[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]Dear ****,[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]First, I appreciate your efforts on today's e-mails to get me
off my democratic ass. It is appreciated my old friend (though
quite possibly futile).[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]An interesting e-mail to be certain and some of the messages
within are certainly good ones. Some of the inferences,
however, are indeed contradictory and actually, I think, are
counter to the "vote Bush" message that this (very) thinly
veiled Republican rhetoric is actually all about.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]I started to explain, in detail, what I mean by the previous
paragraph but it dawned on me that you’re a very smart guy and
could interpret the stats and how they relate to the premise to
conclude you should run kicking and screaming from Mr. Bush
(e.g. Mr. Bush spends more on the military providing our folks
in uniform with “…more benefits from the public treasury”), or
towards him which is the real intent of the author--so
explaining would be a waste of time. Such is the nature of
statistics and rhetoric.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]Instead, using a little of what is below as a backdrop, I’ll
tell you what I’d like to see in a presidential
candidate/policy, and perhaps, you’ll understand why I’m likely
to abstain. Nobody, to my admitted lack of depth, even comes
close enough to warrant a vote--hence the winner in November is
arbitrary in my view. Ironically, based on my recollection,
the person closest to what I’ve stated below was Colin
Powell—I’d vote for him.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]1.[/SIZE][/FONT]Standard stuff like integrity, nice guy, real human, intelligent, in touch.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]2.[/SIZE][/FONT]Protect my family and my country. If there is a real threat to my family
and my country, kill it-no ***** footin’. If there isn’t a real threat to my
family or my country, don’t piss away my money or fellow Americans on it.
And I don’t care if they do insidious little things like pay off shady people
to do it or assassinate somebody.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]3.[/SIZE][/FONT]Spend the money I give him wisely. No deficit. A growing deficit is
“loose fiscal policy”. I don’t care if my tax goes up or down provided that
I’m getting what I believe to be reasonable value from my tax dollar. Wildly
growing National debt will blow up in our faces…perhaps in a way Mr. Tyler
describes.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]4.[/SIZE][/FONT]Solve the welfare problem. Understand the root causes of why people
are on welfare and find feasible & intelligent solutions. Don’t develop
solutions and not manage them to their intent; if it ain’t workin’ have the
balls to say so and do something different.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]5.[/SIZE][/FONT]Protect my rights as an American. Don’t care what risk this brings to
us. Yeah, I have an issue or two with the patriot act.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]6.[/SIZE][/FONT]Who cares if the rest of the world is a democracy or not? I could give
a shit. Leave everybody alone unless it threatens my way of life…for real.
If we’re for real, they’ll follow on their own…eventually. If you dig into why
the muslim extremist (or anybody in the world) hate us, you’ll find it rooted
in US policy/activities related to the doctrine of democratic proliferation.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]7.[/SIZE][/FONT]Grow the average intelligence of the American people. Most people are
stupid…no matter what their demographic or station in life is.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]8.[/SIZE][/FONT]Spend money to alleviate American suffering; not to increase life
expectancy.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]9.[/SIZE][/FONT]Don’t instigate economic policy that ultimately increases the financial
stratification between Americans. I would be willing to bet that the
Athenian republic saw a “rich get richer and poor get poorer” thing
happening from complacency to dependence which ultimately sparked the
move back into bondage (repressing the inevitable revolt).
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]10.[/SIZE][/FONT]Don’t be quarter-wise/fiscal foolish and find a way to make Americans
understand a long term strategy. For instance, we should invest in Asia
(like India). In order for the US economy to grow and Americans to
prosper, there must be continued growth in the economy. If we clamp our
markets to only a portion of the world, then we can’t grow. Well, where
are there billions of people that could buy the goods that America could
offer? Asia, of course. But shit! They have no money! So some American
jobs must be sacrificed to seed economic growth so that in the long run
we’re all better off. I don’t wanna’ hear any bitchin’ about US jobs going
abroad. I wanna’ here why that makes sense and what we’re doing to take
our society to the next level. This will get my personal want of big Intel
stock numbers back on track.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]11.[/SIZE][/FONT]If it makes sense, do it. If it doesn’t, don’t. Don’t do something
stupid to get something smart done. Ever. That way you're better
positioned to not get coeerced into stupidity for the sake of something
smart. Take the heat and sacrifice.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]12.[/SIZE][/FONT]“All men are created equal.” Mean it for shit sakes.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]13.[/SIZE][/FONT]Lead by leading. Pushin’ ain’t leading.
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]I could probably go on, but I’m kinda pooped. If there is
ever a candidate that can put over half these solidly on the
table, they’ll have my vote. Until then, it is arbitrary. So
maybe I’m not apathetic, just unimpressed.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]Take care, my friend. You made me think a bit—thanks.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Courier New][SIZE=2]Tim[/SIZE][/FONT]