inkbluesky

Design by Robert Frost

I found a dimpled spider, fat and white,
On a white heal-all, holding up a moth
Like a white piece of rigid satin cloth–
Assorted characters of death and blight
Mixed ready to begin the morning right,
Like the ingredients of a witches' broth–
A snow-drop spider, a flower like a froth,
And dead wings carried like a paper kite.

What had that flower to do with being white,
The wayside blue and innocent heal-all?
What brought the kindred spider to that height,
Then steered the white moth thither in the night?
What but design of darkness to appall?–
If design govern in a thing so small.

The Politics of Definition

The indirect effects of the identity gap are even more pernicious than the direct effects and manifest themselves in several ways:

* First, Democratic leads in some traditionally strong Democratic areas, like the economy and jobs, are smaller than they should be both overall and among key target audiences. Lack of a clear Democratic identity in these areas keeps these leads down and reduces their general political effectiveness for the Democrats.

* Second, Democrats are not deriving as much political benefit as they should in areas where their leads are largest — health care, Social Security, the environment, etc. The identity problem thus prevents them from capitalizing in their strongest areas.

* Third, voters are not voting on Democratic issues as much as they presumably would be if they knew what Democrats were fighting for. Consequently, the GOP issue agenda tends to crowd out the Democratic agenda in voters’ minds.

* Fourth, Democrats’ ability to take on Republicans in their areas of strength like national security and moral values is hindered by the lack of any clear Democratic alternative or articulation of progressive values and policies in these areas. Perceptions of Democrats as “weak” or “indecisive” are not just about national-security positioning, but reflect a broader sense among voters that the Democratic opposition has no serious vision of how to deal with terrorism or with moral values. This is why, for example, despite voters’ profoundly negative views of the Iraq situation, and their belief that Bush and his party have no solution, voters still exhibit only a very slight preference for the Democrats on the issue.

In some ways this article is a cold slap in the face, yet it doesn't hurt to read about the perceptions that are out there. One thing I don't think the author takes enough note of is the incredible noise machine that the far right has been using for well over forty years to demonize their opponents in easily digested sound bites rather then going into depth on the issues. Not to mention the Swiftboating of politics, the politics of personal attacks based on spreading lies and rumors. And can a party whose leader's lies has caused so much harm to our national security really be trusted to protect America. CIA Official Reveals Bush, Cheney, Rice Were Personally Told Iraq Had No WMD in Fall 2002

DRUMHELLER: The policy was set. The war in Iraq was coming, and they were looking for intelligence to fit into the policy, to justify the policy.

People that lie and manipulate a nation into war are by definition not to be trusted with our national security.

Shedding light on call to ban bulb

Energy-saving light bulbs have been available for 30 years, and although they are quick and simple to use, require five times less electricity to do much the same job, cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60-70% and save users approximately £7 per bulb each year, they have not caught on.

In the UK alone, it has been estimated that the use of energy-saving light bulbs, in suitable applications, would reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere by 2.3 million tonnes per year (2.3 Mt CO2).

Such an annual saving would be equivalent to 8-21% of the emissions reduction the UK government has stated that it wants achieved by 2010.

Similarly, across Europe, new domestic, business and street lighting technologies could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 24 Mt CO2.