I guess I’m just not that political. Don’t get me wrong – I read the Salon articles on US politics, just to keep informed (I’m Canadian – bet you guys don’t read our news) but I don’t really understand some of the ins and outs. I had to have some of my intelligent commentators inform me what KBR was. I had no clue they were a subsidiaty of Haliburton and some of the horrific stories attached to them.
I suppose if I were more political I would have know that. It’s true, sometimes I skip over articles in Harper’s which I read before bed, as my brain won’t take it at the end of the day. The terminology and names which I do not know just slip by in a blur. Don’t get me wrong, I do try.
I have never missed the chance to vote in a Canadian election . Ok, one school board election when I knew NO ONE on the ballot – I was afraid of blindly voting in some Bible thumper that wanted Catcher in the Rye banned from schools. But other than that, I have taken time to listen to the issues, (I really am not pleased with any party we have), and voted for the man/woman who hits closest to my beliefs.
But American politics. Man, do you have a complicated mess. I don’t mean mess in the bad way, but so in depth, so many issues, so many sides, so many names that I can hardly keep it straight. Maybe I’m just a dodo – but holy cow, how do YOU guys keep track. I could read for days and still not get the full picture.
Now as I say, I do read the political e-zines, Harper’s, The New Yorker and try to keep myself abreast. But, man – sometimes I just get bogged down. I was thrilled for you guys when you elected President Obama – but now he’s getting picked on, even by his own colleagues. Why doesn’t he lash out some and kick some butt? Am I being ignorant? It just seems to me that when George W. was in charge and he was criticized, there was an immediate reaction to make someone pay. Nasty stories about the critics, the media would dig up some dirt or aid in making the politician a whack job. I’m not saying the gracious President Obama should stoop so low – but there must be SOME way of defending himself in a hard ass way. He just seems like the Teflon President and lets it all slide off his back, while the neo-cons (and some of his buddies) have a field day.
Okay, so maybe I have this all wrong. I still don’t understand why universal health care, like we have, is off the table. Is it because doctors and hospitals wouldn’t get paid quite so much? Taxes would be marginally higher? Private insurance companies would REALLY be pissed? Don’t get it. We have not turned into a communist country and it DOES work for us. No one has lost their home due to medical bills. Trust me.
Clean coal, health care, taxes, the wars in Afghanistan (we're in Afghanistan too) and Iraq, Haliburton (but not KBR until recently- see?) and that gay rights are moving SO slowly, but moving nonetheless. But the ins and outs of environmental actions, who's pro, who's against, what bill is attached to what other bill? Uh Uh. I have no idea who is involved in the more persnickety details. Not a clue.
So, I wade through your politics trying to figure out what the elephant is in the dark, never getting the full picture with names I don’t know, and issues that I didn’t know were issues. But I’m trying. I really am.
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Nelle Engoron
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Larry Nocella
norman kelley
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Salon.com
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Republican/neo-con/fascist/”Rich White Guys/Fundies = Self centered asshats that believe any social program is communism and that paying taxes is bad, but the government spending money on things that benefits them is good.
Democrat/liberal/pinko/wussy/liars/”Damn Dirty Hippies” = Weak kneed sissies that are afraid of their own shadows. Can be identified by their use of the terms “compromise”, “reach across the aisle” and “consensus”. They apparently also enjoy the prospects of being voted out of office during the next election by the EXACT same people that voted them in.
Some of it is good old fashioned HABIT on my part. Election officials aren't supposed to either endorse or vilify any candidate or issue on the ballot and I spent years as an election official kind of sitting off in the corner twiddling my thumbs and looking all adorable and "stuph" even when I was seething inside with the desire to scream "ARE YOU PEOPLE STUPID?" at people.
Some of it though, at least on my part, is a good old fashioned lack of interest on my part. I simply don't CARE about some of the CRAP that people get their knickers in a knot over.
"Clean coal"... it's a "buzz word" phrase that means absolutely nothing because there's NO such animal as "clean coal". Furthermore the environmental destruction done by mining isn't worth the cost of continuing to burn coal, be it for energy production or for some other reason. Understand that recent research has shown that EVERY underground explosion done in mining for coal and other minerals has the *same* effect on the tectonic plates as a small volcano erupting. Mountain top removal isn't the "answer" for that problem either because it does even MORE damage to the environment and the people who live in the areas where it is done. All of that is not withstanding the fact that 40% of ALL environmental mercury is caused directly by burning coal.
