[alicebot-aiethics] good point

[Christopher Fahey]

> 
> I can't say enough how glad I am that the guy I voted for 
> didnt get elected, and that George Bush did!  I was wrong, 
> and I admit it. But now, I feel like I understand what others 
> were saying at the time of the election, that I either failed 
> to hear, or failed to understand.

I dunno, I don't think things would have occurred very differently if
Gore were president. What Bush has done well lately is build consensus -
with America, with Congress, with the world. His course of action is not
all that radical - obviously this attack had everyone thinking the same
thing from the minute they saw those towers burning. Mainstream
Republican and Democrat foreign policy are pretty similar (with the
exception that Republicans tend to lean only slightly towards not
getting involved in smaller conflicts). In particular the Colin Powell
world view is pretty mainstream in foreign policy circles, and in this
unprecedented national trauma a Democratic administration would probably
pretty much follow the same actions exactly - build a coalition, use
diplomacy and caution, and back it all up with a concrete threat of
retribution. Bush is wise to heed the words of Powell versus the words
of Rumsfeld, Hatch, Armey, etc. I'm glad Bush was careful enough to not
bomb Afghanistan the very next day, as some prominent national figures
had either urged or hinted at last week. 

Ralph Nader was right about one thing: the election wasn't Jesse Helms
vs. Jerry Garcia or anything. In times of crisis like this, it's good
that our two parties are on the same page about the really important
stuff.


> I think a lot of people share with me in this realization 
> that the events of the past election didn't tear our country 
> apart, because this is a democracy. Even though we disagreed, 
> that was okay, we are Americans and we are free to think and 
> say whatever we want, in peace.

I agree with this entirely. A close election doesn't mean squat in a
country where deep down we all believe in pretty much the same thing -
freedom of thought and peace on earth.

-Cf


> -----Original Message-----
> From: alicebot-aiethics-admin@list.alicebot.org 
> [mailto:alicebot-aiethics-admin@list.alicebot.org] On Behalf 
> Of Robby Garner
> Sent: Friday, September 21, 2001 9:31 AM
> To: alicebot-aiethics@list.alicebot.org
> Subject: Re: [alicebot-aiethics] good point
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LilBwana wrote:
> > 
> > "I wish he would talk to America as if we were over 8 years old."
> > 
> >  -Cf
> > [christopher eli fahey]
> > 
> >         As opposed to Al Gore who would treat us all as if 
> we were 2 
> > years old.
> 
> LOL! ;-)
> 
> I can't say enough how glad I am that the guy I voted for 
> didnt get elected, and that George Bush did!  I was wrong, 
> and I admit it. But now, I feel like I understand what others 
> were saying at the time of the election, that I either failed 
> to hear, or failed to understand.
> 
> I think a lot of people share with me in this realization 
> that the events of the past election didn't tear our country 
> apart, because this is a democracy. Even though we disagreed, 
> that was okay, we are Americans and we are free to think and 
> say whatever we want, in peace.
> 
> I'm so glad that "W" was chosen, I am glad that I have been 
> proven wrong! ;-)
> 
> God bless America,
> 
> Robby.
> 
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