A Few Political Thoughts for the Day

1. Despite being out there in some ways, I have tremendous respect for Ron Paul just for saying some of the things he says and saying them unabashedly. He was absolutely right that some of our actions in the Middle East contributed to the anger directed at us by various radical Muslims, including al-Qaeda, which led to the 9/11 attacks. This does not mitigate the responsibility of al-Qaeda or even render us responsible for 9/11. It's simply an acknowledgement that our actions around the world can and do piss people off, particularly when some of our actions are anything but morally upright themselves. And sometimes that anger comes back and hits us. To say this, though, and take the inevitable hits from Hizzoner "the Bald Liar" Giuliani was courageous.

2. If Hillary Clinton's health care plan for guaranteeing health insurance for every American is "socialized medicine", as many of the Republican presidential candidates have termed it, then what is Britain's or France's health care system? I ask because anyone with half a brain could plainly see that Clinton's plan is nothing, not even remotely, like the European model. The Clinton health care system would not be government-owned or -operated and the health insurance would not be governmental insurance. Better yet, to Mr. Romney, how is her plan qualitatively different from the one you enacted in Massachusetts?

3. Um, does anyone else think that all involved in the "situation" regarding the Congressional resolution that what happened in 1915 between the Ottoman Empire and the Armenians was genocide are just a little crazy? I mean, first, what the heck is our House of Reps doing even worrying about genocides that occurred nearly 100 years ago by a now-defunct empire? Second, the response by Turkey is just as absurd. They're trying to use this meaningless resolution to drum up nationalistic, anti-American feelings and to find an excuse to threaten and potentially attack the Kurds in northern Iraq. Finally, from an Armenian survivor: '"I don't like Turkey -- they are animals there," reported Perouz Kalousdian, 97.'

Yeah, I think it's pretty clear that they have all lost their marbles. Maybe we should just leave categorizations regarding historical events to . . . well, historians.