Let's Talk...Some More!
A COLLECTION OF COMMENTARIES INTENDED TO STIMULATE CIVIL DISCOURSE ON IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY January 1999 - January 2006
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As many people and countries are ringing the death knell for the U.S., we have freed 50 million people; freely elected governments are being formed in the Middle East and Eastern Europe; even slightly more open elections in Egypt, etc. Is it all guaranteed to be a success? No, but they have a chance where none existed a few years ago. In the meantime, U.S. economic reports continue to be encouraging – Markets doing well; consumer spending holding; wages up in April, exceeding expectations; inflation minimal though increasing slightly; GDP exceeding expectations, employment up. In Europe, on the other hand: 10%-12% unemployment; zero GDP growth; welfare state expenses out of control; Schroeder to lose elections in Germany; Chirac in trouble in France; EU Constitution about to be voted down by the French, even though they authored much of it; Muslim problems emerging on the entire continent, especially Amsterdam, Germany, Southern France; and Muslims may be the only source for increasing European birth rates, which otherwise would be well down. Who would you bet on? On the home front, politics is running amok. The performance of the United States Senate in recent weeks has been embarrassing, culminating with this week’s "saving of the Senate, the Republic, if not all mankind" by the so-called moderate 14 Senators. There they were with McCain and Byrd among those in celebration of the event – only to have it collapse in forty-eight hours with the "non-filibuster" of Bolton by the Democrats (this is what they meant by "extraordinary circumstance" ?) and the cloture vote that failed for the Republicans. That failed a lot faster than the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform legislation. My question: who’s running the show? Not Frist. Frist is fried for the future and McCain really antagonized the Republican base, once again, with his role in this event. Whether you like him or not, Bolton, four times approved by the Senate in the past and responsible for the breaking up the nuclear material supermarket run by Pakistan, Libya, and North Korea could use some out front support from Mr. Bush. But where is it? Sure they got some judges approved who should have been voted up or down months, if not years ago. And there will be a few more. The embarrassing part of the judicial nominating process (as well as the Social Security debate) was the behavior and tactics of the Democrats, especially Reid and Pelosi. (I never thought I would want Tom Daschle back!) The language, innuendo, and downright mean-spiritedness seemed so unnecessary, even when they dealt with Ms. Brown, voted into office with 76% of the vote in San Francisco – and she’s out of the mainstream? Some might have claimed so, but not to the right, given that vote tally in a town like San Francisco. Clearly, all of this is a prelude to two major events: nominees to the Supreme Court (possible shades of Bork/Thomas) and the 2008 election. Finally, two distinctly different and sensitive issues will be dealt with: The Supreme Court will take up the issue of Parental Notification on abortion for those under eighteen and the Congress is developing legislation to materially expand stem cell research. The first issue will be avidly watched by both sides – Pro-Choice and Pro-Life, each with its own doomsday predictions should one or the other lose. Focusing only on this aspect of the issue, I have only two questions to ask: Why must a parent be asked to approve giving a child an aspirin, while they cannot be asked for permission/approval to have an abortion performed on their thirteen (or fifteen) year-old child? Why must the military ask permission of parents to speak to their seventeen-year olds about considering the military as a career, but not have Parental Notification re: an abortion for their underage child? As far as stem cell research is concerned, I have mixed feelings about it. On the one hand if existing embryonic cells are to be destroyed anyway, then why not put them to research use? That is said with deep reservations about the existence of life and the morality of doing so. Where I really worry, is with the "ultimate slippery slope" to cloning for all sorts of purposes. Those who feel strongly about the moral issues should be respected for their position for they believe it profoundly. If the majority approves widespread stem cell research, Bush may not be able to win a veto. One can only hope that it will be well-crafted legislation especially in the application of appropriate controls.
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About the Book
The author had never intended to write this or any other book. However, since he has always had an interest in current events, especially politics, and he enjoyed writing, it was natural that he be the one to compose commentaries for the Current Events Roundtable he initiated seven years ago. Having done so, his wife and a few friends then convinced him to publish these commentaries. “Let’s Talk!” was the title of the first edition, published in July, 2003 and contained twenty nine commentaries.
“Let’s Talk….Some More!” is a second edition and is a compilation of the original twenty nine commentaries and an additional twenty one written since the first edition was published. The last commentary is dated January 6, 2006. They all continue to reflect a spontaneous, minimally edited series of one man’s observations on current events. It is sprinkled with parenthetical comments, some surprising, some humorous, many not, and still others designed to stress a certain point of view. Bear in mind that one objective of these commentaries was to stimulate discussion. Therefore, the author’s ideology is sometimes set aside in order to achieve this objective.
“Let’s Talk….Some More” covers some of the decade’s, if not the century’s most momentous events, with the World Trade Center disaster being the most dramatic and world changing. In many ways, “Let’s Talk!”and “Let’s Talk...Some More1" represent a loose chronology of the history of the past seven years. The events are presented through the eyes of an involved citizen with a point of view cultivated over many years. He believes passionately that dialogue among an informed citizenry of whatever political persuasion, is a valuable asset to the country.
About the Author
This is Mr. Shea’s first effort at publishing a book. He is a 1955 Liberal Arts graduate of