Some random thoughts on the world scene as we recover from the most exciting UT game I’ve ever attended.
The “Memogate” scandal has clearly given CBS and Dan Rather a black eye. Virtually all experts not employed by CBS agree that the documents are bogus. Using forged documents in a news report will always do damage to one’s credibility, especially when it was so obvious from the start that they were fake. Yet the network pushed ahead with the story anyway, which tells us much about how much they care about reporting the truth.
Some have argued that Rather knew the documents were fake before hand. No one really knows, so it is possible. But it appears more likely that he simply jumped on the story without bothering to fully investigate, probably because he saw it as an opportunity to get Bush, something Rather would love to do (“getting the scoop” also played a roll). Now CBS is rightfully suffering for their bogus story. It’s hard to imagine that anyone could argue that a liberal bias was not at least partially responsible for this debacle.
The fact that these questions were raised is the direct result of the internet phenomenon known as blogging. Blogs have not received a great deal of positive coverage from the mainstream media, but they are instrumental in breaking stories that much of the media would just assume ignore. They are often biased and partisan, but what media isn’t? (Shameless plug: I have a blog at http://johnnbrown.blogspot.com).
President Bush has opened up a lead in the polls, ranging from one point in the latest Pew Research poll to 13 points in the latest Gallup poll. Bush’s actual lead probably falls somewhere in between these numbers (probably around five or six points), but he now appears in a good position to win. More importantly, he is leading in key swing states, like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Florida. Of course, the election is not held today, and there is still plenty that could happen before November 2. Still, Bush’s chances now look much brighter than they did a month ago.
I know that it is not politically correct to ask this, but I’m just wondering… Does anyone really believe that Osama bin Laden (if he is still alive) is hiding out in a cave somewhere praying that John Kerry does not get elected commander-in-chief?
The world has avoided the crisis in the Sudan for far too long. It is in this country that genocide is being practiced against the black African south, and slavery is still alive and well. The U.N. Security Council has finally acted, threatening sanctions if Darfur does not address the situation. Unfortunately, four countries abstained, and one is threatening a veto of any further resolutions that involve sanctions. In light of this, it is hard to see how the U.N.’s threat will be taken seriously by the regime. How effective this threat is in stopping the humanitarian crisis in Sudan will illustrate the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of the United Nations. All decent people hope that the U.N.’s action will be enough.
Third party candidate Ralph Nader’s attempts to get on the ballot in certain states have been challenged by Democrats, who do not want him siphoning off Kerry votes, as he siphoned off Gore votes in 2000. While it is understandable why they are doing this, it is also extremely undemocratic. Obviously, they do not trust the American people to make the correct decision. Elitism is alive and well in the Democratic Party, which apparently has ceased to be democratic.
Vladimir Putin has more in common with Stalin than with Yeltsin. The Russian president and former head of the KGB has done away with elections following the terror attacks on a Russian school. These attacks were unbelievably horrible, and highlight the need to continue fighting an aggressive war on terror. The murder of innocent schoolchildren shows the level of fanaticism in the enemies we face. Perhaps Russia will now be more supportive of America’s position.
However, is should not happen at the expense of liberty and freedom in Russia. With each passing day, “Mother Russia” slips closer and closer to an outright dictatorship. Putin continues to commit crimes against humanity, and stifle dissent. He is a tyrant, not a friend of his people.
As more hurricanes pummel the coast, it is necessary to keep those affected in our thoughts and prayers. Americans are generous people, and we should offer a helping hand to our friends in Florida and Alabama in any way we can.
John Brown (www.johnnorrisbrown.com) is a senior in political science and history at the University of Tennessee @ Knoxville. Contact him at johnnyb325@aol.com. This column originally appeared in the September 21, 2004 edition of The Daily Beacon entitled "Columnist recounts random musings," available here.