Thursday, August 26, 2004

Thinking Ahead

Blogging has become trendy. This means, among other things, that there is a great deal of trash out there, to wade through to find the gems and useful perspectives. I hope, since you are reading this, that my site will qualify as useful or perhaps amusing.

Having a look around the horizon, I notice that there are three basic types of blog out there; the ones about Sex (or more accurately, hoping to use sex to lure guests in), the writing their personal diaries, with variable degrees of lucidity, and the political blogs. The political blogs have become the darlings of late, with political bloggers being credentialed for political conventions, garnering advertisers, and even occasionally getting a grudging reference from the Mainstream Media (MSM). This is all very good to a point, but I wonder how many of these blogs will be around, or worse, will still be cogent after November?

There were a number of interesting websites in 2000, addressing the campaigns between then-Vice President Al Gore and then-Governor George Bush. They weren't called 'blogs', but they included some polling analyses, commentary, the odd bit of history, but for the most part, they went bye-bye right after Al Gore (at long last) conceded the election. This raises the question of the fate of the present blogs, especially considering how much of America will lose interest as soon as the results are known.

I certainly intend to keep blogging. For one thing, I see some interesting trends worth attention. I think that once the results from this coming election are known, I want to be the first blogger to begin the track on Hillary's inevitable 2008 run. I also think, as some other bloggers have pointed out, that the trend of political evolution is becoming apparent. Once Kerry has lost, and especially if my prediction of a 12-point Popular Vote margin is correct, the Democrats will be forced to consider their tactics, and this must eventually lead to some measure of reformation. The GOP had better consider this, as well - the reason President Bush has not already locked away the win, is because the Republicans have also been very poor listeners at times. The clock is running, and the stakes now are for domination of American politics for the next generation.

I also intend to address Global Military Strategy. Not the details of local firefights or daily skirmishes, but to consider the plan (or lack) for overall advancement of American interests in the world. I know this sounds a bit radical, but when I say 'American interests', I mean the classic goals of advancing democracy and freedom, and providing the foundation for long-term agreements beneficial to the people involved. I also think it is absolutely necessary for Americans to be honest and enthusiastic about advancing our own interests, because the alternative is to submit to someone else's interests, no matter with whom we are working.

I also intend to address moral issues, as I see them. For here and now, it's likely that a moral statement will get diverted to political discussions, and while there is a vaue to that, it tends to detract from understanding issues, which can be intense personal and complex.

As always, I welcome comments and perpsectives, and the interests of the audience will drive the focus of my columns. So please feel free to mention what you want to see.

That's something else great about blogs: It's as much about you, as it is the subject or the writer.

Thanks for coming by!

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