October 2004
Dear Readers,
An oft-discussed but little understood theory of Albert Einstein’s is that of length contraction, in which a decrease in length is experienced by objects traveling at a substantial fraction of the speed of light (at least 10� but only in the direction in which the object is traveling. Extended, this theory applies to time itself. Simply stated (and possibly somewhat misstated, so I’ll ask advance forgiveness from mathematicians and physicists here): if something is moving fast enough in a certain direction, it actually moves faster than time.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because, like almost everyone I know, I am overwhelmed by how quickly time passes. It truly does feel like the more we’re in motion, the faster time moves. The more we try to do, the more we are faced with decisions we must make that affect both our present and our future, the less time we seem to have to think about what we’re doing. Even though the physics of this phenomenon are beyond my understanding, I can identify with the thought that the faster we move, the faster time does indeed pass.
In practical terms, we could more thoroughly evaluate how our two major parties have switched identities in twenty short years. Mysteriously, the Republican party claims banner rights as guardian and gatekeeper of corporate interests and the moral well-being of all Americans, while the Democrats represent balanced budgets, global relations, smaller government and, most interestingly to me, personal choice and autonomy.
Does anyone yet remember that the Republican party was founded 150 years ago, right here in Ripon, Wisconsin, by socialists pissed off at ineffectual Democrats and Whigs, both of which had become parties of complacent conservatism, content with the enslavement of blacks and the congenital economic and social structure slavery fostered? Abraham Lincoln was their leader. Trust buster Teddy Roosevelt was a Republican, too.
My, how times have changed. And so quickly!
Think about that on your way to the polls.
Something else to think about this election season is the considerable influence of third parties on our two party political system. When we think about third parties, we think of their most colorful characters – Ross Perot, Jesse Ventura, Ralph Nader. But while no independent party has yet succeeded in gaining legal and financial status that would make it competitive with either the Democrats or the Republicans, some of them have gotten in there and made things interesting at key intervals in our political history. In 2000, the Greens nearly succeeded in garnering the 5�f the popular vote needed to secure federal funding and a ballot line in all 50 states. And while they fell just short at 4�it got peoples’ attention. One would have thought that 2004 would have been a free-for-all, with independent parties flexing their muscle all over the place.
But it hasn’t turned out that way at all. As it stands, most everyone in America, in the world, even, considers our November election to be one of the most pivotal in modern history. And the third parties have formed an unspoken coalition of their own. So disenfranchised by what they perceive to be the hostility of the Bush administration, the drive to unseat him has surpassed the desire to forward party-specific agendas. A new rallying cry, “Anybody But Bush” is rising, with progressive parties throwing in with John Kerry, and more conservative groups like the Reform Party and the Libretarians sticking to their own candidates. We talk about it more in our cover story. It starts on page 18.
Among the things pissing off Bush opponents is a seeming lack of commitment to Afghanistan. While the Taliban regains territory in the south, executing over 900 aid and election workers this year alone virtually unchecked, U.S.-led forces have dwindled to less than 20,000 total, with the October 9 elections just around the corner at press time. In response to the violence, Afghan Interim President Hamid Karzai requested 5,300 NATO troops to help stabilize the region in the time leading up to the election, but only 1,800 have been promised (the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division), and most have not yet arrived. Maj. Amy Hannah, a spokesperson for the 82nd Airborne, said troops have begun leaving Fort Bragg, N.C., for Afghanistan, but that “there is no specific time period” for their deployment. The British are considering sending in a sizable force, but Iraq is about to pull out troops almost equal to the potential British reinforcements. In the meantime, groups like Doctors Without Borders, who have worked in the country continuously for over 25 years, have left, fearing for the safety of their members. Afghanis are blatantly obtaining multiple voter registrations in a system with insufficient checks, and things are showing no signs of stabilizing. But the Bush administration will push the elections to happen before our own November vote, at least in part to show that it is “pro-democracy,” with no regard for the fact that Afghanistan just might not be ready. Read more about it in our feature story “Afghanistan: The Forgotten War.”
Back home in Milwaukee, fall is here, bringing two of our favorite things: Halloween and a renewed love affair with food. In tribute to the former, Vital Lives this month features local poet and Warlock John Jeske. In homage to the latter, Vital introduces a new column by Catherine Miller, Chow Baby. Cate visits the kitchens of local chefs and talks with them about their passion for food, personal style and culinary specialties. We thought it would be more interesting to read about than “the crab cakes, at $4.95, were a little soggy, but an excellent value.” Her first sojourn is to Tenuta’s in Bay View, where chef Frank Alia holds court. Bon Apetit!
Peace,
Jon Anne
