I'm a big fan of Thomas Friedman, the op-ed columnist at the New York Times. And I really like his piece in today's paper about redefining the impact of 9/11 on our society. I'll spare you the summary, read it here, it's well worth it.
But in describing an America that I very much want to see, one that focuses on possibility and openness, Friedman draws a parallel between our current state of affairs (yes, it sucks to live in the Bush 2 era) and China's. In short, in spite of its government's shortcomings, China's mobile phone infrastructure is a marvel we should aspire to.
And that's when he lost me.
Communism doesn't work. Which isn't to say that torture does either, so I agree with Friedman that Gitmo has got to go. But turning it into a hospital for poor Cubans? (I will not vote for any candidate who is not committed to dismantling Guantánamo Bay and replacing it with a free field hospital for poor Cubans.) I thought everyone got primo healthcare in Cuba. That's what Michael Moore said.
I don't think China or Cuba represent anything we as a society should aspire to. The New York Times is vying for another Pullitzer with their gay-porn titled series "Choking on Growth" which chronicles China's abysmal environmental practices. We all know that both China and Cuba have sent scores of political dissidents to prison and that both countries have poor track records when dealing with public health issues.
The fact of the matter is that Red doesn't work. Whether it's communism or republicanism, both ideologies are entrenched in a myopic, inhumane view of the world.
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