A Great Day for Iraq

Only a die-hard Bush hater could not call this weekend's elections in Iraq a victory for democracy and the Iraqi people. Expatriates were voting this weekend around the world with tears in their eyes, saying they now know what freedom really means.

I strongly supported invading Iraq, but not for the reasons you may think. Islamic fundamentalism is the evil of our age as communism was to our parents and the Third Reich was to our grandparents. There are many causes of militant Islam, all of which I won't get into here, but the core is virtually every Middle Eastern country except Israel is run by an autocracy or theocracy. The world's Muslims, except for those who live in countries like the U.S., do not have democratic governments or a democratic press. Living conditions are execrable -- education is non-existent and community leaders, often paid by their governments, routinely blame society's ills on America or Zionist causes. Women are often treated worse than animals.

Iraq was clearly one of those countries, and it was run by a madman who had gassed thousands of his own people, started wars with two of his neighbors and tortured and murdered many, many more. In fact, Saddam Hussein probably killed more Muslims than anyone else in recent history. I understand when people said they were against invading Iraq, but I always ask them: So you'd rather have Saddam Hussein back in power?

No, I supported the Iraq war because I believe that, if done right, we could set up a democratic government in the heart of the Arab world. And once that government gains a foothold, the ripple effect would be tremendous. Middle Easterners would stop worrying about ways to destroy America and Israel and start thinking about ways to make their countries better. They would start demanding the same rights that Iraqis have. With the freedom democracy brings, a mullah's call for holy war and suicidal/homicidal jihad would have far less appeal to a drifting young Muslim male than the opportunity to change his country for the better, or even the desire to make a lot of money for himself.

It has pained me to see how badly the Bush Administration has bungled Iraq since winning the war. The criticisms -- from not enough boots on the ground to restoring basic necessities like electricity to underestimating terrorist resistance to the occupation -- are all valid and on-point. Thousands of our troops and Iraqis have died, almost all at the hands of terrorists who have no doubt been egged on by the mullahs and leaders I have just discussed.

But in the midst of the chaos there is real hope in the form of these elections. This is the seed that can do so much to help end the scourge of home-grown terrorism in the Middle East. Ironically, even the terrorists in Iraq know how much is at stake here. This is the "Freedom" part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Voting in Iraq will surely not be easy, but I anticipate that turnout will be better than we all think.

Several people have drawn a parallel between Iraq and El Salvador. El Salvador was in the middle of a civil war in the early 1980s and rebels were routinely blowing up utilities and murdering civilians. As the first election day (helped, in part, by the U.S.) approached, the rebels threatened death to anyone who voted. But turnout on election day was over 80% despite random attacks on polling places. Turnout at the next election was even higher as the people understood that the rebels were not promoting any method other than violence, and today the rebels have vanished and El Salvador is a fully democratic country.

Even if there is a good turnout, will Iraq change overnight? Of course not. It takes a while for the roots of democracy to grow. But this will begin the first steps to an Iraqi representative government and constitution, and spur the rest of the Middle East to start demanding the same rights from their leaders who were never elected.

Ding Dong - Mike Powell is Gone!

My grandmother, a classy British lady still spry at 86, has a saying that goes, "Good riddance to bad rubbish." It was my first polite thought when I heard FCC Chairman Michael Powell was stepping down. My personal opinion is more Americanized: Don't let the door hit your fat ass on the way out.

There are moralizing demagogues on both sides of the political aisle. The politically correct ultra-left and moralizing religious right have much in common, although they'll never admit it. One of their paranoid goals is to eviscerate any democratic dialogue they disagree with or that fails to conform to their personal standards, and with Michael Powell they found a champion. Powell will go down in history as a case study of how nepotism and government censorship can produce a completely unqualified candidate who was unable to fairly oversee the nation's airwaves. He is a man who over-regulated free speech that offended very few and under-regulated media conglomerates to stifle small business.

