It's Our Soap Box
We don't often get into overt politicking on the GLONO flagship site but we're getting a little annoyed with what we're seeing out there. From neck stompings to detentions to crybaby-ism, we've had enough. So we have a few words for Glorious Noise readers of all political stripes: Grow Up.
We apparently have three kinds of voters in this country: Republican, Independent, and Democratic. We here at GLONO have messages for each of you:
To our Republican friends: Are you nuts? You're being duped by these guys again? If you're truly Conservative you can't possibly be considering voting these clowns back into office. Do you not remember the massive expansion of government, the exponentially growing deficits, the TWO wars (and counting), and the restrictions on basic civil rights these guys brought us during the Bush years? And if you're a "common sense" government-type then the likes of Christine O'Donnell, Joe Miller, Sharron Angle and any other sharpie running under the Tea Party banner must scare the shit out of you. Remember, Congressional politics and legislation is all about compromise. If you elect uncompromising ideologues then you get NOTHING. Let's not screw the whole country up to make a statement.
To our Independent friends: Make up your mind already and pick a team. How can a voting block who elected Barack Obama even consider voting for a bunch of lunatics like those noted above? That is insane, or at least shows a severe lack of knowledge about who is who in politics. Don't give me this bunk about "there's no significant difference between the parties" nonsense either. If you really believe that then read on to what we have to say to the Democrats among us.
To our Democratic friends: Stop being babies. It may not seem like it (because the opposition is awesome at...well...opposing) but this has been an incredibly productive two years since Barack Obama was elected President. No, you haven't gotten everything you wanted (especially you Liberal Dems), but complaining about that is like complaining that you got vanilla ice cream instead of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. And yes, it's disappointing that Congressional leadership seems to be running from what should be a rallying cry.
But let's get the heart of the matter here: if you're unsatisfied now with the amount of progress, wait until the Republicans hold a house...or two. Bill Maher said it best a couple weeks ago:
When it comes to voting, when we only have two choices, You gotta grow up and realize there's a big difference between a disappointing friend and a deadly enemy.
Make no mistake, if you lean progressive then the GOP is your political enemy. The strategic (aka, the grown-up) thing to do is to ensure they don't completely stop the slow rolling progress that's being made.
It's time to vote.
What Have You Done for Me Lately?
• Drastic draw down of combat forces in Iraq. No, the war's not over and Afghanistan is likely just beginning to get ugly, but it's a real start.
• The Democratic response to the Bush recession prevented the loss of 8 million more jobs, stopped unemployment from soaring to more than 16 percent, and will decrease our budget deficit by $3 trillion over the next three years.
• The Economic Recovery Act alone cut taxes for 98 percent of Americans.
• Not ideal, but healthcare reform is law now and it's just the first step. While some of the provisions are rolling out painfully slowly, the new Patients' Bill of Rights kicked in last month.
Americans are already benefiting from several important provisions that have taken effect. More than 4 million small businesses are eligible for $40 billion in tax credits, helping them offer employee health insurance coverage. Children with pre-existing conditions who have long been denied coverage now have access to a health plan in every state, including Maryland. Seniors in the Medicare Part D program are now receiving an annual supplement of $250 as the first installment toward closing the notorious "doughnut hole." No longer will seniors be forced to choose between food or heat and lifesaving medications. Early retirees are also benefiting, because the program helps employers continue their health coverage.
• Bailouts may have saved the American Automotive industry, ensuring millions more did not end up on the unemployment rolls.
• Financial Regulation overhaul. Again, imperfect, but at least some of the more egregious practices have been curtailed...theoretically. To be honest, this is one of the bigger thorns in our side too, but we digress...
• No Drama Obama: Other than the Salahi's party crashing, this has been a remarkably scandal-free White House.
• World opinion of the US greatly improved. And before any of you isolationists get all worked up with your "who cares what they think of us" indignation, let's not forget that we live in a global economy and under the threat of global terrorism. We kinda need to work with the other guys.
• We are very, very near a repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. We are as annoyed as anyone at the time and process to repeal this clearly unconstitutional infringement on privacy and equal protection (not to mention the unnecessary security risk posed by drumming out capable and qualified gay patriots), but there is sure and steady progress being made and repeal is within sight...unless Republican majorities in Congress stop it.
A cross-post with Our flagship publication, Glorious Noise.
Comments
While I appreciate the attempt at civility, the philosophical divide in politics is so vast now that I don't see much common ground left. I know I've been very guilty of steering some rather non-political postings on Glono into overt political discussions and for that I apologize. By now it's probably something like "that Jonathan - what a dick." It's very challenging to debate a sincere 100% political disagreement without getting personal. I care deeply about the direction of our country and that concern is permeating many areas of life. I would guess those sentiments are the same on the left. But here goes :
You've had enough? Of what? Americans speaking out against policies that they disagree with? Or can only the left protest (and burn dumpsters and throw rocks at police but I digress)?
Tuesday's results will show who's had enough. Enough of government takeovers of banks, car companies, student loans, health care.
Stunning inaccuracies in your post, Derek but I know you were referencing a lot of other media sources - again I'm NOT attacking you personally. You and Jake seem like such really cool guys to me (as much as internet communications can establish such feelings).
During Nancy Pelosi's 1st speech on the House floor as Speaker in 2007, she proudly proclaimed "no more deficit spending". Since then, the Democrat controlled Congress has increased the national debt by over 5 trillion dollars. Please don't come back with the Bush recession nonsense - look up the unemployment rate during his eight years in office - below 5%. Yes the financial meltdown occured at the end of his term. How did that come about? The Community Reinvestment Act (Carter/Clinton/Barney Frank/Chris Dodd) requiring banks to lend to those who would not "normally" be qualified for a mortgage. Liberalism - never judged on results - only good intentions.
