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Sunday, Nov 8, 2009
rrheard
Published Letters: 2603
Ever been to a political rally? A fundy revival or Sunday Pentacostal service? This isn't even remotely scary compared to those. I see neither the violence inducing spectre of the masses jacked up on booze itching for a fight in the stands or irrational religious passion looking for a sinner to castigate.
It is meant to be both inspiring and motivational. God forbid ordinary (or not) citizens could become inspired or motivated to take part in (possibly) a fundamental political change of direction. Show a little engagement and spirit for something other than war and faux patriotism. What would be scary is if everyone's exteriors were plastered with 67 flag lapel pins and they were chanting from the back of extended cab F-350's "Obama means 4 more years in Iraq" and burning something in effigy ! ! ! That would be scary. Oh wait, I got confused with a John McCodpiece political rally. My bad.
If this appears scary to you then it is simple projection of something very questionable in your heart i.e. fear of anyone or anything that doesn't walk, talk, look, eat, pray, or think like you expect them to. Typical that some would make an ad hominem attack on the quality of the messenger's collective occupations (actors/artists/faux celebrities i.e. no-nothing flakes) rather than the simplicty, importance and beauty of what many seek to accomplish--a cleaner, better, more peaceful world . . . yeah singing together must be real scary to some. Maybe it would have been more political rational and reasoned to draw some very complex flow charts and delegate equations to motivate people in some wonky geeked out politically high brow ad. Or not. I liked the video and Sen. Obama wasn't my first choice but I'm coming around.
Nobody here is really shocked, are they? At this point we play an ever diminishing role in our own self governance (presuming that at some point in our shared history we played a larger one--which I tend to doubt). So until and unless we begin electing citizen candidates "funded" only by living breathing preferably "working class citizens" (or we have an economic meltdown--entirely possible) our system will continue NOT to serve our interests but those of the capital class. That we are but bit players in this grand political play is unsurprising and nothing new. So long as we continue banging our heads against the interior walls of the system we are contained and zero threat to the status quo.
Our system of government and the rule of law is designed for precisely one purpose--maintenance of the class status quo. It is constructed so as to create the illusion that citizen input can affect change. Anyone who thought this would play out differently has never been to the theatre before or borders on the delusional.
There are a few honorable citizen legislators but they are the vast underachieving minority with little of the actual political capital necessary to sustain positive change or serve the interests of "we the people" except on the margins.
This couldn't have gone any other way because the vast majority of the populace simply doesn't have the time or wherewithall to generate sufficient political power to hold anyone accountable. Hell most think casting a vote is the end all be all of civic responsibility. I'd be willing to bet that the Congressional staffers go out for beers after work and trade stories of the "loonies" that call in demanding accountability and guffaw at the very notion that citizens making phone calls, faxing, e-mailing, and writing letters influences legislation.
Seriously though. That FDR was considered a class traitor and in serious jeopardy of being bumped off because of the changes he implemented should be proof positive of the above points. The system exists--at all costs--to perpetuate itself and the status quo. As for the "rule of law." Read most legal decisions of importance and the overriding value to be served is, wait for it, "predictability." You rarely see justice or fairness mentioned but you always see predictability. Well sometimes you see the inverse which is "not opening the floodgates of litigation." How utterly scary it is to give the little people real legal recourse. That's only for the aristocrats and corporate entities.
Nothing quite as weird and unsettling as watching the Bizarro World Propogandist/Stenographer Corps cut loose with some beef, booze, and The Triple M (Maverick-y McTemper McCodpiece). In light of all GG's recent posts on the rules of journalistic integrity, isn't one of them "I will not drunkenly bumble around on a tire swing with the objects of my reporting at their swell Sedona country get-away cabin?"
Now where did I put that passport renewal application? (Seriously, like they'd let me leave just because I wanted to--that's the "old America").
"And like we stopped at Taco Bell . . . and like, it was a lot more fun that I'd thought it would be, cause they're like, you know, JOURNALISTS, eeeeuuw." (At least she was driving what looked like a Prius or some other fuel efficient Toyota although I didn't see any flag poles flying old glory or flag lapel pins on anyone at the party--whole shindig smacked of something less than fully patriotic bordering on outright communism don't you think?).
Maybe we could push for an Amendment to the Constitution changing the country's motto to accurately reflect its true nature: America--land of the kinda free, home of the bravely self-deluded and pathologically hypocritical reality tv watching boneheads.
but the sad fact of the matter is vast swaths of "we the people" are just silly and screwed up enough to fall for this offal packaged as "relevant".
God that would be political suicide for the GOP. It has to be about distraction or misdirection or pants wetting or they lose because they don't have anything of substance. Conservativism is a morally and economically bankrupt ideology and if they are forced to defend it on the merits they lose. By necessity they must really on the above, soft reasoning, circular arguments, and fear.
Much of the initial coverage about Fort Hood turned out to be wrong. Is there anything wrong with that?
The accountability imposed by another country for the CIA's kidnapping and torture reveals much about our own.
Fox News' morning show plays to type, talking about whether Muslims in the Army should face "special debriefings"
The survivor and author is upset about comparisons some on the right are making to genocide
219 Democrats and one Republican join in favor of the legislation, which passed by a narrow margin
Salon headlines in your mailbox
