I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Friday, October 10, 2008

You've got to be taught before it's too late

Okay, like I said, I'm trying not to post politics, but I just can't stand it. The McCain campaign, and the Republican Party has gone over the edge IMHO.

If you don't want to see political ranting, just skip this post. I'll try and get most of it out in one post. Sort of like taking off a bandage, do it quick and it won't hurt as much (or as long).

First up, the longer we continue in the Bush Administration the clearer it becomes that Karl Rove attempted to use the machinery of government to intimidate, skew, and fix elections. He wrote papers on how to do this and engineered using the Justice Department to do this, taking a non-polical body and making it intentionally political. He created mechanisms to disenfranchise voters of the right to the ballot. He used fear and a cynical corruption of religion in this nation to push his agenda of political dominance. Karl Rove is a traitor to his country and the ideals of its founding. And yes, I do mean that word; high crimes against society have been committed. He attempted a political coup d'etat to install his own political hegemony. Some of them will see people going to jail, but Karl will skate away free. And when I say treason, I do believe he should be put in jeopardy of the full punishment for that crime. His crimes rise to that level. He is a pirate of the political system. And not the warm fuzzy "Dread Pirate Roberts" kind, he's the stick 'em like a pig kind.

While I'm thinking about duplicity, you know those McCain ads that have been recycling the disproved charges of Obama championing teaching kindergartners sex education, like they're handing out condoms at milk time? Well, one, it was disproved back when it first came up as Obama was running for US Senate, but why let actual facts disrupt an ideological charge? (one of the reasons I'm incredibly pissed) The law actually included the text "age appropriate sex education." For kids that young it means telling them that nobody should be touching them in inappropriate ways. So, what McCain is actually saying with these ads is that he and the republican party do not approve of protecting kids from sexual predators (keep in mind the vast majority of sexual abuse occurs within a family). Given the current level of logic being used by the conservative side of things (logic, ur doing it wrong), this means that McCain and the Republican Party approves of sexually abusing kids.

About the financial crisis and this whole, "the Democrats didn't do anything to fix these problems," line of arguments, it is just infuriating. Yes, the Democrats didn't fix the errors introduced into the system by the Free Market Republicans. And when they did try to fix them, the Republicans blocked them. It's like shouting, "Look, Rome is burning while Nero fiddles," while holding the still burning match.

And finally we come to the questions of race. This is the part that drives me up a wall, and one that McCain and his supporters are pushing to the point of having people yelling out at his rallies how Obama is a "Traitor" and "should be shoot." Really. People, it's time to take your meds. There are costs to this kind of demagoguery, usually someone ends up hurt (either the intended victim or the instigator) by those that are being riled up. On the other side I've heard of people who won't vote for Obama because, "He'll have their agenda and needs in mine, and not our own (read, white people)." One, exceptionally stupid for a politician, and two this means these people have been thinking they've voted people in to help protect white class society from all "them other people." And they think they've been right in thinking this all this time (no, I'm not going to rewrite that).

Where are we going and just WTF am I doing in this hand-basket?

3 comments:

Rick said...

Wait, here's another open slot for me to post about politics without danger of it being associated with my own blog. So if you don't want to see political ranting, just skip this comment. Thanks, Steve.

But what to say? In fact, what was the original post about? It wasn't about Stewart's upcoming candidacy... wait, I'll just push the "Original Post" button.

The thing is, Steve, Democrats and Republicans are really one and the same political parties under different labels, which is why they both behave the same.

Democrats fix and buy elections, Republicans buy and fix elections. Democrats register dead people as voters, and Republicans register dead people as voters. The Clinton administration and the Bush administration are the same. Neither of them control the economy, but either of them is glad to step up to the plate and take credit. When things are going good the peasants think the king and queen are really wise and that's why the crops are growing so well. When things are really bad, the royal family is cursed and the peasants hate them.

We are fooled, as the current lame refrain goes, by randomness. Though the truth is that the populace is rarely fooled by randomness- they just like what they like. Kind of like when your mother says, "That girl is no good," and you know that she is much better than good- she is willing. So it goes for politics.

Until we have a viable third party to harass the other two, we will have nothing but more of the same mental masturbatory practices of thinking the "Clinton administration" or the "Bush administration" actually exist as good or bad administrations. Remember Fred Orwell's dictum that "The masses are so easy to distract. Just point your finger and say, 'He did it. Then run the other way with the money.' They'll look every time."

The spectacle of millionaires running for office caring for "Main Street" is sometimes too much to bear. However, the spectacle of otherwise good minds thinking it is worth thinking about it is worse.

Our current two party system is the root of the problem. With the two party system, we can't even get term limits for corrupt politicians, much less the 1.248% percent that are not (statistics provided by the Christians for Muslims who want to be Buddhist Foundation).

Canada, even though a fourth world country secretly and misguidely lusting to own as many Volkswagen Beatles as Mexico, does do some things right, even though by accident. They have a third party. It's filled with colorful, passionate, well meaning and politically inept nutbars as an truly meaningful party should be. But at least it is not beholden to the two main Canadian politcal parties that are as corrupt as any Democratic or Republican administration ever was.

In fact, Democrats and Republicans, like transvestites in love with a mirror, could use a little fashion advice from a third party.

Well, now. This should fill up this posting to the point of making you think ten or twenty people stopped by!

Rick said...

Fred Orwell, by the way, is no relation to George Orwell. Fred was arrested for wearing a black and burgundy trench coat outside of a high school. He was not trying to pick up young girls, but was rather arrested for bad taste in winter wear.

Steve Buchheit said...

Hey Rick, I'm sure it appears that the Dems and Republicans are the same when the act the same. There are differences of policy and focus. For my worth, the country seems to be a nicer place when the Dems are in charge. Things go pear-shaped when the Republicans take over. But each go to the same trough to feed, which tends to make them appear the same.

I think the major difference in Canada is that there is an open and weekly struggle in the form of "Open Questions." A tradition we should import, IMHO.