A Couple of Quick Thoughts for the Noon hour

Just a few quick things because I don't really care too much about either of these people.

The picture of Rosie's 4 year old dressed up with an ammo belt has (justifiably) sparked a lot of outrage. Even at her own website. And too be honest the first time I saw it I thought Rosie, being politically aware as she is, was making a point about the absurdity and horror of war and maybe how if we continue down this path that eventually our children will be fighting the same battles (though maybe not at 4) I especially thought it was relevant because of the news from last week about the Taliban attempting to use a 6 year old as a suicide bomber. I didn't like or buy her intital explanation, that the kids were playing dress up ( the kid looks so sad like she was made to do this; so dour) but I wholeheartedly agree with her observation that "It's fascinating to me/that an image of a child dressed up as a soldier/evokes so much attention/yet the real soldiers - their deaths - their wounded bodies/doesn't seem to faze most/or make news" Very true, and it is also instructive that the media and people are so outraged by this photo of a blonde blue-eyed child, while no one bats an eyelash over the continuing use of child soldiers in conflicts (a war crime) across Africa.


And today Gordon Brown succeeded Tony Blair as Prime Minister and all I can say is; Tony I used to love you and had such high hopes for you. The optimism that you and President Clinton together inspired made a whole generation believe, to keep that since of idealism, that somehow your generation would be different. You had the opportunity to reign Georgie in, to stop the debacle in Iraq before it started.
You disappointed and disillusioned a lot of people and I'm sorry for that. But Tony try to spend your remaining years (you are only 52) working for peace and the betterment of the world. Good luck Mr. Brown. Godspeed Mr. Blair.

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