My world.(Elections and Afghanistan)
Current music: Coldplay "Don't Panic" (am I a dreamer?)
Well, I'm at work again. Sometimes it seems my life has become a balance of working, sleeping, eating and listening to the problems of others. Not that any of those are bad things, just I don't seem to actually get out and do anything else.
Well, it's been 3 weeks to the day since my last entry. Why? Realistically, because nothing worth reporting has happened - it's either unimportant, too personal, or whatever.
I was reading a discussion in someone else's journal about the honesty etc of livejournal - I mean, we write here, with the full knowledge that anyone we give this link to, or who stumbles upon it, will read what is here. So yes, when writing here, one does leave out some personal stuff, and does to some extent present for an audience. However, I agree with whoever said it's a release sometimes - I find it very constructive to work through my thoughts and read some of the replies I get.
The only things really worth emphasising that have come up over the last three weeks are generally:
(1) Australian election campaign. I believe strongly that electing Howard for a third term would be a disaster for Australia. We have a government who puts money above any kind of social program. While Labor are certainly not *good*, just *not as bad*, their social programs and policies are certainly superior to the Liberals', and at least if they get in, things will not get worse (even if they only get a little better).
(2) I've become more and more convinced that this bombing campaign on Afghanistan is both fruitless and morally wrong. I have nothing against the punishment of terrorists - in fact I hope they're made to face up to the terror - but by bombing, we are killing hundreds/thousands, making millions more hungry and homeless, and I heard today they *still* don't know where Bin Laden is. And they don't even know for sure he did it - all they can prove, from his own statements is that he agreed with the actions. The weak justification I've heard for the campaign that the above is enough, doesn't explain why the US and other Western countries seemingly have no problems with terrorist organisations in a range of other countries who have done dastardly deeds against civilisation.
I also firmly believe violence breeds violence. Anyone, it seems, who points out that past actions by the US and its allies in various parts of the world amounted to interference and possibly even terrorism, and that this may have led, amongst other things, to the terrorists feeling the way they do about US and its allies, is denounced. This "for us or against us" mentality belongs in the Stone Age.
I do not believe "the US brought it on itself", because those who died were civilians who didn't authorise and weren't involved in the actions committed overseas by their government. Because of voluntary voting, any administration elected in the US can only claim 20% of the population even voted for them in the polls. But I think it is short-sighted not to see that if US foreign policy had have respected the rights of other nations, the terrorists who attacked America might well have not become terrorists, or at least stayed within that region of the world.
(3) The US need to fix their phone system badly :) It was a great system when it was first developed in the 50s, but hasn't really been changed since then. Any system where three neighbours have three different area codes, mobile numbers look the same as local numbers, and people who are still trying to work out how to use ATMs and VCRs are being asked to dial 11 digit numbers to call people in their own area, needs a *lot* of work. Have a look at http://www.lincmad.com for some ideas.
Originally posted at personal LJ.