).

I view the book somewhat skeptically. It is certainly worthwhile, and I do not regret buying it nor absorbing the “nine political paradigms” that the author puts forward, but on balance I find it somewhat simplistic and out of touch with today's realities. Indeed, as an admirer of all that Dr. Paul Ray has written (he is co-author of The Cultural Creatives), I would sum up my modest criticism of this book by saying that America, if it is to survive, must be neither left nor right, but in front–as Dr. Ray labels them, “the new progressives.” The two mainstream political parties have lost touch with reality and become much too subordinated to political campaign contributions and lobbyists, and hence, if there is a tenth paradigm that will emerge–and I credit this book with framing the question very well–then it will be one that emulates the Internet and creates a political system that restores ethics to both the left and the right, restores the individual to primacy in the democracy, and reintegrates government, business, and citizen associations including unions as equal respectful partners rather than constant antagonists.

2004/01/252009/12/04

Review: Big Lies–The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth

4 Star, Misinformation & Propaganda, Politics

One of Several Valuable References, Misses the Gland Slam,

January 25, 2004

Joe Conason

This book is one of several (Hightower, Franken, Moore being among the others) that does a good job but not the best job of nailing extremist Republican lies and distortions.It is a great index, something the other books have tended to neglect. You can, for example, look up national security or minorities, or health care, and get right to the relevant lies. You can also look up individual names and see the specifics on both corporate cronies of the extreme right, or media manipulators.

Category: Politics

Review DVD: Bush’s Brain (2004)