Powell's first megablunder -- appointing himself censorship police, judge and jury -- are completely at odds with his first news conference, where he declared the public and sponsors should decide what is on the airwaves without government watchdogs. His draconian indecency enforcement, the rules of which were never defined, have broadcasters running scared when they should have the First Amendment to protect them. When network TV affiliates in major markets are unable to show "Saving Private Ryan" because they fear the FCC fines, you have a government agency out of control. When a popular broadcaster like Howard Stern is called indecent because one organization with a minute membership writes thousands of identical form letters, you have a bureaucracy that fails to account for the public's preferences. And when Powell holds the NFL and CBS responsible for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction" and uses it as a springboard to launch a morality and censorship crusade, you have everything a Republican pro-individual administration should not be - injecting the government and it's (not your) standards into what you should listen to and what is acceptable.

It's bad enough I have so-called peaceniks and preachers telling me what should and should not be allowed on the airwaves. Thank God and our founding fathers we have the First Amendment, which saves these pundits from any lawsuits I could file because I'm offended by what they say. I find Michael Moore and Michael Savage offensive, but I'm not going to ask the government to say they are because I, like most fourth graders, understand that free speech is free speech. Too bad the guy in charge of our public airwaves doesn't.

Powell's other megablunder is deregulating the media companies to an extreme, stifling competition and giving consumers almost no choice in where to get the entertainment they want. Now I am not a regulation hawk. I understand that regulations can stifle innovation and overburden companies that need to turn profits for their employees and investors. But even conservatives like William Safire are alarmed at how Powell has opened the floodgates and made it virtually impossible for smaller and independent media companies to exist in the current climate of mega-corporations and mergers.

It is vital to capitalism and democracy that people have a choice of where and how they get their information. Monopolies aren't fair in baseball and they're not fair in other businesses. It's well-known that Clear Channel is an entertainment juggernaut that has monopoly control over radio stations, entertainment venues and TV stations across the country. How can a small, independent business compete against it? Powell's do-nothing preferences here speak volumes.

As happy as I am to see him go, don't be complacent. Many on the FCC applaud Powell's views, especially how he can define his vague "decency" notions for the country. It's almost certain his successor will continue his views.

But for now, good riddance.

God Bless American Idol

I do hope you're tuning in to watch the best TV of the year -- the open audition casting calls for American Idol.

For all who have suffered while being forced to listen to a tone deaf family member or drunken karaoke warbler who loudly declared they were God's gift to music, this is payback time.

For those of you have suffered by the off-key screeching of people who are oblivious to their monumental lack of talent, your wounds will now heal.

And for anyone who has suffered in silence while others around you, either kind-hearted or seriously misjudged, offered further encouragement to these so-called singers, sit back and enjoy while all these hacks get ripped a new asshole and make complete fools of themselves before the biggest audience they could ever wish for.

99% of American Idol's success is due to Simon Cowell, who has probably never sung a note in his life but is dead-on accurate in predicting beauty school or cruise ship fates for those who think becoming the next Mariah Carey requires no vocal lessons or practice. His honesty makes him both loved (by me) and hated (by many others), but he happens to almost always be absolutely right.

Some say that ridiculing these people is cruel theater. Of course it is. But it's also extremely funny. Who couldn't laugh when that Mary Roach ("Scary Mary") proceeded to completely destroy a Carole King standard, dance worse than me, tell the judges she had voices talking to her in her head, and then completely ignore their feedback and scream that all her friends said she was a great singer? I laughed so hard I almost had to run to the bathroom.

Reality TV is not the end of creativity. This is delusional people MEETING reality. Now that's entertaining. It's Must-See TV!

John Kerry -- Crybaby?

John Kerry really came across like sour grapes today when he shamelessly used Martin Luther King Day to whine about alleged voter suppression. Of course, Kerry didn't (or couldn't) specify any evidence to support his claim. If this is true, why did he agree with his legal team and secede the race the following day? Whining about these things after you lost the election doesn't make him sound genuous or gracious in defeat.

John Kerry lost the election because he was a terrible candidate that didn't arouse passion in anyone except Democratic partisans. Bush was the most beatable incumbent president in my lifetime and the election was Kerry's to lose. He lost, notably because he lacked the character and passion of a true leader like Dr. King. End of story.

