Women in Politics

It's not difficult to see where the stereotypes and poor understanding of the world beyond U.S. shores comes from. It almost seems as though watching CNN might alone be enough!

Discussing the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, Wolf Blitzer said this morning that she was a rarity because in the Muslim world it's difficult for a woman to reach the level of politics that she achieved.

While it's true that radical Islam is not really not a friend of women's rights, it's worth remembering that Bhutto had been Prime Minister of her 'oppressive' Muslim country twice before the USA had even come close to electing even a female Speaker of the House. We have yet to have a female president, and if Clinton does not achieve success in 2008 it's difficult to see when that might happen.

Perhaps it's not just in Muslim countries where women find it difficult to rise in politics?

Very, Very Sad

Farenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury is often described as a book about censorship, but that is not truly accurate. It's a book about apathy, indifference, and how persons in power can use those attitudes to their advantage. If the government is censoring something that no one is interested in seeing in the first place, what are they doing wrong?

One awfully prophetic passage in the novel has the fire captain explaining the justification for burning books to Montag, the protaganist:

"If you don't want a man unhappy politically, don't give him two sides to a question to worry him; give him one. Better yet, give him none. Let him forget there is such a thing as war. If the government is inefficient, top-heavy and tax mad, better it be all those than that people worry over it. Peace, Montag. Give the people contests they win by remembering the words to more popular songs or the names of state capitals..."

Oh dear. Thank you Fox!

Health Care

One of the most common and easiest criticisms of Michael Moore is that he frequently shows one person or case that supports his point of view, and acts as though that proves the wider point. Frankly, this is actually true; he does do that, quite a lot.

In Sicko, Moore travels to the U.K. and meets with some doctors and patients who are experiencing the National Health Service (NHS) first hand. Because these few people have no complaints, Moore concludes that everything is great, and clearly the stories of long waits for treatments, low-paid staff, and inadequate facilities are all bunk.

Having grown up in Britain, this view of the NHS is certainly rosier than that to which I am accustomed, and better than most Brits would probably hold.

But, if we ask whether that means most British people, knowing what they do about the NHS, would prefer to move to an American-style insurance system, the answer is obvious. Would they prefer 15-20% to be unable to receive treatment? Would they choose to deal with insurance claims, paying premiums, and risk denial of coverage due to existing conditions? Would they like to see their premiums rise, year after year, being able to do nothing about it? Would they want to swamped with ads for prescription drugs?

Even conservatives in Britain wouldn't make that choice - why would they?