Bob Franken: On the one hand, on the other hand

  • By Bob Franken
  • Tuesday, April 29, 2014 4:39pm
  • Opinion

It’s time for the word of the day, people. Today’s choice is “ambivalence.” For those who might think it describes an emergency vehicle that takes you to the hospital, it is actually defined as uncertainty, not having strong feelings for either side of an issue. A synonym would be “wishy-washy.” Probably, it should be a word for every day.

Pardon the cynicism, but there are few good concepts that can’t be turned bad. Let’s take the Internet. I like to say that what’s good about it is that it’s available to everybody. What’s bad is that it’s available to everybody.

We can all agree, for another example, that the standard model of modern medicine in this country provides wonderful, even miraculous health care. Still there are many worthwhile choices beyond the incestuous doctor/nurse/surgery/pill-for-everything approach, where providers, in their specialty silos, prescribe drugs and/or operations as the cure for whatever ails you. At the same time, there are different, effective disciplines, like acupuncture, that oftentimes can work as well or even better.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Unfortunately, valid though it can be, alternative medicine is constantly twisted into quackery, and those looking for relief beyond restrictive traditional care are easy prey for charlatans. In the same way, there is no shortage of questionable practices, even outright corruption, where some doctors and certainly pharmaceutical companies take advantage of their unique places in our society and make a fortune doing it. So it’s another two-way street.

And so it is in the paint-by-numbers world of politics. There is always someone who wants to smear the shabby canvas. Rand Paul is the latest to present himself as alternative medicine for a system that is sick to the core.

In my opinion, which I should point out is not shared by campaign operatives and other hangers-on, Sen. Paul, with his appeal both to anti-establishment young people and old anti-government zealots, could possibly go all the way and become president. Or he could go down in flames. There’s that ambivalence again.

Millions believe that Paul is absolutely correct when he fights the massive surveillance done by the national-intelligence apparatus, as revealed by Edward Snowden. These are the people who consider Snowden a fugitive hero, and Paul speaks to their passion.

But he’s also drawn to the flame of anti-government excess. When Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy made a stink after his cattle were seized by heavily armed federal agents because he had accumulated more than a million dollars in unpaid fees for allowing them to graze on public land, heavily armed locals faced off against the feds. Rand Paul immediately offered his support, condemning government overreach. The authorities backed away to avoid a bloodbath, and Paul led the cheers. Imagine his embarrassment after Bundy decided he’d share his thoughts about blacks in our country: “I’ve often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn’t get no more freedom, they got less freedom.”

As the sportscaster used to say, “Whoooooah, Nelly!” Suddenly Paul was dropping Bundy like a stone: “His remarks on race are offensive, and I wholeheartedly disagree with him.” Ya think? The problem is that Rand Paul and his supporters have gotten in trouble over racial matters before, although to be fair, he certainly wasn’t the only Republican Bundy backer who was racing away as fast as their news releases could carry them. Even Fox News, which had made the man a hero, was turning tail. And also to be fair, Paul has gone out of his way to speak to black audiences. So what do we make of him? Is he the new wave or a champion of bigotry in new packaging — or both. Maybe our next word of the day will be “chameleon.”

Bob Franken is a longtime broadcast journalist, including 20 years at CNN.

More in Opinion

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Long-time friends are more important than ever to help us cope, to remind us we are not alone and that others feel the same way.

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.

You're browsing in private mode.
Please sign in or subscribe to continue reading articles in this mode.

Peninsula Clarion relies on subscription revenue to provide local content for our readers.

Subscribe

Already a subscriber? Please sign in