... that obama's spiritual leader (who i firmly believe spoke Truth: hillary doesn't know what it is like to have dark skin, "our" foreign policy history in regards to south africa, hisoshima, nagasaki and palestine was/ is simply abhorable and does play a role in why america is so hated, and rich white people do run america - don't everyone know this??? ) is STILL being attacked and the media spin that followed may very well have destroyed obama... BUT the words of mccain's spiritual leader isn't even a blip on the radar.
let's look at what mccain's guide in all things spiritual has to say about islam - emphasis mine:
I cannot tell you how important it is that we understand the true nature of Islam, that we see it for what it really is. In fact, I will tell you this: I do not believe our country can truly fulfill its divine purpose until we understand our historical conflict with Islam. I know that this statement sounds extreme, but I do not shrink from its implications. The fact is that America was founded, in part, with the intention of seeing this false religion destroyed, and I believe September 11, 2001, was a generational call to arms that we can no longer ignore.
but, wait! there's MORE!
even COLUMBUS was out to rid the world of islam!
and then there's this:
There are some, of course, who will say that the violence I cite is the exception and not the rule. I beg to differ. I will counter, respectfully, that what some call "extremists" are instead mainstream believers who are drawing from the well at the very heart of Islam.
yeah, that's all lovey dovey talk, isn't it? that parsley is a real sweetheart. and that line of thinking surely will do nothing but enrich the bridges we are currently building (i mean, bombing) in nations where islam is the religion. not to mention, there isn't a lick of truth to what he says. want more?
that's right. i don't trust suits. you have your stereotypes, i have mine. granted, mine are deeply rooted in opposite land - as it would appear from my social psychology course this term.
but it digress.
suits.
i fully understand that in our culture the suit is a status symbol. for many an onlooker, it is the epicenter of what the aforementioned many deem to be a "success." if one wears a suit, it is understood that said suit wearer is dedicated, powerful, a good contributing member of society and is situated in a position far far "above" the majority of the world's citizens. or so he would like to think. seriously, friends - this little Gambling Project Smoke And Mirrors set-up we've created/"live" in is enormously clever.
now me, on the other hand...
i see a suit, and i immediately wonder how much of my money will be attempted to be coerced from me via fear talk and lies from the mouth of a yesman. line of work? doesn't matter. that really sounds more bitter than it is. it is just what it is.
exhibit a: click here. see? i'll take bets on whether that meeting is about saving you or i any money or grief. i don't trust suits.
and it is because of this that i realized what my off feeling was when i would see obama speak - the one that i had up until two nights ago when he was answering a question about education.
i don't remember all of the specifics, but he was answering it and talking about how parents need to be active in their children's lives also.
to which i replied, "what? what about single moms working three sorely underpaid back-breaking jobs to keep food in the house and only sees her kids for 2 hours a day?!" at the exact same time i was saying that to will - i also had that feeling - you know it - the i was wrong! he's yet another completely out-of-touch politician. and i voted for him.
no sooner were the words from lips when obama spoke again, about how we also needed to take into consideration, the struggle of the single mother...
hell. yeah.
and i FINALLY nailed down that "off" feeling.
obama doesn't seem like he should be wearing a suit.
obama isn't a suit.
as it stands, the majority of "us" thinks we MUST have a leader. and that's why i hope obama wins this game.
You are beyond wise. You are so smart, you're almost prophetic.
Your inner voice always speaks the truth, and you take the time to listen to it.
You are good at seeing who people are... including the darkness of others.
As a result, you tend to have a rather dark - yet realistic - outlook on life.
A: Carbon dioxide and other air pollution that is collecting in the atmosphere like a thickening blanket, trapping the sun's heat and causing the planet to warm up. Coal-burning power plants are the largest U.S. source of carbon dioxide pollution -- they produce 2.5 billion tons every year. Automobiles, the second largest source, create nearly 1.5 billion tons of CO2 annually.
Q: Is the earth really getting hotter?
A: Yes. Although local temperatures fluctuate naturally, over the past 50 years the average global temperature has increased at the fastest rate in recorded history. And experts think the trend is accelerating: the 10 hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990. Scientists say that unless we curb global warming emissions, average U.S. temperatures could be 3 to 9 degrees higher by the end of the century.
Q: Are warmer temperatures causing bad things to happen?
A: Global warming is already causing damage in many parts of the United States. In 2002, Colorado, Arizona and Oregon endured their worst wildfire seasons ever. The same year, drought created severe dust storms in Montana, Colorado and Kansas, and floods caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage in Texas, Montana and North Dakota. Since the early 1950s, snow accumulation has declined 60 percent and winter seasons have shortened in some areas of the Cascade Range in Oregon and Washington. Of course, the impacts of global warming are not limited to the United States. In 2003, extreme heat waves caused more than 20,000 deaths in Europe and more than 1,500 deaths in India. And in what scientists regard as an alarming sign of events to come, the area of the Arctic's perennial polar ice cap is declining at the rate of 9 percent per decade.
Q: Is global warming making hurricanes worse?
A: Global warming doesn't create hurricanes, but it does make them stronger and more dangerous. Because the ocean is getting warmer, tropical storms can pick up more energy and become more powerful. So global warming could turn, say, a category 3 storm into a much more dangerous category 4 storm. In fact, scientists have found that the destructive potential of hurricanes has greatly increased along with ocean temperature over the past 35 years.
Q: Is there really cause for serious concern?
A: Yes. Global warming is a complex phenomenon, and its full-scale impacts are hard to predict far in advance. But each year scientists learn more about how global warming is affecting the planet, and many agree that certain consequences are likely to occur if current trends continue. Among these:
1. Melting glaciers, early snowmelt and severe droughts will cause more dramatic water shortages in the American West.
2. Rising sea levels will lead to coastal flooding on the Eastern seaboard, in Florida, and in other areas, such as the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Warmer sea surface temperatures will fuel more intense hurricanes in the southeastern Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
4. Forests, farms and cities will face troublesome new pests and more mosquito-borne diseases.
5. Disruption of habitats such as coral reefs and alpine meadows could drive many plant and animal species to extinction.
Q: Could global warming trigger a sudden catastrophe?
A: Recently, researchers -- and even the U.S. Defense Department -- have investigated the possibility of abrupt climate change, in which gradual global warming triggers a sudden shift in the earth's climate, causing parts of the world to dramatically heat up or cool down in the span of a few years.
Q: What country is the largest source of global warming pollution?
A: The United States. Though Americans make up just 4 percent of the world's population, we produce 25 percent of the carbon dioxide pollution from fossil-fuel burning -- by far the largest share of any country. In fact, the United States emits more carbon dioxide than China, India and Japan, combined. Clearly America ought to take a leadership role in solving the problem. And as the world's top developer of new technologies, we are well positioned to do so -- we already have the know-how.
Q: How can we cut global warming pollution?
A: It's simple: By reducing pollution from vehicles and power plants. Right away, we should put existing technologies for building cleaner cars and more modern electricity generators into widespread use. We can increase our reliance on renewable energy sources such as wind, sun and geothermal. And we can manufacture more efficient appliances and conserve energy.
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