Sunday, October 08, 2006
Things that piss me off
And why would you be reading blogs for anything else?
1) The Avro Arrow. A half-century ago, the Canadian government commissioned a fighter jet to intercept Russian bombers over the north pole. Canadian engineers designed its revolutionary titanium engine, capable of Mach 2 speeds; then the government cancelled it, some said at the behest of the Americans. All 5 prototypes, along with the blueprints, were destroyed. The plane became an example of Canadian engineering genius, crushed by the American behemoth. Now they've built a replica.
The Avro Arrow was designed at the height of the Cold War, which itself was designed to bankrupt the Soviet Union. John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister at the time, said nuclear missiles made the Arrow obsolete; but that didn't stop the government from outfitting its successor, the CF-101 Voodoo, with nuclear warheads that saw 'action' over Europe.
Our great national project was a monument to the insanity of the Cold War, and the billions of dollars wasted on mutually assured destruction. This speaks volumes about any 'progressive' vision of Canadian nationalism. I don't give a damn about our military sovereignty. I'm glad the Arrow was cancelled; I'm glad those military engineers' hopes were dashed. Good riddance.
2) Mark Foley. He's the Republican Congressman who resigned his seat after his text-message affair with a 16 year old intern went public.
It's not the affair that bothers me. Relationships between older & younger men are pretty common. Of course it's complex, there are power and consent issues involved, but those don't start at age 18. It's up to the individuals involved to negotiate them, not the state trying to enforce nuclear family morality. I think 'hands off the youth!' is a ridiculous slogan, but... hands off nonetheless.
Or his own neurosis
If you read the transcript of Foley and the intern's conversation, it's like any number of ads in the back of an alternative weekly paper:
Just admit it - Jean Claude Van Damme
First of all, Foley is a hypocrite. He made his name in Congress targeting suspected pedophile websites and background checks for Boy Scout leaders. While he was pro-choice, he also supported the death penalty and the Patriot Act. And he was a Republican, for god's sake. Foley had long been rumoured to be gay, but when the allegations became public in 2003, he "held a press conference to denounce the “revolting” rumors and stated that his sexual orientation was unimportant." He only came out when he resigned. So, rather than dealing with his homosexuality, the closet case took it out on everyone else.
Let's not forget that pedophila is a medical condition requiring treatment. But thanks to the law-and-order sexual hysteria that Foley promoted, queer men have been targeted as pedophiles, and pedophiles themselves have been banished to the margins, far away from treatment. Given recent events, it hardly needs stating that this hasn't protected children one iota.
By sublimating and projecting his fears of his own sexuality onto other men, Foley linked homosexuality to pedophilia, doing no good for either. That, and not his affair, is what makes him a jerk.
Secondly, this is the scandal that's supposed to give Democrats control of the House of Representatives. His Democratic opponent is a rancher and venture capitalist. This scandal will not provoke a reasoned discussion of homophobia, mental illness, or what being in the closet can do to someone. It will feed on the sexual hysteria that Foley himself helped create.
I suppose the thread through today's aggravations is capitalist politicans in general, but that's a bigger topic.
1) The Avro Arrow. A half-century ago, the Canadian government commissioned a fighter jet to intercept Russian bombers over the north pole. Canadian engineers designed its revolutionary titanium engine, capable of Mach 2 speeds; then the government cancelled it, some said at the behest of the Americans. All 5 prototypes, along with the blueprints, were destroyed. The plane became an example of Canadian engineering genius, crushed by the American behemoth. Now they've built a replica.
The Avro Arrow was designed at the height of the Cold War, which itself was designed to bankrupt the Soviet Union. John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister at the time, said nuclear missiles made the Arrow obsolete; but that didn't stop the government from outfitting its successor, the CF-101 Voodoo, with nuclear warheads that saw 'action' over Europe. Our great national project was a monument to the insanity of the Cold War, and the billions of dollars wasted on mutually assured destruction. This speaks volumes about any 'progressive' vision of Canadian nationalism. I don't give a damn about our military sovereignty. I'm glad the Arrow was cancelled; I'm glad those military engineers' hopes were dashed. Good riddance.
2) Mark Foley. He's the Republican Congressman who resigned his seat after his text-message affair with a 16 year old intern went public.
It's not the affair that bothers me. Relationships between older & younger men are pretty common. Of course it's complex, there are power and consent issues involved, but those don't start at age 18. It's up to the individuals involved to negotiate them, not the state trying to enforce nuclear family morality. I think 'hands off the youth!' is a ridiculous slogan, but... hands off nonetheless.
Or his own neurosis
If you read the transcript of Foley and the intern's conversation, it's like any number of ads in the back of an alternative weekly paper:
[Foley] Maf54 (7:42:27 PM): love to watch thatThat's hardly a picture of exploitation. But that's how it's being taken. Which pisses me off for two reasons.
Maf54 (7:42:33 PM): those great legs running
Xxxxxxxxx (7:42:38 PM): haha…they arent great
Xxxxxxxxx (7:42:45 PM): thats why we have conditioning
Xxxxxxxxx (7:42:56 PM): 2 days running....3 days lifting
Xxxxxxxxx (7:43:11 PM): every week
Xxxxxxxxx (7:43:14 PM): until the end of march
Maf54 (7:43:27 PM): well dont ruin my mental picture
Just admit it - Jean Claude Van Damme
First of all, Foley is a hypocrite. He made his name in Congress targeting suspected pedophile websites and background checks for Boy Scout leaders. While he was pro-choice, he also supported the death penalty and the Patriot Act. And he was a Republican, for god's sake. Foley had long been rumoured to be gay, but when the allegations became public in 2003, he "held a press conference to denounce the “revolting” rumors and stated that his sexual orientation was unimportant." He only came out when he resigned. So, rather than dealing with his homosexuality, the closet case took it out on everyone else.
Let's not forget that pedophila is a medical condition requiring treatment. But thanks to the law-and-order sexual hysteria that Foley promoted, queer men have been targeted as pedophiles, and pedophiles themselves have been banished to the margins, far away from treatment. Given recent events, it hardly needs stating that this hasn't protected children one iota. By sublimating and projecting his fears of his own sexuality onto other men, Foley linked homosexuality to pedophilia, doing no good for either. That, and not his affair, is what makes him a jerk.
Secondly, this is the scandal that's supposed to give Democrats control of the House of Representatives. His Democratic opponent is a rancher and venture capitalist. This scandal will not provoke a reasoned discussion of homophobia, mental illness, or what being in the closet can do to someone. It will feed on the sexual hysteria that Foley himself helped create.
I suppose the thread through today's aggravations is capitalist politicans in general, but that's a bigger topic.
