The Damage Control Presidency

Unkle Ruckus
Originally uploaded by Phalanx.

So the 2008 Presidential Race is all about damage control. It's like that one mid80s Marvel Comic called "Damage Control" , where the people in the comic were tasked with cleaning up New York City after a superhero whupped the muthafuckin' ass of a super villain.

I was remarking that Benazir Bhutto became head of state in a gender repressive country, and it's tripped out because the US -- the bastion of freedom and democracy -- is having trouble electing a female head of state. And even if Hilary Clinton wins the White House, her presidency will be effectively dealing with the skunkshit that she's going to be inheriting. And if she can't really make heads of the mess, do you think the GOP will allow another female President? Unless it's Anne Coulter!

An Environmental Nobel Prize

trashdump
Originally uploaded by Phalanx.

So Al Gore won the Noble Peace Prize a few days ago for his work to educate the global public on the dangers of unbridled human activity (all in the name of greed?), and yet I have to believe what ever he's saying as a persuasive message to get people to change their behavior is falling on deaf ears.

In every house I've been in since his documentary AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH came out last year, I haven't seen anybody use compact fluorescent light bulbs to at least cut down on electrical energy consumption, which would have a trickle up effect. And the number of gas guzzling SUVs - those rude rebukes to anyone claiming "green" status -- hasn't seemed to decrease on the roads of Los Angeles -- where regular gas is now $3.19/gallon!

I work really hard to recycle all the plastic bottles and aluminum cans that I can, and any kind of paper product - because

Although the public is more concerned that Britney lost her children (and doesn't want them back!) or that Jennifer Aniston FINALLY told Brad, "I hate you" (I would have thought knowing he was dicking down Angelina when they were married would have prompted that response! Shows what I know) than paying more than water cooler talk about the environment.

Some how talking about environmental issues falls into the category of politics and religion -- taboo public subjects... and I have to ask myself, what the FUCK is that about? We need to have the most open dialog possible about environment impact issues. But I guess like every other social issue of the day, Americans refuse to have an open public discourse about the environment -- and we do all we can to ignore how bad we're pissing on it with Syphilis-infected urine!

I was taking one of those online quizzes about my carbon footprint, and I have to say it wasn't that good, and I make an effort to reduce wasteful consumption of all sorts of shit. The move is to actively find ways to conserve, not just cut back and then foist those views and behavior modifications on those closest to you, who will listen and won't think you're a quack.

Women In Power Positions

Heidi Klum
Originally uploaded by Phalanx.

Today former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto returned to Karachi after 8 years of exile... now it's hard to believe that a woman ran a Middle Eastern Muslim theocracy, but it happened (ironically enough, we'll probably not a see a woman in the White House for at least another decade if Hillary Clinton loses, if she wins and her One Term presidency is a fiasco because she'll be forced to clean-up Dubya's supreme fuck-ups, then we'll probably never have another one in my lifetime -- at least another 50 years!).

But back to Bhutto... apparently she had to come to some sort of "arrangement/agreement" with current military strongman Parviz Musharif, the current Paki president in order to return -- otherwise, her assassination or imprisonment would be all but foreordained.

it's hard to believe that woman was in the position of supreme power in a Muslim state, considering that just next door in Afghanistan women -- under the Taliban rule -- where treated like the worst type of garbage! Truth be told in almost all Muslim states (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria) women are 3rd Class citizens (maybe camels get more love?), it's dictated by the Qu'ran (or so I'm told, I haven't read that tome of freedom masquerading as a tool for oppression).

if you think about a woman on top, it's not such a bad proposition... why? Because they're a little more group oriented when it comes to decisions. My experience is that they consult their peers more than men when it comes to making a decision.

And when a woman's on top she can control men and women... in different ways. They can use their sexuality in ways that men can't to invite suggestion... although female sexuality engenders a greater amount of Haters for irrational reasons.

Does Bhutto represent the future of world politics in the world's most troubled region? We'll only know that when we know what her Side Deal for returning is with the current leader. I would suspect that what ever that deal was, she's going to break it in a matter of months; once she solidifies her power base and re-establishes herself as an alternative voice. And when she gets some clandestine supporters inside Musharif's organizations.

Jail time could occur, but it seems unlikely. However, you can never rule anything out in a Muslim country. Suicide bombers can damn near make anything happen.