Hurry Up!

There's a new genetic study out that indicates human evolution may be speeding up. I find this reassuring for a number of reasons. Most important? I'm sure that our DNA will quickly figure out how patently unfair it is that middle-aged women grow fat for no discernible reason while middle-aged men get another 10 years to pack it in before they pack it on.

Running a close second, I am pleased that we humans will evolve quickly because George Bush and his minions might be run out town before sundown, as surely our high tolerance for Republican rigidity, duplicity and just plain stupidity will be among the first traits phased out by the process.

If not, we may have to put up with op-ed writers like David Brooks for the rest of his natural born life, God help us. Bush Boy Brooks thinks the war is over--or will be by the election. It is impossible to determine from his columns what, exactly, informs him to hold this opinion. But shaping the news to fit his views allows him to craft a whole new world out there in electionland.

The surge worked? Americans don't care about the war because polls show they aren't as concerned about terrorism as they were post-9/11? Voters are more concerned about domestic issues because it is now, effectively, a post war election? Huckabee is a "pragmatic gubernatorial Republican"? And my favorite line " The world still has its problems, but it no longer seems to be building toward some larger crisis."

Everything's all better now, folks. No more causes for concern. Bush has handled the world just fine for the past 7 years, and now he's ready to turn it over to a domestic wizard like Mike Huckabee. Here's a guy so on the ball that the day after the National Intelligence Estimate was released, he merrily confessed to knowing nothing about it. In his sermons, he preached that Adam and Eve were real live people. And he believes that history proves that gay marriage will be the end of civilization.

The end of civilization? No, hon. The end of civilization approaches not because of gay marriage but because a proud nation like the US has stooped to not only torturing prisoners with obscene tools like a waterboard, but hiding its illegal activities by erasing the evidence of same.

Civilization is far more likely to be truly in danger when governments believe that the ends justify the means. Civilization truly suffers when governments believe that they are above the law, be that law of its own country or international law. Civilization is truly threatened when citizens can no longer rely on their government to respect and uphold values central to our nation, such as protecting human rights.

The surge didn't work. The war is far, far from over, by any estimate. The latest Gallup poll show that the war continues to be the top issue of concern for Americans. And a candidate who doesn't even follow the news of the day cannot possibly be called "pragmatic". But other than those small details, David Brooks was completely accurate.

Evolution can't come soon enough.

Liz