Alberto Gonzales - No Del Voto

I'm feeling pretty political today since this is my third political post in an hour. Like most of America, not to mention the Bush Administration, I was no fan of outgoing Attorney General John Ashcroft. Remember how he couldn't beat a dead person in his 2000 senatorial election?

So he leaves and everyone is happy. Now this guy Alberto Gonzales has been nominated and should be America's next top lawyer. After viewing part of his confirmation hearings, I am extremely disappointed with this choice. While Gonzales does not have a religious morality chip on his shoulder, it appears he had no problem with green lighting torture and harsh interrogation techniques that were on display at Abu Ghraib and other places.

You don't need me to tell you that what happened at Abu Ghraib was vile and has seriously undermined our efforts in Iraq throughout the world. It doesn't matter that we still treated our prisoners better than Saddam Hussein did -- Gonzales intentionally skewed the Geneva Conventions and made us appear no better than the deposed dictator.

The FBI and the military investigations have said these techniques Gonzales greenlighted were improper. The Supreme Court has ruled indefinite detention without a trial or right to counsel is wrong. Whoever approved these changes has no business enforcing the Constitution of the United States.

I didn't see the entire Senate hearings, but Gonzales gave poor answers to easy questions, even from Republicans. He condoned torture but made no excuses for his misjudgements before. Is this the person we want representing America to the world, especially if we have extensive diplomacy to accomplish during the next four years?

Gonzales is certainly not a bad candidate -- his rags to riches story is inspiring and Hispanics should take great pride in his nomination. If he is confirmed, he will further enrich the most racially diverse Cabinet in American history. But a vote for him is a vote for the techniques that were on ugly display in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. I'm not a senator, but I will be writing both of mine and telling them I cannot approve of his nomination.

Gay Marriage -- Yawn

Full disclosure: I live in Massachusetts, currently the only state where gay marriage is legal. Opponents made a big deal about this the first few days it was enacted, but since then it's fallen off the radar screen. My guess is when they saw the sun rise the next day and saw that their own marriages didn't really get undermined by some couples in Provincetown and Northampton, they settled down.

Now an article in today's Boston Globe (1/18/05) shows that their one trump card -- a state constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage -- is on the rocks because of the turnover at the state house. A few gay marriage opponents left office or were voted out (although I doubt for that reason) and now those opponents doubt they have the votes. Even Governor Mitt Romney has barely brought it up since he realized that most state residents just plain don't care.

Massachusetts is a "blue state" but exhibits that New England trait of strong individualism and personal independence that non-residents don't grasp. Regardless of political affiliation, most people here consider gay marriage a non-issue. Quite a few wondered what all the fuss was about.

We're Invading Iran! Wait, Never Mind

The mainstream media and partisan blogs are all over the supposed scoop from Seymour Hersh's imminent Iran invasion. If I was a gambling man, which I occasionally am, I'd bet about $150 that this is what the administration is called a "controlled leak." That is, somebody at the Pentagon WANTED to get this news out, regardless of whether it's true or not.

Are plans to invade Iran or undermine the fundamentalist theocracy that runs it around? You bet, just as there are plans to do the same to North Korea, Cuba, Somalia, France and a slew of other nations, regardless of whom is president. You need to have these plans ready to go. When we were attacked on 9/11, there was undoubtedly a finished plan to attack Afghanistan that just needed to be updated and enacted.

So why was it leaked? Let's step back for a minute and look at Iran. A fundamentalist theocracy, perhaps the most rigid in the Middle East, that makes no bones about supporting terrorism. Undoubtedly trying to undermine the situation in Iraq, either through monetary support or arms smuggling, likely to militias. It's run by a group of mullahs who hate not just the U.S. but also democracy, and have repeatedly shot down popular votes, democratic overtures and jailed pro-democracy dissidents. And a nation with humongous reserves of oil, but who claims to be pursuing nuclear technology for "peaceful and energy purposes." If you believe that last line, would you like to buy this bridge, sir?

