Issue #62
Last Update February 28, 2009
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Commentary February, 2008 Is there a bright side? We have been full of doom and gloom about the current international and economic situations. Perhaps it is time to see what's going right. Spring is coming, the clocks have been turned forward, and we may as well let in a little ray of optimism. It's time to congratulate the American people, New Yorkers, scientists and even the religious right.
The American people are to be congratulated for running two of the best and most meaningful Presidential primary processes in our history. For the first time in generations, the electorate in all sections of the country got a full and fair look at the prospective candidates and had a chance to cast a meaningful vote. In fact, the primary system has worked so well that New York Stringer has no doubt that both parties will attempt to change it at their national conventions.
New Yorkers are to be congratulated, in this time of exploding energy prices, for being the most energy-efficient group in the nation. They did this by not owning cars, and certainly for not driving much (as someone pointed out recently, the most energy efficient mode of transportation is the elevator, followed by the subway), and by living in apartment buildings which maximize economies of scale for heating, cooling and electrical use.
Scientists are to be congratulated for persevering in the face of ignorance and religious hostility, and for making research advances in physiology, genetics, physics and chemistry that will revolutionize medical care, transportation, food and energy production, and our understanding of the universe for generations to come.
The religious right is to be congratulated for slowly coming to grips with the broader implications of their own faith, and slowly moving towards protection of the environment, supporting broader access to medical care, and attacking the root causes of poverty. They have a long way to go in this journey, but they have made a start.
Most of all, we have hope that, in Gerald Ford's famous phrase, “our long national nightmare” is about to be over.
New York Stringer is published by NYStringer.com. For all communications, contact David Katz, Editor and Publisher, at david@nystringer.com
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