Friday, October 01, 2004
Frustrations.
There are times when I become frustrated at the lack of inspiration I feel. For a writer, this can be even more frustrating than it is for others. I have been doing a lot of reading these past few weeks and not a lot of writing. You would think with all the reading I do that I would feel more inspired to write... but no. *sigh*
I hope to get some writing in this weekend, but between plans with family and taking my car in, I don't know when I'll have time. My car is another frustration. I had taken it in a month ago to get a transmission fluid flush, and shortly after that, something started leaking from underneath the car. It's light pink in color and is under the hood by the driver's side. Today, while driving into work, my oil light came on whenever I braked and then would turn off again. I just had my oil changed a month ago as well and am only halfway mileage-wise to needing another one. I don't know what the deal is, but something isn't right. I hope I don't have to dish out more money on this stupid car. Said stupid car in a 1997 Dodge Neon with 114,000 miles. Maybe it's just getting close to the time when I'll have to buy a new car, but that means monthly car payments. *double sigh* With all the money talk that Erik and I have being doing recently, the last thing I want to deal with is having to dish out more money.
I swear that researchers don't get paid nearly enough. I, of course, knew this when I went into biology in college. Research is damn important, and so, why are we so underpaid? I'm not saying that I want to make the most money in the world, but it would be nice to make a bit more than I currently do.
Speaking of money, jobs, and such leads me to the state of the economy and how utterly depressing it is and has been during Bush's administration. My biggest problem with Bush, though, is the fact that he brought us to war with Iraq. I watched the presidential debates last night, and when he said that the enemy attacked us first, I was thinking, "It was Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan, not Saddam Hussein in Iraq!" From the moment Bush declared war on Iraq without the okay from the majority of the United Nations, he lost much of my respect and support. Yes, Hussein should have been removed from power. Yes, he had probably habored weapons of mass destruction and was lying. Yes, he is an evil man and probably fully supported the Sept. 11 attacks, but there were other ways in which Bush could have gone about dealing with Iraq. I think he jumped into war too quickly without fully thinking things through, perhaps not with a plan fully formed as to how we would help this other country or with any idea how costly, in both lives and dollars, this war would be. As a taxpayer, my money is paying for this war, and yet, where has the U.S. been to help other countries?
Bush kept saying last night the a free Iraq would be a good example to the rest of the world at just how well the U.S. can bring freedom and democracy to those countries who need it (or is that who we think need it when there's something in it for us?). I want to know what makes Bush think that the U.S. needs to stick its nose into the business of foreign countries when we might not even be wanted. I want to know why we haven't helped out other countries that might want our help... because we don't get something out of it. I think the major reason we're so interested in Iraq is because of oil. I want to know why we demand other countries get rid of their weapons of mass destruction when we haven't. Isn't that a bit hypocritical? The U.S. is the only country that has ever used atomic bombs on another country. Sept. 11 was just a convenient excuse for Bush to do what he has done. Also, he has really screwed up the U.S.'s relationship with the U.N. We had a lot of allies before, and now I'm wondering just how the rest of the world is looking at us.
We need new leadership and a change. I am generally a Republican, but there is no way I will vote for Bush. If I find out more about Kerry's stance on different issues, and I happen to like what he is proposing, I may vote for him. I will not vote for him just because he's not Bush, though. That's no reason to vote for someone.
So, alas, there are my frustrations. I don't expect the U.S. to be on top forever, and I feel it's already beginning to slip. No one can stay number one forever. There will come a time when we won't be "the most powerful country in the world." Sometimes, I think Americans have too much pride and think we're better than others, and that is a dangerous way of thinking. We need to be realistic and keep our feet on the ground and be humbled. Unfortunately, it seems we have chosen to learn the hard way.
posted by Sindie 10:29 AM
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