The memo was just that -- a shot across Iran's bow, reminding its government that we're not fooled by their lies about nuclear energy. Any effort to help the fledgling democratic movement in Iran, whose people have suffered for years and who wildly hate their rulers, are welcome. Here's hoping this controlled leak and this month's Iraqi elections do just that.

Murder on Cape Cod - Hand Over Your DNA!

It's certainly not comforting to the residents of Truro, Mass., a tiny Cape Cod vacation hamlet, that a murderer resides among them. Three years ago a woman was killed in an unsolved mystery, and the police found male DNA uh, "residue" by her body. But it is comforting to learn that calls for all male residents of the town to turn in a DNA sample have been largely met with derision by the small town's populace. Right now the DNA recall is voluntary, as it should be. But even small rural towns in blue states show that Americans are aware of their sixth and seventh amendment rights, not to mention the myriad privacy and legal quagmires this brings up.

Now if you're not guilty, why not hand over a DNA sample if you have nothing to hide? You certainly can if you're comfortable doing that. But many residents have gone on record saying it reminds them of "Stalin's secret police." What happens to the sample if it doesn't match the crime scene? The police say they will destroy them, but that hasn't stopped the queasy feeling among residents that the whole process crosses the lines of invasiveness, privacy and desperation.

If this murder was committed in a large city and the police found a DNA sample that they could tell was an African American male, and they then stopped African American males on the street to voluntarily donate DNA samples, there would be a huge, appropriate backlash. That would be the right reaction there and it's the right reaction here.

If you do commit a crime, the police should certainly take a DNA sample just as they take fingerprints. But that is when you've been arrested and charged with criminal wrongdoing. Unless you live in a country where there is the equivalent of Stalin's secret police, your DNA is your business.

My Wade Boggs Tribute

Wade Boggs is in the Hall of Fame. I will always remember Wade quite fondly because it brings back some of my earliest days at Fenway. In fact, I remember it as if it was yesterday....(cue flashback music).

It was springtime 1988. I had arrived in Boston last fall and was about to embark on my first Fenway ball game. We got good bleacher seats, which cost $6 in those days. It was sometime in April and I think the Orioles were in town.

But there was a buzz in the air. Just a few days ago, the story had broke that Boggs had cheated on his wife and some woman had filed a palimony suit against him. The hoity-toity sports columnists said such behavior was unbecoming a Red Sox star and Boggs should be traded. It was a fortunate case of good timing that we happened to be going to the ballpark that day. What would happen when Boggs came to bat? How would the hometown crowd treat him?

Going through the Gate C turnstiles, we could hear snatches of conversation around us. It was all: Boggs, Boggs, affair, Boggs. When they announce the lineups, Boggs gets a mixed reception, maybe a few more boos than cheers. True to 1988 Boston management style, the hit machine bats third that day.

When Boggs comes up to bat, the crowd starts murmuring. Remember this is my first time in the bleachers and the crowd is somewhere between the Star Wars cantina and Hogs and Heifers before the Upper West Side started going there. But then, a bunch of about 10 inebriated guys behind us start this chant that has since been etched into my brain. With one hand holding their beers and the other cupped around their mouths they yell out:"DON'T TRADE WADE BECAUSE HE GOT LAID!!!!!"

People laugh. But others start chanting it as the drunkards repeat their plea. It starts getting louder:

"DON'T TRADE WADE BECAUSE HE GOT LAID!!!!!!!!!!"

By the time Boggs is up to his sixth or seventh pitch, the whole bleachers section is screaming it.

"DON'T TRADE WADE BECAUSE HE GOT LAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Boggs swings the bat and, true to form, knocks a single off the wall. Everyone is happy. Every time he comes up to bat, and a couple of other times when he's involved in a play, the chant starts again. Naturally, the expensive seats never join the bleachers' call to action. A couple weeks later Wade and his wife go on TV and he announces he's addicted to sex. Well, what guy isn't?

