Friday, July 29, 2005

Flip-Flop?

Bill Frist flip-flopped on an issue. He's going to back the bill that would expand stem cell research.

Good for him.

("Flip-flopping" isn't a bad thing. Especially when you change your decision after you learn the facts.)

2 comments:

y-intercept said...

"("Flip-flopping" isn't a bad thing. Especially when you cahnge your decision after you learn the facts.)"

In a system of healthy discourse, people state their ideas clearly. The ideas are refutable. When there is confrontation, people spend time trying to uncover their premises, etc., etc..

I think our biggest problem today is that people have adopted new styles of think where the purpose of discourse is simply to get what you want. This is why the flip flopping of both Clinton and Kerry was so grating.

I was happy that you pointed this out.

Unknown said...

I don't think the main contention of Kerry's "flip-flop" was grating. I mean, if you go back and look at the votes for the Iraq war, it's pretty clear and sane. The first vote (the one everyone said was "for the war") was not a vote for the war, but a vote that granted Bush war powers in the event that Iraq was actually a threat. Bush clearly broke the trust there. Then Kerry was vocal against the war, which is reasonable seeing as how he voted for a bill saying that it wouldn't happen unless it was the last resort. Then the next vote was the $87 billion appropriation. He voted for it when it looked like it was going to be part of the regular budget, but when it was apparent that it was going to be deficit spent, he voted against it. So, he got called a flip-flopper for requesting fiscal responsibility.

I mean, I could go on.

I think my larger point is that there is no black and white, right or wrong, absolute to any issue. (Only a Sith deals in absolutes). But there are shades of gray and shades of gray must be evaluated before making rash decisions. Part of the reason I don't like Bush is that everything to him, it seems, is black and white. There is no nuance to his decision-making. And thanks to the Downing Street Memo evidence, it seems as though he makes the intelligence form fit his gut feelings about what he wants to do.

Not an admirable trait for a leader if you ask me.