The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is Dead

With the signing of the deal with India, North Korea, Iran and even Israel can breathe a sigh of relief. No longer can the United States declare that it has been even-handed in how it treats 'rogue' nuclear nations. Even the concept of a 'rogue' nation is no longer valid. India and Pakistan can now figure out how to stockpile for their next testosterone-fueled war of brinksmanship. Israel (whose possible possession of nuclear weapons I personally support) can stand proud in its theoretical ownership of these weapons -- and several different and very accurate delivery systems.

The United States had had the ability to force Iran and North Korea to the table: the NNPT is, after all, something to which almost all countries are signatories. Now that chance is lost, and those two fascist regimes can stand beside Israel as rebels with a cause. After all, if India could cut a separate deal, why can't they? And in the meantime, just like India, why should they not continue to create the tools for world blackmail?

A Late Veterans' Day Memorial

I read this from one of my daughter's 3rd-grade classmates.

Q:	Veterans are important because...
A:	...Or else we would not be able to say the Pledge of Allegiance

Moved me to tears. Just frank words from an eight year old Jewish boy.

418 Republicans Can't All be Wrong

I was voter #450 at my polling precinct this evening. While polling officials said there'd been a steady stream of voters, I had little hope that I was going to help carry the Democratic vote; I have several neighbors that tell me or call me to let me know they're cancelling out my vote.

The interesting thing about voting this year was the tableau when I entered: six folks sitting at little voting carrels, with their carboard walls, and two sitting at tables, all filling out paper ballots. The lone voting machine was standing, available. The ten folks in front of me all took paper ballots and trundled off.

My moment of truth: show my suspicion of anything invented in the 20th century, or go for the geek? I asked the poll officer who was in charge of the paper ballots: "so, how any folks have used the machine?"

He got squinty for a moment. "Well, not many, I can tell you that. You're maybe the twentieth--"

"--Thirtieth--," cut in his seatmate.

"--to use it today."

I thought about all I knew about them, then decided to plunge into the uncertain future. "I'll take the machine," I said.

"Okey dokey," he said, and got up, sticking what looked like a plastic chalkboard eraser into the side of the machine.

I admit it: I was a bit intimidated by the thing when I first saw the thing. But as soon as I saw that it was a touch screen the little 'I hate knobs and levers' knot in my stomach unclenched, and voting proceeded apace.

I was the 32nd person to use it that entire day. Do the Republicans know something about those machines that I don't?