Pandora's Box

Well folks, I finally got around to watching the presidential debate. I'm not through it yet, but it is already clear that Kerry won it. The Prez comes across as an out-of-touch, in-denial, bungler, who is just beginning to realize that he is in w-a-a-a-a-y over his head. Words do not come readily, pronounciation is marginal, usage is also marginal. 'Nuculer?' 'Fighting vociferously?' Is English his second language or his third language? What is his first language? Yiddish? If I were a young man I would shudder to think that this guy was going to get another four years. I would actually go out there and vote! Whew. But I'm way past voting age.

I am amused by the pet phrases being bandied about by both contestants: 'Weapons of mass destruction;' 'world safer without Saddam Hussein...' These are meaningless phrases! These are buzz-phrases designed to hoodwink the hoodwinkable. Clearly the world was safer WITH Saddam Hussein. Saddam was the lid on Pandora's Box. Bush removed the lid from Pandora's box and locked it up in a jail. The Box will soon try that lid for excessive liddiness. Pandora will no doubt be pleased. And in the midst all the evils swarming out of Pandora's Box we will try to fashion a new lid called Democracy. Iraqian Democracy. Hmm. Has a certain ring to it, sort of like a lead bell. Thunk.

I like Kerry's plan to attack the monster in the closet: unsecured nuclear material, or 'nuclear proliferation.' But I must have missed the part about that other monster in the closet, Israel. There was no discussion of a timetable for making Israel the 51st state, for example. Nor did President Bush make any reference to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ during his Second Term. It seems to me these are important aspects of foreign policy which should at least have received an honorable mention. But I wasn't asking the questions.

The debate ended suddenly while Kootch and I were discussing chips and dips.