[Aluscia]

I am a Christian. I am a Socialist (leaning hard left, but quite moderate in a lot of ways... Think post-WWII Britain). I hate Capitalism. Unfortunately, I have to survive in a predomiantly capitalist West so I turn a blind eye to a lot that goes on, mark my ballot every election for the NDP (the only left in Canada that ever has a chance of making a difference), and cry bitter tears when the government of Canada (Right now, the Liberals), which purported itself as a neither left-nor-right leaning governing body, and had governed by default for over a decade (The anti-Progressive Conservative (Mulroney) motion was so violent, it was only this past election that we are recovering our ability to look at alternatives), makes decisions that seem to only take the right into consideration. While we are definitely more moderate than the US in a lot of political ways, the current government in power is taking us in a direction I don't necessarily agree with.

My reason for being so anti-Bush is a very simple bible quote (although, admittedly, I don't remember which gospel it is from): "How can you presume to take dust out of another's eye with a log stuck in your own?" His lack of a "big picture", or perhaps even more specifically, a big picture omitting a lot of colours/parts with a giant Red White and Blue flag in the middle of it, scares me significantly. He is an incredible *reactive* leader. If Al Gore had been in office, the response to 9/11 probably wouldn't have been enough. There might not have been a response at all. So, I will give Bush that credit. But he didn't stop! He should have cleaned out Afghanistan (since they declared Jihad against the US), empowered the FBI/struck a new body to find Osama etc., and concentrate on working with the world to bolster themselves from threats of terrorism. However, Bush went further. He decided to act on old, inaccurate information to muster the world's forces to rid Iraq of a despot. Despite the fact that world has countless other despots, some of which who perform even worse atrocities on their own people. Despite the fact that many of America's friends were not showing support for the war (then again, they just slandered the **** out of all the countries that declined/opposed so I don't think they can be classified as friends). Despite the fact that Canada did not show support for the war (for which I am glad. Many right-wingers screamed bloody murder at our PM Jean Chretien, claiming we were turning our back on a "righteous war"... look at how righteous it has become). Despite the fact that trade embargos had already decimated and demoralized the population of Iraq. Despite the lack of understanding that every government has supporters, or else it wouldn't be in power. Essentially, what Bush did was declare war on a country that had a government he didn't like under the pretenses of stopping them from harnessing WMDs and harbouring terrorists (neither of which have surfaced, really) and establishing a beautiful democracy that the West could be proud of.

The results of the war are ongoing history. I don't need to post a tally of Casualties, because it will be inaccurate regardless. What I really want to see is a comparison of how many Americans (not counting the foreigners) died in the 9/11 attacks and how many Americans have died in the war on Iraq. It would be interesting to see, because if the numbers are as close as I think they are, then the Bush administration is actually guilty of worse crimes than Osama himself! I won't presume to make that accusation however... It's obvious that the voting public of the US didn't care. They like feeling safe; the insular feeling of rabid protection of "morals", the great security of a national "terror alert" system, the stringent immigration policies and checks in place at PoEs, the development of the Star Wars missile defense shield. All of these factors lead to a safe and sound homeland.
The thing I don't understand is why more nations that are in the West don't esperience the same problems with terrorism that the US does. I'm not in fear at all of a terrorist attack on my person, my city, my province, or even my country. Similarly, much of Europe feels this way. Why? I can think of a number of reasons, but none of them are complete. The biggest reason, I feel, is that America simply has no room for broadening of its own cultural identity. The past exploits and wars of America are simply still too fresh to abandon the idolistic worship of them, and thus foreigners who come to "the land of promise" can only be integrated if they abandon their own pasts and join in the frenzied orgy of warmongering. It exists on so many levels too, from sports team competition to road rage to gang violence to political races to... eventually down to the very conept of Capitalism itself, which is the freedom for an individual to rise above any other in standing (however that is measured, by influence/money/property/wives etc). The problem with it now is that America sees it as a right to push everything else out of the way so they are "America: Biggest and Best". taking the indivudal struggles of capitalism to the macro level of nation state governance.

Pulling in my last beef with Bush, the pretense of religion. As I stated at the beginning, I am a Christian. Avowedly, I am not perfect, nor will I ever be close. I don't strive for perfection, I don't want to be a saint, and in fact, I don't even really like evangelizing. I firmly believe in the bible as a guide, and yet, I also firmly believe in its antiquity. I don't, however, view it as a play book on how society should be run (with the sole exception of the words of Christ himself, which I also strive to make my guide). I don't like how so many people throw crazy ass bible quotes out to justify action that is "moralistic". As I said, I am a Christian... I'm also gay. In a lot of branches of Christianity, this would pose a serious conflict between my spirit and my sexuality. However, using Christ's own abolition of the ways of the Pharisees, who followed Levittacus/Deuteronomy to the letter, and his 2 simple commandments of loving each other and loving God as we love ourselves, I think I'm carving out a pretty decent and holy lifestyle. Nowhere in Christ's words exists the right of some to step in and remove choice from others, on any scale. That includes that abolition of same-sex marriages, the abolition of abortion, the rigid control of stem cell research, the invasion and conversion of other countries/religions by the sword, or the squelching of difference in opinion by a leader who purports himself as a "Christian".
Essentially, I dislike and am afraid of another Bush mandate because it takes my core being as a Christian, twists it around, and puts it on display for everyone else to see its misplaced pride in "morals". Is it any wonder that other religions look at Christianity as a threat, instead of as a way of peace and harmony?

I apologize for being rabid in my own views. I love you all a lot, but I find it very frustrating when I see someone who is an enemy of peace in the world come to power for the second time. I find it even more frustrating that it seems people are duped by his "strengths" enough to completely forget his "faults". That said, I pray for a safer and better world, regardless of what mischief Bush may put it up to.