...But I'm not impressed with what I'm seeing these days; the permitted debate is more over exactly how we want our socialism served up and if we want fries with that than any real issues -- and it ignores a very real divide in public opinion.
Leading up to the presidential election, public opinion was overwhelmingly opposed to bailing out lenders, so much so it crashed the phone system serving Congressional offices. Didn't make any difference. The same thing happened with automakers begging for a bailout and the porkulous bill -- and received little coverage and made no difference.
Oh, the two parties continue to spit and spat and the GOP is back to playing, with adequate skill, a dog in the Congressional manger; but I believe the issues that divide Washington are not the issues that divide public opinion. While the blinkered faithful remain content to be led by posturing politicos and an increasingly lazy media, more and more citizens are finding their voices are not heard. It is a trend that, if it goes on long enough, could lead to another realignment in the party system. It has happened before. Could it be about to happen again? I don't know.
I'll tell you, Roberta, that more and more Canadians feel the same. Our opinions are not considered and what we are concerned about, or bothered by, are increasingly ignored. Or at least we feel that way.
ReplyDeleteThis results, of course, is that voters in both countries are gradually becoming more and more disenchanted with the politicians and the various political processes we both have.
I have great sympathy for the saying of an American friend of mine: Don't vote; it only encourages the assholes.
I know that stance doesn't fix the problem but it is times like these that the concept of a revolution come to the fore, again.
Regards.
One may hope.
ReplyDeleteI keep seeing references in the media to the "overwhelming support" for the Porkulous Bill, which is simply absurd.
'Nother Tea Party in Seattle this Friday, I am working, so won't make it.
"I believe the issues that divide Washington are not the issues that divide public opinion."
ReplyDeleteYou could write a decent sized book on just that topic alone!
I too have been thinking about this quite a bit recently. I used to be a Republican because they most closely matched my views. However, in recent years, the GOP has been distinguished by a complete lack of balls brightened briefly by the selection of Sarah Palin running for Veep.
ReplyDeleteI am a Conservative. That is spelled with a capital "C" and I'm not embarrassed to say so unlike most of the GOP leadership. There currently is no political party that meets my needs. The Libertarians make themselves irrelevant at every opportunity.
A Pox on all of them.
distinguished by a complete lack of balls brightened briefly by the selection of Sarah Palin
ReplyDeleteHell, mine are still bright.
Please refer to my monograph on "What Commas Can Do for You."
I wrote to Richard Lugar, Evan Bayh and Andre Carson. To opose the porkulous bill sent faxes to all I hve not recieved a response from any with regards to the bail out. Lugar has responded to two other issues but not porkulouse.
ReplyDeleteAnon, I'm so glad you were here in time for English class. I would suggest, however, that "comments" tend to be informal and have poor provision for editing after one has clicked the "Publish..." button.
ReplyDelete...and hilarity ensues.
ReplyDeleteThere's a lack of briefly-brightened balls, and we're not supposed to notice?
That's taking informality pretty far.
Look, Anon, noticing is fine. You lost on style.
ReplyDeleteIn re "commas, wielding of," go read the Second Amendment and get back to me.
My point, exactly. What we used to call a Philadelphia lawyer will take an extra comma, or lack thereof, and shove it and its auxiliary phrase right where the balls are brightest.
ReplyDeleteOnce in a while someone informally leaves one out and makes an inadvertent funny. Laugh! Life is short. Standards are low. The jokes, they write themselves.
I keep seeing references in the media to the "overwhelming support" for the Porkulous Bill, which is simply absurd.
ReplyDeleteDrang: "overwhelming support" from people who write big checks to legislators.