The Tea Party has been portrayed in the liberal media as angry, racist, etc. Fuckin' A right we're angry. Racist? - good grief. Let's look at yesterday's revealing display of Democrat hypocrisy down in Florida. Here we have Bill Clinton coming in and trying to force the legitimately elected primary winner Meeks to quit the race so a turncoat tanned hack Charlie Crist can beat a genuine Hispanic conservative Marco Rubio. Stunning. Throw the black Democrat candidate under the bus - all to stop a threat to establishment liberalism. Where is Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton?
Scandal free White House? Please again. Did you follow the corrupt process to pass the health care takeover? Bribing votes from Ben Nelson in Nebraska and Mary Landrieu(sp?) in Louisiana? Not having a Senate hearing for Donald Berwick, MD - the Marxist health care czar (fitting term for this bunch). so they can proclaim "wow - 30 million people are now insured". Cutting 500+ billion from Medicare - at what human cost? Where is it in the Constitution that the government can MANDATE that any individual purchase ANY product or service? It's not there - sorry. But I realize many liberals either despise the founding document or at best see it as a "living breathing document".
"The Economic Recovery Act alone cut taxes for 98% of Americans". Really. Is that why this cowardly Congress chose to go home and not vote on extending the Bush tax CUTS? So that way, when they expire in January, it's just an expiration - not a tax increase right?
I am a conservative/libertarian patriot - NOT a Republican. I love my children and wife, bluegrass, Neil Young, sushi, organic foods, marijuana, Jesus Christ, and the diversity of opinion in America (in no particular order here). What I despise is a President going all over the world apologizing for our nation and bowing to foreign leaders and giving the Queen of England an I-pod filled with his speeches and having an embarassing beer summit and going on comedy shows and comparing himself to the Special Olympics on Letterman (look it up - it happened) and suing the state of Arizona for trying to stop its massive influx of human beings to dropping the case against the Black Panthers in Philadelphia for 100% thug voter intimidation caught on tape and dividing Americans into categories based on race, class, and gender.
Bush is gone. Let him go off into history libs. Look up how many Democrats voted for the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan before labeling them 'Bush's wars'.
Tuesday's results will speak for themselves and after that, the "media" will surely spin it all as a temper tantrum or some other demeaning analysis of the electorate.
Thank you Derek and Jake for the forum to post and rant - peace and love and good Neil Young Homegrown love vibes to you and yours - not a sarcastic thank you either. Peace.
Posted by: Jonathan | October 29, 2010 1:55 PM
Don't know if you'll cross link my rant to the flagship but please do so I can get my drubbing there too.
Posted by: Jonathan | October 29, 2010 2:13 PM
Jonathan,
Great points here and extra credit for a civil and thoughtful tone.
I won't address each point-by-point but will sum up by saying I am a pragmatist. I am interested in the path to the most sensible solutions. The GOP is not part of the equation--for anyone, as far as I can see. If you're conservative, then I understand an affinity for Tea Party rhetoric, but not for the candidates as they've to a person shown to be childish dolts. Establishment candidates have proven themselves to be incompetent at best, thieves at worst. I simply point to the Bush years when Congress was held by the Republicans and all this talk about "fiscal responsibility" and "small government" becomes laughable.
So that leaves an imperfect Democratic party as the only option that makes sense. Letting the Bush tax cuts (those that apply to the top 2% of incomes, mind you) is fine by me, especially when coupled with a middle class tax cut like we have now. It worked like charm in the Clinton years because the majority of spending is done by the middle class--you know, because they make up the vast majority of the country. I don't see any disconnect in expiring tax cuts for the wealthy while extending them to the middle class. That makes perfect sense to me.
I won't even address Obama's "apologizing" for America or bowing to foreign dignitaries as it's so inconsequential as to be silly. I'm not sure why it botehrs you, but I guess I don't really care either. My thoughts on why it's important to maintain a positive global image are in the post.
The Black Panther thing is a laughable red herring, but go ahead and join the fear of a black planet. two dudes in front of a polling station does not a national conspiracy make. BTW, the Bush DOJ dropped the case...
OK. Again, we appreciate the contribution to the discussion and the decent approach. Please keep it up!
Posted by: Derek Phillips | October 29, 2010 3:50 PM
What is that Bill Maher quote? Something like "sometime in the last decade the left moved to the Center and the Right moved into the insane asylum?"
It's hard these days to take seriously ANYTHING coming out of the mouths of Teapublicans. The people I know who've stayed on the Right Wing Bus are either so ignorant that it's impossible to have a civil conversation with them, or they're such blatent liars that it's not worth having a conversation with them.
The desintegration of the Republican Party into the gutter of Right Wing paranoia is the inevitable outcome of trading ideas for fear and hate.
If you adopt as a guiding principle that Government is inherently bad AND that it's the root of all evil in society, everything you do after that point will only poison the political well.
Government is a reflection of it's constituencies and citizens. It is exactly what you want it to be. If you want it to be evil. It will be.
But at the same time, it's the only entity in society that can and should provide a counter to other forms of non democratic centralized power.
Government is democracy. And you are either a democrat (in the non policial party sense of the term) or you aren't.
Posted by: scotty | November 1, 2010 8:06 AM
I wish people would stop blaming me for the 2006 decline. Clearly, George Washington caused that, while I am the only reason why employment rates were so good in 2005.
"How did that come about? The Community Reinvestment Act (Carter/Clinton/Barney Frank/Chris Dodd) requiring banks to lend to those who would not "normally" be qualified for a mortgage. Liberalism - never judged on results - only good intentions."
PS. thanks for demonstrating why anyone with more than a centipede's cognitive abilities just laughs at dittohead propaganda.
Posted by: Attila | November 4, 2010 8:54 AM