Newsletter

Where's the Outrage – Newsletter May 2005

Posted on: August 9th, 2006 by ecthompsonmd

 

Where’s the Outrage?
May 2005*

A huge showdown is brewing in the Senate over President Bush’s judicial appointments. Senatorial tensions over this process are especially pronounced since it is very likely that later in the summer at least one member of the Supreme Court will be stepping down. This type of thing happens almost weekly in the House, but the 100-person Senate has always been more collegial. Compromise has been the hallmark of the Senate for over two hundred years. Now, it is looking as though High Noon is approaching.... Read More →

Where's the Outrage – Newsletter April 2005

Posted on: August 9th, 2006 by ecthompsonmd

 

Where’s the Outrage?*
April 2005

Pope John Paul II has died. I believe the passing of this extraordinary man of God is an opportune moment for all people, including a Methodist like me, to reflect on his life, his actions and his faith. John Paul made the papacy relevant once more on the world stage. He was truly a world leader. He helped to inspire changes in his native country that led to Polish independence. He spurred similar developments in Chile (1). Some historians have even given Pope John Paul credit for the fall of the Soviet Union. Besides having a hand in political events, the pontiff was a champion for the poorest and most oppressed souls on our planet, an inspiring friend to young people, and a serious environmentalist. But, paradoxically, he chose to turn his back on women, and he discouraged activist priests. Worst of all, he did not act quickly to rid the American Catholic church of child-molesting priests or their apologist-protectors such as Cardinal Law of Boston. Why didn’t he say, “If you molest a child, we will defrock you immediately and make sure you go to jail?” For these reasons, I am a bit bewildered by this great man. But I hope and pray that he rests in peace.... Read More →

March 2005 – Newsletter

Posted on: July 4th, 2006 by ecthompsonmd

 

I wrote this over a year ago.  It is kinda fun to look back at what I was thinking about.  What was on my mind?  Bush and his misguided policies were on my mind!
------------------------------------------------------------------------

I’ve already written a book about the recent Presidential election and the state of politics in America; but, like many people who think and read and worry and talk a lot, I have more to say. A lot more. This on-line quarterly newsletter, with the working title, "Where’s the Outrage?" will be my sounding board—and yours—at least for now. Why this title? Because today, perhaps more than any other time in global history, outrageous events are happening all around the world; these events have me hopping, book-throwing, foot-stomping mad. And my question for you is: "Where is the Outrage?" As rational citizens of America and the world, we need to talk more and start thinking about what we can do.

Let me start by saying that, surprising as it may seem, I am not upset over the election. The best organization, the best politician won. I am upset at how George W. Bush won. He won, as he has governed, not by being the straight-shooting, no-nonsense fellow he is reputed to be, but by bowing to the so-called political savvy of advisors who advocate showing the public only shades of the truth. They told us why we had to go to war in Iraq--for the security of our country so we wouldn’t have to fight terror on our own soil. Iraq, they told us, posed an immediate threat. That turns out to have been a shade of the truth.

They told Middle America how the Bush tax cuts have helped our economy. Shaded truth again: our median income is still below year 2000 levels, the American economy has lost more jobs during the Bush years than it has created, and few of these new jobs are long-term, well-paying jobs.

To be fair, it is not unusual for politicians to stretch or shade the truth, especially during a campaign; and I expected Bush to puff up his record like a sixteen-year-old stud bragging on his pimped out Yugo. But the fact that so many Americans bought his versions of the truth and didn’t look a little harder at what was happening in their own neighborhoods is disheartening. The fact that we were distracted by Swift Boat Veterans—who ever heard of this group before now?—or that Kerry’s wife is wealthy and independent-minded or that the Bush daughters seem to enjoy life in spite of living in a fishbowl seemed to interest Americans more than the real issues like the war and the economy and education. Outrageous.

Now we are mired in Iraq—in part because we didn’t question the "truths" we were told about Saddam’s regime. Maybe Bush’s team didn’t know the whole truth at the time of the invasion. The idea of weapons of mass destruction in the hands of the madman Saddam—that does sound serious. But now we know circumstances weren’t as dire as our "intelligence" told us. The situation in Iraq has become a huge vortex that is sapping our resources, sucking about $1 billion a day and who can see the end? The January elections have not stopped the violence. Now we talk about "containing" rather than ending the violence. Apparently, there is no exit strategy. Perhaps there never was. Outrageous!

... Read More →

  • Errington C. Thompson, MD
    Errington_ThompsonDr. Thompson is a surgeon, scholar, full-time sports fan and part-time political activist. He is active in a number of community projects and initiatives. Through medicine, he strives to improve the physical health of all he treats.
  • “A Letter to America”
    There are many books which have been written documenting the issues of the Bush Presidency; A Letter to America draws the reader a clearer more concise picture of major policies of this White House. Read more about A Letter to America
  • Sign Up for My eNewsletter
  • Listen to Dr. Thompson on..
  • Subscribe to My Podcasts!
  • Listen to Podcasts on iTunes..
    You can download my podcasts to your iPod or other mp3 device.
  • Where is The Outrage Topics