Begin forwarded message: From: Robert Bryce <robert@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: November 4, 2004 10:50:05 PM EST To: dave@xxxxxxxxxxCc: Lorin Bryce <lorinbryce@xxxxxxxxxxx>, Bob Elder <relder2@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] Cheer up, guys Dave,As a journalist who's been writing about George W. Bush since he held his first press conference here in Austin in late 1993, I must respectfully disagree with your earlier post by Hiawatha Bray.
I'm not moaning over John Kerry's loss. Instead I am still absorbing the shocking scope of Bush's win. To win by over three million votes when it was expected that the race would be much closer -- or that Kerry could win -- is a stunning result. For Mr. Bray to suggest that Democrats need to hurry and get over this loss by renting a movie or by doing a bit of extra flossing is both ungracious and insulting.
Before I continue, let me state that I voted for the Libertarian, Michael Badnarik. (As a Texas resident, the Electoral College rendered my vote meaningless. Further, I was less than impressed with Kerry).
My preferences aside, this election defined America as no recent one has. It will take days, maybe months, for the electorate to sort out the results. The Daily Mirror cover that Mr. Bray so abhors is a powerful image, it is an artifact of our time. It perfectly expresses the disbelief felt by millions of people in America and around the world. And through the Internet, it becomes part of our common discourse. Why does Mr. Bray want us to ignore it? Does he, like GW Bush favor secrecy over openness?
Finally, for him to say that I, or the Dems, or Bush haters, didn't get our "message across" and that we should change our positions on some issues is unfiltered hogwash. Today, Doctors Without Borders announced that it is leaving Iraq. In March of 2003, Iraq had 150 international relief organizations working inside its borders. Today it has less than 50. The country is devolving into madness. Tens of thousands of Iraqis have died. Thousands more are wounded. American casualties exceed 10,000. The only future for Iraq -- which is growing faster than any OPEC country except Nigeria -- is as an oil colony of the West. To feed its people, educate them and house them, it must open its oil wells full blast and sell as much oil as it can to the world market. Can it do that without civil war? It looks doubtful. If it can avoid war, will there be enough money to rebuild a country devastated by both Saddam and then the Pentagon? Again, it looks doubtful.
Like his fellow Texan, Lyndon Johnson, our just-re-elected president deceived America into waging an immoral war that it cannot win. Bush has locked us into a religious war with the Muslim world that will last decades. Today, we are stuck in Iraq. We cannot leave and we cannot stay. And every week American soldiers stay in Baghdad costs us $1 billion.
Yes, Bush won. America, however, lost. And thousands more people will die because Bush and the neocons lied to the American people. Don't expect me to change my position on that.
Sincerely, Robert Bryce Austin, TX robertbryce.com On Nov 4, 2004, at 3:29 PM, David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message: From: Hiawatha Bray <watha@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Date: November 4, 2004 3:57:30 PM EST To: dave@xxxxxxxxxx, ip@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Cheer up, guysAs a Bush supporter, I'm feeling pretty good right now, so maybe I can'tquite appreciate some of the bitter commentary I'm reading here. But I say this sincerely as a fellow American--cut it out.Passing around that stupid Daily Mirror front page is like continuing to swig from a bottle clearly marked POISON. There's no comfort to be had in telling yourselves that the majority of your fellow citizens are idiots.You may think there is, but you're wrong.We all have to live in this country together. I know it hurts to lose; I've had the same feeling after other elections. But there's no way I'll everbelieve that those who don't share my politics are bad people or stupid people. Not only because it's false, but also because believing such a falsehood does me far more harm than it'll ever do to my foes.So suck it up, you guys. You lost, and that means that you and your friendsdid something wrong. You didn't get your message across or you need tochange your position on some issues. Whatever. In any case, it's aboutYOU. Not the 59 million who didn't agree with you. You've got to do something different. Focus on that and you've got a chance.One more thing: I know some victorious Republicans are gloating. Ignorethem. Their day will come, as it does for all of us.So relax. Rent a video. Go to a movie. Play with your kids. This toowill pass away. Hiawatha Bray Boston Globe From: Ole Jacobsen <ole@xxxxxxxxx> Date: November 4, 2004 3:01:05 PM EST To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx> Subject: Re: [IP] Woke up this mornin', got the election blues Reply-To: Ole Jacobsen <ole@xxxxxxxxx> Check out the UK's Daily Mirror: http://www.mirror.co.uk/frontpages/ The frontpage for today: "How can 59,054,087 people be so DUMB? You can get a high-res version (PDF) from newseum, but you need to do so TODAY. Ole Ole J. Jacobsen Editor and Publisher, The Internet Protocol Journal Academic Research and Technology Initiatives, Cisco Systems Tel: +1 408-527-8972 GSM: +1 415-370-4628 E-mail: ole@xxxxxxxxx URL: http://www.cisco.com/ipj ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as watha@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ipArchives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/------------------------------------- You are subscribed as rbryce@xxxxxxxxxx To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ipArchives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
Robert Bryce 2006 Homedale Dr. Austin, TX 78704 p: 512-445-5097 cell: 512-589-8235 www.robertbryce.com ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx To manage your subscription, go to http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/