And even Nomar would laugh at Boggs' weird rituals. He made a chai symbol in the ground every time he was in the on deck circle. Boggs is not a Jew. He also ate chicken before every game. Every day he would arrive at Fenway the same time, take BP at the same time, and ran sprints at the same time.

Another Boston management gem: In 1991 Boggs had his first sub-.300 year. Management declared him washed up, even though the Sox finished last that year under the immortal manager Butch Hobson. Boggs signed with NY and returned to All-Star form. In fact, I think he won his Gold Gloves as a Yankee. He rode the police horse during the 1996 World Series win (the horse, thankfully, did not trigger Boggs' sex addiction). I remember him saying, "Ten years ago this slipped through my fingers. It's not going to slip through my fingers again." Oooooooooohhhh, that hurt!

Some hoity-toity sports columnist, probably the same one who said he could be traded, once mentioned that Boggs could have hit way more home runs and RBIs than he did. Actually, I think that's true, especially at Fenway. A lefty with his power and hitting skills could easily hit more than 20 dingers each season, but he probably didn't want to hurt his average. Ironically, his stats and OBP would be perfect for Boy Theo right now.

But I'm happy for Wade. And Wade, I was one of the ones who begged the Red Sox:

DON'T TRADE WADE BECAUSE HE GOT LAID!

About Me and Why I Started This Blog

I am a 35-year-old middle class American. I live and work in the suburbs, not far from a major city. I am married, have two children, and want to buy a house. I must raise my children in a world checkered by temptation and terrorism.

But according to the media, pundits, and pollsters, my problems are average. My advancing age means advertisers and marketing mavens are no longer interested in me. In a culture where old age is becoming the norm and social security is dwindling, they could not care less about me.

I must be right-wing or left-wing, conservative or liberal, red-state or blue-state. I am with the president or against the president. I must conform to be part of the crowd. I must contribute money to be heard by my elected representatives. I must watch Fox News or CNN.

But my political views are complex. I am not shoehorned into a compatible demographic. I vote on issues that are more important for my country than me. I am a social libertarian and fiscal conservative, which places me nowhere in this country’s main political parties. Because I am not a partisan, because I don’t agree with Ann Coulter or Michael Moore, because I have the nerve to be – independent – my voice seems unheeded and unwanted.

I am writing this on the last day of 2004. This has been a watershed year for me and the world. The world and I sit on the dawn of opportunity with an unknown road before us. I often marvel how random paths and encounters dramatically shift my life, and how so much of what happens to me I have no control over. I constantly ponder how I can improve myself. I often question if I’m passionate in my career. I am forced to balance my dreams with reality.

But no matter how much I question everything, I do not regret my decisions. I would rather regret the things I’ve done than the things I didn’t do. I know questioning and second guessing is human nature and I do not have all the answers. Some answers I will never know, but knowing how much I have to learn is the first step to becoming a better person.

I know there are many, many others like myself. Even if they don’t agree with everything I say or think, I know they are reading this with silent acknowledgement. That’s what keeps me optimistic and grounded at the same time. I have witnessed and experienced wonderful and terrible events, as has everyone. That has given me a sense of perspective. And for a long time, I had considered collecting my thoughts on these personal matters and world affairs and publishing them somewhere.

Of course, you can’t get hired without experience and you can’t get experience without being hired. So I am publishing them here, for now. This blog is for me and fulfilling a couple of my dreams. If it becomes popular I will be happy. But if nobody reads it, or the readership is confined to friends and family, I will still be happy because I have accomplished my primary goal.

Unlike other bloggers, this blog is not my life. I have a regular job and workweek, and being a father is also a full-time job. I will also do my best not to keep everything as serious as this essay. I enjoy sports and other leisure activities, take vacations like everyone else, and sometimes will write about non-important issues. I want to make this enjoyable, entertaining and enlightening for everyone who reads it.

Hopefully, this blog will spur me – and you – to think more about why things are what they are. Why the world and life sometimes does not make sense. And to make another effort to act on our dreams and try to change what we have control over.