US Political Agenda Wishlist
Hey Everyone,
Jon from Man Alive here. So before I make a few irrational statements about U.S. politics, let me give you a bit of background on myself. I’m 29 years old. I was raised in Israel, and in 2002 I moved to Dallas because Man Alive was on tour more than 6 months a year, and ……I kinda fell for a Texan female….big surprise. I moved back to Israel last June, when we made a team decision that being around our families and friends, and eating something besides the dollar menu items at McDonalds is something that we’d like to try for a while. So here I am…..Man Alive just put out another record(number4), I’m 1/3 owner of a recording studio in Tel Aviv, which I visit on occasion, and I spend my day hours at the Israeli Stock Market as an account manager…not exactly punk, I know. That was a long intro, and I will try and add in a bit more info about myself and my bandmates with every blog.
Here is what I would like to see out of the next US president:
1. Sanctions against Iran haven’t been working…have they? Find the other route to dealing with the problem.
2. Iraq: I have no beef with the US staying in Iraq, if that’s what the US wants, but for petes sake…….stop this “We’re creating a democracy” crap, and be honest about why you want to be there. A 14 year commercial embargo against Iraq left the oil fields in plentiful supply, so when the rest of the middle east goes dry, the US gets to prolong the oil industry for 14 years with out ticking off the environmentalists in the US, and without having to try and figure out a way to refine solid form fuel, which is abundant in Canada….good times. The US is still paying half what the European Union is paying for gas.
3. Iraq 2: You can’t bring democracy to people that don’t want it.
4. Online Gambling: Legalize it!!!!! Legislating morals isn’t always a good thing. You can’t tell people what to do with their hard earned money. Besides that, courts have already ruled that poker is a game of skill. Every online gaming company takes security measures to secure the players money transfers, and looks out for possible addicts, and closes down shop on them when they appear to have a problem. What happened to being financially savvy? The federal government could tax the living daylight out of online gaming companies, and everyone would still be happy. The government would have a great new source of revenue, and people wouldn’t have to track down a seedy poker room, or mafia based bookie to place bets. I have to admit that I really don’t get the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
Please remember that the things I write may not represent the thought of my friends and bandmates, so If you think I’m over the top, which most people do, don’t blame the rest of Man Alive.
Playlist:
1.Forever Changed: The Need To Feel Alive
2.Nickel Creek: That new best of collection
3. Shai Hulud: That Within Blood Ill Tempered
Cheers! Jon
Post Info
- Posted by: Man Alive
- Posted on: Thursday, April 24th, 2008
- Category: News
- Tags: Oh...The wishlist...
April 24th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
just one point i’d like to make…is…who said that iraq doesnt want a democracy? just because their tyrannical dictator and his cronies didn’t want one. if you surveyed the iraqi people i’d venture to say that they are in support of America being there and desperately want the freedoms we have.
April 24th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Regardless of the democracy issue, mass graves upon mass graves have been found from the practical genocide under Saddam. There might be oil incentive there, but I still don’t see the oil ships…that argument got old a long time ago.
April 25th, 2008 at 3:33 am
Hello Levi and Tyler,
I just wanted to clarify that I’m by no means against the US being in Iraq. Saddam was the spawn of Satan, as most tyrant muslim regeim leaders are. The Middle East is nothing like the western world in their thought process, which as why, as shocking as it may be, democracy is not on their priority list. You need to realize that in western countries you’re raised with basic ideas of freedom and the ability to choose. We are all biproducts of our education, and collectively, their education is that if you’re not Muslim, you’re an infidale and enemy. I could tell you horror stories of things that I witnessed in the West Bank and Gaza as a soldier. I approached things like you do….people are basically good….that’s not the truth. Blind hatred is something that exists in ways which you could not fathom. I saw it with my own eyes, and to this day it scares the hell out of me, because no matter what I do, or likeminded people do, we don’t stand a chance of changing these folks minds. As for oil: Our governments…all of them, have nothing to do with what you see on TV…it’s all about the bottom line, so as much much as I respect your naivity, that’s exactly what it is, naivity. The Bottom Line…..is the bottom line.
April 25th, 2008 at 5:20 am
…Why isn’t Jon’s response showing up here? Weird. Anyway, I think this is an excellent post, especially point #4, which is funny, because it seems to come out of nowhere. But as you say, there is economic incentive for the practice to be legalized, and really the only downside is a supposed system of ethics which our nation, on the whole, does not possess. (I mean, look at Las Vegas!)
April 25th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Nice response Jon. Sorry your comment didn’t show up earlier, it got stuck in moderation.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:45 am
okay…calling us naive helps…
so explain to me this…if iraqi’s are against us being there, then why are so many iraqi soldiers willing to be trained by our soldiers in the name of freedom?
yes, i understand that muslims are filled with hate of non-muslims in general, but does that mean the common folk there do not wish for freedom? if so, then why have i heard so many stories back from missionaries that say they are yearning for freedoms that america has?
April 25th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I don’t understand you calling me naive. I’m reformed, I believe people are all completely depraved, not basically good.
Thinking you can’t change people’s minds ever, however, is exactly what you accuse me of. The Holy Spirit is capable of handling that, but it might not be God’s will just the same. Your initial post was less condescending…
I don’t expect my president to change the world, I don’t expect people to be uncorrupted, I don’t expect you or myself to be either. But those people are not “unfathomable” monsters either. God can use any person, government, or hateful muslim for good, after all, he used a sinner like me. I don’t blindly think that it’s always going to work the way I would want it to, though, so there your accusation is unwarranted.
April 26th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Levi and Tyler, my apologies if I offended you, as I obviously had no intension to do so.
Tyler: Like in any large group of people, of course there are political sides and people who want different things, so there are split opinions in Iraq as well. My point is that due to being educated in a VERY different way than us, and possesing a thought process that is nearly polar opposite to ours, even those going along with the current US friendly government are not doing so for democracy’s sake. Dictatorships and Religious based governements thrive off keeping their people uneducated, and therefore easily influenced. That’s still where Iraq, and most middle eastern countries are at right now, and hopefully that changes…..I personally won’t be holding my breath.
Levi: I respect your opinion my friend, but with that being said, you brought up a faith-based argument. We likely share the same faith, but I don’t use my faith in political discussions or in forming my political beliefs. I’m sure I’ll blog something crazy about theology one of these days, and we can have a blow out over that. Seriosly though, I want to thank you guys for taking interest in this blog, and commenting. There’s nothing better than learning to understand other people outlook on things.
Jon
April 26th, 2008 at 7:52 am
I understand where you’re coming from, but God isn’t limited to a church building, and I think your faith has to be applied to everything you do like the Bible teaches. I think you know that but I encourage you to really take it to heart, I know I need to do that myself. My point isn’t to argue theology, that was an aside about the accusation that I think people are basically good
Thanks for taking the time to talk, I appreciate it.
April 30th, 2008 at 8:26 am
no offense taken.
i wouldnt hold my breath either.
we all know how its going down soon enough anyway.
and we’re on the winning side. the Jesus side.