so i've been a little out of touch with the news. my online access is limited and since we left aktobe i can't watch any news in a language that i know. but today i had some extra time so i surfed around some news sites and blogs. here are some brief political thoughts from a guy who is basically out of touch:
(a) why do conservatives completely shit their pants whenever there is even an attempt at terrorism? the failed underwear bombing was almost two weeks ago and they're still flipping out about it. the bottom line is that, even if it had worked, it would not have been a very effective attack. taking down a single passenger get would be a horrible tragedy, but it would be rather pathetic in terms of bringing down american imperial power. it doesn't even have the symbolic effect of a WTC or pentagon attack. the idea that we should chuck out our entire legal system because of such a pathetic attempt, and an attempt that failed, is completely absurd. and yet, that's what the folks on the right seem to be doing, at least the people posting over at the national review site. are they really so easily frightened? or are they pretending to be complete cowards to make some political hay?
(b) i just don't see the massive losses for democrats that everyone seems to be predicting in the upcoming congressional election. yes, the dems will probably lose some seats. that's what always happens in off-year elections. with only a handful of exceptions, the party with the white house loses seats in the mid-terms. that's just how things work. but there is no real chance of republicans getting a majority in either chamber. i don't get why something this normal is being treated like some looming calamity for the democrats.
(c) along those lines, why is everyone considering chris dodd's retirement to be a bad thing for democrats? connecticut is a pretty blue state these days, the biggest risk for the dems would be for the scandal-ridden dodd to run again. from where i sit (and admittedly kazakhstan is not the best seat), having a different democrat run for the seat increases the chances that the democrats will hold onto it.
