L'Ombre de l'Olivier

The Shadow of the Olive Tree

being the maunderings of an Englishman on the Côte d'Azur

12 September 2008 Blog Home : September 2008 : Permalink

Questions for Gov Palin

Over at The Nation Katha Pollitt shows how (apropos to the previous post here) some progressives really do lack empathy. She has a list of questions which are, I assume, intended to be absolute gotchas for Governor Palin. In the event I figure I can answer them for her:

§ Suppose your 14-year-old daughter Willow is brutally raped in her bedroom by an intruder. She becomes pregnant and wants an abortion. Could you tell the parents of America why you think your child and their children should be forced by law to have their rapists' babies?

Because we don't believe in punishing innocent bystanders. The baby didn't ask to be conceived through rape but killing him or her because of how it was conceived is murdering an innocent life. You wouldn't insist on executing an innocent bystander who happens to discover a murder in process so why would you insist on killing a baby?

§ You say you don't believe global warming is man-made. Could you tell us what scientists you've spoken with or read who have led you to that conclusion? What do you think the 2,500 scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are getting wrong?

A consensus of 100 or even 2500 scientists are trumped by one scientific fact. As I understand it there are numerous problems with the statistical methods used in the IPCC report and with the models it contains, none of which appear to have predicted the last decade or so of global cooling. The science is not as settled as you seem to believe.

§ If you didn't try to fire Wasilla librarian Mary Ellen Baker over her refusal to consider censoring books, why did you try to fire her?

I didn't fire her for her censorship. I fired her because she was married to the chief of police who is a scumbag

§ What is the European Union, and how does it function?

It's a gathering of most countries in Europe as a confused entity that is half state half confederation of states. For the most part it doesn't function so who cares?

§ Forty-seven million Americans lack health insurance. John Goodman, who has advised McCain on healthcare, has proposed redefining them as covered because, he says, anyone can get care at an ER. Do you agree with him?

No, however 47M is probably the wrong number for the uninsured. It certainly includes a number of people who are unwilling to pay for healthcare insurance that they could afford because they believe that current policies which require cover of many unneccessary frills are a poor return on investment and it may well include illegal aliens who should not be here, insured or not. I would prefer to find a solution that permits catastrophic only cover and which permits people to self insure by means of MSAs and similar schemes.

§ What is the function of the Federal Reserve?

Ensure the stability of the US financial system. Recently this has seemed to equate to "Bail out democratic donors on Wall Street"

§ Cindy and John McCain say you have experience in foreign affairs because Alaska is next to Russia. When did you last speak with Prime Minister Putin, and what did you talk about?

Never. My negotiations have been more with Canada

§ Approximately how old is the earth? Five thousand years? 10,000? 5 billion?

Millions if not billions. Estimates beyond millions are subject to scientific theories which are almost impossible to verify. Of course it could be that God created the earth 5,000 years ago with all the clues that make it seem to be older. How can we know? we weren't there to watch.

§ You are a big fan of President Bush, so why didn't you mention him even once in your convention speech?

I'm an even greater fan of Ronald Reagan. I didn't mention him either.

§ McCain says cutting earmarks and waste will make up for revenues lost by making the tax cuts permanent. Experts say that won't wash. Balancing the Bush tax cuts plus new ones proposed by McCain would most likely mean cutting Medicare, Medicaid or Social Security. Which would you cut?

First I'll cut the porkine waste from government. Then if it turns out more cuts are needed we will see where the best place for them is.

§ You're suing the federal government to have polar bears removed from the endangered species list, even as Alaska's northern coastal ice is melting and falling into the sea. Can you explain the science behind your decision?

Because the number of polar bears have increased over the last few decades. This is not a sign of a species at risk.

§ You've suggested that God approves of the Iraq War and the Alaska pipeline. How do you know?

Either you can't understand English or you've been played for a fool by AP/ABC and a host of others who have decided to twist what I prayed for out of context. I prayed that we would be guided to what God's will is. I hope God approves of both but I cannot know it and I hope furthermore that if God disapproves he will find a way to guide us to the right choice.