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Day With Rant
I was going to keep silent today: just a Day With(out) (much) Weblog. But then I realized that I can't resist, after only a simple internet search, reporting that I'm fed up. As usual politics is out of touch with reality, and I'm more in touch with all that "thinking," but it is better to express something rather than just taking it all in. So here you are. Judge for yourselves.
The New York Times (Online) lead editorial, responding to Bush's "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," concludes: "A president who seems less in touch with reality than Richard Nixon needs to get out more."
So I went to the White House webpage. What is going on? Apart from the NSVI, I was relieved to learn that the White House is "Celebrating 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' throughout the holiday season." How sweet. Somewhere below was a link for World Aids Day 2005 that trumpeted all of our American contributions. (These would be basically non-existent compared to the defense budget, but it doesn't say that. Wouldn't want any "perspective.") In a transcript President and Mrs. Bush "discuss" World Aids Day (actual quotes below):
MRS. BUSH: Good morning, everyone. Good morning and thank you all very, very much for joining us on this important day, World AIDS Day. ...
In July I visited three countries in Africa, and there I met people, . . . women at the Mothers To Mothers-To-Be Clinic are working to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their unborn children. Mothers who have been through the program help HIV-positive mothers who are now pregnant and need guidance and strength from someone who has walked in their shoes.
The women and staff at Mothers To Mothers-To-Be, including Robin Smalley, who is here with us today, are -- were a wonderful host to me. Where is Robin? Oh, good -- right on the very front row. Hey, Robin. (Laughter.) ...
[Introduces President. Applause.]
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. How about my line of work, where you get introduced by your wife? (Laughter.) ...
[Thanks at least ten people, ad nauseum, some of whom have done a "heck of a job."]
Today, with people around the world, not just here in America, but all around the world, 40 million -- we turn our thoughts to the more than 40 million men, women, and children who are living with HIV. That's what World AIDS Day is all about. ...
Here in the United States, over a million of our citizens face this chronic condition. At the start of this century, AIDS causes suffering from remote villages of Africa to the heart of America's big cities. This danger is multiplied by indifference and complacency. This danger will be overcome by compassion, honesty, and decisive action. ...
We [Americans] are guided by the conviction of our founding -- that the Author of Life has endowed every life with matchless value.
HIV/AIDS remains a special concern in the gay community. ...
We're working with our partners to expand prevention efforts that emphasize abstinence, being faithful in marriage, and using condoms correctly. This strategy -- pioneered by Africans -- has proven its effectiveness, and America stands behind the ABC approach to prevention. (Applause.) ...
Wowzers, did he say "gay" and "comdoms"?!? And "Author of Life"? The ABC approach as "decisive action"? Wait, Africans "pioneered" an ideology from missionaries and fundamentalists imposed upon them by colonial and post-colonial frameworks of inherently always and already unequal power structures because they didn't even know they were making a choice? Oh, right, now I remember. I still can't really tell you what Worlds Aids Day is about.
But I know everything is light and fluffy. So comforting to know it's all bright and beautiful everywhere, um, not just in America, but all over the whole wide world. (Laughter. Applause.)
The New York Times (Online) lead editorial, responding to Bush's "National Strategy for Victory in Iraq," concludes: "A president who seems less in touch with reality than Richard Nixon needs to get out more."
So I went to the White House webpage. What is going on? Apart from the NSVI, I was relieved to learn that the White House is "Celebrating 'All Things Bright and Beautiful' throughout the holiday season." How sweet. Somewhere below was a link for World Aids Day 2005 that trumpeted all of our American contributions. (These would be basically non-existent compared to the defense budget, but it doesn't say that. Wouldn't want any "perspective.") In a transcript President and Mrs. Bush "discuss" World Aids Day (actual quotes below):
MRS. BUSH: Good morning, everyone. Good morning and thank you all very, very much for joining us on this important day, World AIDS Day. ...
In July I visited three countries in Africa, and there I met people, . . . women at the Mothers To Mothers-To-Be Clinic are working to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to their unborn children. Mothers who have been through the program help HIV-positive mothers who are now pregnant and need guidance and strength from someone who has walked in their shoes.
The women and staff at Mothers To Mothers-To-Be, including Robin Smalley, who is here with us today, are -- were a wonderful host to me. Where is Robin? Oh, good -- right on the very front row. Hey, Robin. (Laughter.) ...
[Introduces President. Applause.]
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. How about my line of work, where you get introduced by your wife? (Laughter.) ...
[Thanks at least ten people, ad nauseum, some of whom have done a "heck of a job."]
Today, with people around the world, not just here in America, but all around the world, 40 million -- we turn our thoughts to the more than 40 million men, women, and children who are living with HIV. That's what World AIDS Day is all about. ...
Here in the United States, over a million of our citizens face this chronic condition. At the start of this century, AIDS causes suffering from remote villages of Africa to the heart of America's big cities. This danger is multiplied by indifference and complacency. This danger will be overcome by compassion, honesty, and decisive action. ...
We [Americans] are guided by the conviction of our founding -- that the Author of Life has endowed every life with matchless value.
HIV/AIDS remains a special concern in the gay community. ...
We're working with our partners to expand prevention efforts that emphasize abstinence, being faithful in marriage, and using condoms correctly. This strategy -- pioneered by Africans -- has proven its effectiveness, and America stands behind the ABC approach to prevention. (Applause.) ...
Wowzers, did he say "gay" and "comdoms"?!? And "Author of Life"? The ABC approach as "decisive action"? Wait, Africans "pioneered" an ideology from missionaries and fundamentalists imposed upon them by colonial and post-colonial frameworks of inherently always and already unequal power structures because they didn't even know they were making a choice? Oh, right, now I remember. I still can't really tell you what Worlds Aids Day is about.
But I know everything is light and fluffy. So comforting to know it's all bright and beautiful everywhere, um, not just in America, but all over the whole wide world. (Laughter. Applause.)
Posted 01 December 2005 at 23:55.
A graduate student in music and anthropology writing a dissertation about music in Moravia, the eastern third of the Czech Republic. At some point, the Czech Republic's "second city" (that would be Brno) captured my attention, and I've since been blogging about events, arts, music, and other stuff—basically whatever interests me in and around the cityscape. I'm not living in Brno now, but I keep up with the cultural pulse from afar as best I can.
Comments:
We could ask what drugs Our Leader is on. Maybe Prozac? (Then again, what has he got to be depressed about, other than being himself and being part of the Bush family?)
I'm tired of hearing about abstinence. Are these abstinence advocates abstinent? (new tonguetwister there) Do they use condoms when they aren't abstinent? I could go on. I will refrain.
11:12 AM, December 02, 2005
Speaking of abstinence, I just read that according to Stekel, suicide is merely an extreme consequence of it.
5:32 PM, December 02, 2005
40 million what? who?
11:37 PM, December 04, 2005
Are there only 40 million?
9:25 AM, December 05, 2005
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