From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Fri May 02 2003 - 08:16:02 MDT
Michael Wiik wrote:
> Interesting alternate history scenario. I found it amusing anyway.
> Actually, I agree with every word in it.
>
> -Mike
>
> <<President Gore: A Look Back
> by Ted Rall
> ...http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0430-04.htm
I wish I didn't agree with you. Gore would have been much more polite
about things, but many of the contracts seem to have been let before the
election was held, which makes one wonder slightly just how significant
it would have been. My general impression is that the Democrats are
more concerned with people liking them, and the Republicans are more
concerned with shoring up their own power. Neither of those, however,
translate directly into action, and there appears to be an underlying
consensus between the parties as to the actions to be taken. One does
wonder what the rationale is. The fact that it's kept secret does not
automatically mean that it's something to be ashamed of, it might just
mean that they don't believe that they could explain it in news-bytes,
or that it depends on keeping it's future actions secret from other
countries/power-groups. Still, one must bear in mind that a (small)
group in control of power will almost always decide on actions that
retain it's control over the power, however it may have to justify them
to itself. Self-interest can warp ones decisions unseen, and will not
usually be noticed by the beneficiaries, who will be righteously
indignant over claims that they are corruptly self-interested. But how
you evaluate what is in your self-interest will mould the final shape of
the decisions.
That said, Gore appeared from the first to be the "choosen looser" in
the election (bland, unemotional, unable to motivate people). And he
was as fervently in favor of increased centralized intelligence
gathering and surveillance as Bush was. Perhaps more so. He was
pushing that during Clinton's term. Still, I got the impression that
everyone was surprised as how hard it was to get Bush choosen. (Why
they wanted to is still a puzzle.)
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