The US "health care" debate isn't about actual CARE. It is purely and simply about insurance and unfortunately, nobody is talking about actual CARE. On the issue of Canadian "Universal Health care"... it's NOT actually "universal". I have 2 children who qualify because they were born in Canada and are considered Canadians... on the other hand I have been paying $400 a DAY for the last 10 days (with 4 more days to go on the IV treatment) to go to the emergency room to sit in the waiting room for 4 hours while IV Antibiotics trickle into my veins. I'm a "temporary resident" and NOT a citizen, legal immigrant or permanent resident so I do NOT qualify for Universal Health Care. (No biggie, I'll write the check and eventually my insurance company will give me back 90% of the cost BUT in the meantime that's $2800 a WEEK that I'm paying for NECESSARY medical care and I have a MINIMUM of 6 more weeks of oral antibiotics to get through in addition to the IV antibiotics and since I am ALLERGIC to most antibiotics we aren't talking something cheap like penicillin. ) The reality is that NO insurance/payment method is without holes for people to fall through and that is something that MOST Americans are completely unwilling or unable to understand.
The whole KBR/Haliburton clusterf*ck is one that I tend to AVOID as though it has the plague. I've spent the last 9 years working in the Petroleum Industry and there are HORROR stories that I could tell but *won't* because in the main people don't *care* about the industry as a whole unless something like KBR/Haliburton or an oil spill happens.
I would if I could on Faux News and Glen Beck but I can't. I don't understand it either... the stupidity that they spout drives me positively insane BUT they DO make it easy to figure out who has critical thinking skills and who does NOT.
I would rather Harper STAY in Canada Thanks... The only "good" thing about him is that I'm an American so I get to ignore him when he engages in asshattery and assholishness.
Thanks for ALL you've contributed. Good comments indeed. I feel so much better. Sigh. Just don't send the Puritans to us.
You also have "pro-lifers" which means they feel that a zygote is a human life and its mother must spend all of her physical and financial resources to care for it but a person cannot be ordered to give blood or bone marrow to his own living child in order to save its life. These are the pro-life, pro-war and pro-death penalty crowd. They feel that it's the government's God-given duty to make certain women keep giving birth without access to birth control but government-funded health-care, school lunches, child care and other school programs are part of an evil communist/socialist/fascist plot. They tend to be infinitely more concerned with the perceived immorality of their neighbors than in their own toe-tapping, prostitute-buying tendencies. THEIR religion strictly involves telling OTHERS what they may or may not do with their own bodies or in their own families, or what may not be taught in school.
You also have corporate-owned media which feels that the 1st Amendment means that they have the right to spin stories for their financial intersts and twist or omit stories which are contrary to those interests. This is how a major news network can be so gung-ho for war and dismiss all opposing views. They were owned by a corporation which makes bombs and other weapons, thus meaning war is great for them financially. Sadly, most Americans are too over-worked and exhausted to question what they hear.
There is one thing which needs to be addressed regarding FOX "News" and the other entirely owned subsidiaries of the Republican party: FOX has a large following by telling people that it's just and good to listen to their meanest, most bigotted instincts. This is not just an American phenomenon. The world over has seen people commit the most horrific acts because they were told it was a good thing to do. It goes beyond merely assigning one's moral authority over to another. This is an embrace of our darkest instincts and doing so has always been immensely popular, or we never would have had Nazi Germany, fascists, the problems in Sudan and other African genocides and the conflict in Bosnia. FOX plays to the racial politics of the 1960s because it needs the fears of those who no longer see this country as "their" country since it started welcoming and electing as leaders those who do not look, dress, act or pray in the same manner as they.
Those who are for the public option tend to have high hopes for better care, lower costs, and an elevated level of access for all. Those who are opposed fear unnecessary government expansion, higher costs, and a reduced level of care. Both sides have valid points. Both sides also have whack-job advocates who are an embarrassment to what passes for public discourse.
There is no moral high ground on this issue. Only serious concern from all sides that deserve serious consideration.
Of course a big part of the problem is that Americans are fighting over proposals that don't actually exist as of yet. There is no single plan in play. And many of the terms used, such as "death panel," and "public option," haven't actually been defined to the point that you can make a reasonable argument for or against either. They mean whatever the person speaking thinks they mean. Which makes the argument as difficult as can be. It's like trying to order a sandwich from someone who uses the terms "mayonnaise" and "herring" interchangeably. You'll get a sandwich all right, but it won't be what you were expecting - no matter what you thought you asked for.
This is the same thing - just with much higher stakes than the possibility of an unpleasant lunch.
Assume that 90 percent of the people flapping their gums are uninformed and ignorant.
It makes it so much easier. Some dumbass talks about socialism and says that government needs to stay out of health care but don't you dare touch my medicare? Well, if you figure he's uninformed and ignorant, it's easy to understand.
Nice piece!