What are you saying, Bruce?

A columnist friend says that I know too much and try to fit that information and its nuances into my posts. Columnists focus on only one point, and I cover many. Consequently, many of those who look at headlines or the first paragraph to decide what to read during their busy day, pass me by.

Blogging is a relaxed discipline compared to 600-750 words allowed in a newspaper op-ed, and should invite greater depths. Nevertheless, for the time impaired, and the bottom-line oriented, here’s two-sentence (OK, some may be long) positions on some of the subjects I’ve dealt with at greater length in posts and daily Interesting Stuff:

IRAQ: We’re there, so get over it Dems and trying to get elected in 2006 or 2008 based on 2003, regardless of the more dangering national and international security impacts. The consequences then and now of not finishing the job are worse, we’ve pretty much achieved our strategic objectives, and President Bush can quell the unease to buy time to finish and spur Iraqi politicians to act in national interests by announcing a caveated withdrawal schedule over the next 5-years – which all know we’re going to do anyway.

IRAN: We’re not there, but may need to be in some way very soon, regardless of the Europeans who have not had a firm moral or military policy of defense even during the Cold War. Again, the consequences of not acting or by half-measures -- a la the Clinton years vis a vis Iraq, Afghanistan, or terrorists -- breed worse and are worse, and Europe is useless.

ISRAEL: Israel’s moral struggles to survive, including fencing off real security threats to reduce them and be allowed less of a garrison-state, stand starkly beside the immoral and counter-productive irredentism of Palestinians and their repeatedly chosen leaders who would rather drive Mercedes, loot and allow destruction of Palestinian means to earn, wink at best and usually incite murderous thugs, and their Arab thugocracy state supporters’ facilitation to distract their own repressed, and profiteering amoral allies in Europe.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS: Whether in China, North Korea, Vietnam, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico or an additional too-long list, “never again” is a platitude when not policy and practice. We can’t solve all, but those who are silent or speak but not act are complicit, as much or nearly as any “good German.”

RELIGION: One need not go so far as saying that only faith separates parties to see the divide, to see that those nations and interest-groups that lack the optimism and resolve of belief in divine guidance and better futures are more in population, economic and moral decline and selfish excuses for it.

HEALTHCARE: A rich, ageing and caring country will inevitably spend increasing amounts on healthcare, which can more effectively and economically adapt and meet disparate needs and means through freer market resolutions than through inevitably stagnant and cost-creator nationalized programs, as those countries that have gone down that path demonstrate and our present and emerging programs succeed better.

IMMIGRATION: Americans have empathy for immigrants and recognize the work ethic of most, alongside Americans’ respect for our culture and laws, and concerns about the negative effects on those as well as the allowing of domestic ghettoes of resource-sapping poor, illiterates among the illegals. Before leniencies must come enforced, severe employer sanctions and reasonable border security.

MEDIA: The Fourth Estate is increasingly in abandon of basic standards of journalism. Sins of omission, of facts, documentation and soundly-based alternatives, along with cheapness to devote adequate reportage and research to complex events and issues, are even more at fault than outright commission of bias, but amount to the same.

REPUBLICANS: All Americans' right to criticize has a parallel responsibility to act responsibly. Democrats aren’t meeting that responsibility, but neither are Republicans who emotionally or self-servingly serve the worse alternative by undercutting or failing to endorse reason and cooperation among Republicans and others.

There: 656 words.