An Important (And Belated) Question

What are the long-term consequences of American unilateralism--namely, the willingness of President W. Bush to employ American military force unrestrained by international consensus or the United Nations?

The answer is increased global insecurity--no one knows who the US will decide to strike next. Additionally, the status quo rules for the use of armed force have changed. If it's acceptable for the US to pursue its interests abroad, unilaterally, using diplomatic, economic and military force to strong-arm lesser countries into compliance, then there is no moral ground to condemn countries such as Russia and China for doing the same. In fact, it's in their interest to cooperate, because the world's sole superpower is being downright bully-ish in pursuing its interests. And they can even use "security" and "combatting terrorism" to justify expansion into other spheres of influence.

The President's actions abroad (the global war on terror, the iraq war, ignoring the UN and global cooperation) and at home (encroachments on civil liberties and the right of habeas corpus, the Patriot Act, labeling dissidents as unpatriotic, labeling criticism as aiding and abetting the enemy) may not be actually immoral, unjustified, and a threat to human rights and the stability of the international community.

But they belong to--and by similarity tacitly lend approval to--the international rulebook of totalitarian and imperialistic government. They have placed the United States squarely into a moral grey and structural area where totalitarian states exercise military force to achieve their own interests unrestrained by the necessity of membership within an international community. In undermining the authority of international institutions like the United Nations and in ignoring treaty obligations, the cowboy president has made the world a distinctly less orderly, and potentially less peaceful, place.

This worries me in a world where basic democratic freedoms and institutions are disappearing under strongmen such as Hugo Chavez (yes, Steve, it does pain me to say it) and Vladimir Putin.

Something Good Comes of Westboro Baptist Church's World Renowned Asininity

http://godhatesfigs.com/

Download Four of My Brightest Diamonds

<a href="http://www.daytrotter.com/article/517/free-songs-my-brightest-diamond">here</a>

trippty My Brightest Diamond video

there's an awesome moment parsed throughout of some very poetic ballet on the beach...wait for sort of a stunning moment of silence about a third of the way in

for more, see Asthmatic Kitty records (Sufjan Stevens' label) or mybrightestdiamond.com

music for your morning

Yankee Bayonet by The Decemberists w/Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond.

When we saw this in concert, the introduction went along the lines of...

"This is a song song by a rebel soldier to his wife. He was stabbed by a yankee bayonet and is now a ghost, of course, because if he had survived and made his way home to his wife it would have a happy ending and thus not be a Decemberist song."

Always, always, always, always, always make sure you're on the correct side of the road

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoHOtB1TaUQ&mode=related&search=

here's a heart-restarted.  for another sobering thought, next time you see what seems like an overly harsh, brusque, demanding, unmerciful or physical police officer, <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3TDhgdwUeQ">this is why they can't be nice</a>.  Not for young eyes and ears. 

Eastern European Polka-Funk (Or, Music to Go Mad To)

wierdly awesome--scroll down and click on the song by "Gogol Bordello".

Climbing the World's Tallest Tree

http://img.youtube.com/vi/sIoZ0J7x1Cg/2.jpg

wow. 

Random Thought Day

1. Ben Folds is the man.

2. The Aviator is a bad movie to miss the first half hour of.

3. I wish I had a shotgun.

4. Just when you think you have one reliable, fun, open, and honest relationship in your life, your motorcycle goes and voids an entire tank of gas all over the porch for no apparent reason and [Newsies moment] "we're off/to the workbench again!"

5. Except I have no workbench. And no screwdrivers. And no can opener or spatula...I do really miss my housemates.

7. It's a beautiful day.

8. I'm watching "Brick" tonight.

Size Matters

Why European Cars shouldn't pull American Trailers. 

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xCf9rWQen6k