Saturday, May 06, 2006

Play with 'em. But don't break 'em.


Oh oh, I'm beginning to sense there's an election just around the corner. How's that, you ask? Well, there was this little article in yesterday's paper telling how a panel in the Senate pushed onward with their proposed amendment to the constitution to ban desecration of the American flag!

God in heaven! I was wondering what the hot issue of this fall's election would be? Maybe flag burning! Or, who knows? Maybe it'll be a ban on abortions or family planning? Gay marriage is hot. How about prayers in schools and commandments in public buildings? And, oh holy shit....there's always the threat of gun control--that omnipresent threat to our 2nd amendment rights.

These are certainly topics deserving of a front burner because, as every American knows it's issues like these that so threaten the very fabric of American government and our way of life.

But maybe a word of caution would be wise here to all those in D.C. up for reelection. You may not want to really resolve any of those controversial issues.

Why? Well, if one looks at the big issues of Bush's first "election," it was those of moral decay, corruption and the scandals in Washington. These are things Bush republicans can no longer harp on. That's because they've neutralized them as issues with their very own corruption, scandals and moral decay.

The 2004 election preyed on fear. Americans responded positively to the stronger security Bush offered them. Of course now, as weekly revelations reveal, even "slow Americans" are beginning to display growing doubts about a president who can't even find Osama bin Laden and who attacked the wrong nation in response to 9/11. And then there was Katrina.

The war's approval is dramatically sinking while Bush threatens to ignite another one. Perhaps that will increase every slow American's sense of security Bush provides, resulting in more astounding victories in the November elections as Bush hopes. And who knows, maybe by nuking Iran and with a little nudging of the numbers from electronic voting machines it will.

But with dissatisfaction growing dramatically among Americans with their checkless and balanceless government, it may become extremely difficult to steal another election; to reconcile such enormous disparities between public opinion and paperless computer vote tallies. At some point, it may be that even overly docile apathetic Americans will get pissed!

But I kinda doubt conservative republicans will want to use security as an issue this fall. That's because insecurities are up, not down, thanks to Bush policies.

Some of Bush's other past "hot" campaign issues seem to be resolved or compromised too. Like his anti-big government advocacy and keeping big government out of private citizen's lives. That's because we now enjoy the biggest government in history we can't afford. The nation is bankrupt! Meanwhile, the FBI and NSA are tapping American's phones, reading their e-mails and spying without warrants causing us all to feel less secure, not more. It's enough to leave one wondering which is the far graver threat? Terrorism or our own government?

Then their was that criticism of our weak military under Clinton. Keep in mind, this comes from an administration of chickenshit war hawks with little or no military background. But Rumsfeld has banished that critique! I don't think many conservatives will be riding that beaten, dead horse into November.

Another recurring Bush theme is his advocacy of state's rights over the federal government's. But this is full of inconsistencies on issues such as assisted suicide, gay marriage, medical marijuana, food labelling. And then there's the tendency of the federal government to blackmail state policy by withholding funds for highways if states don't pass federal legislation desired, or schools that don't permit students to be recruited as much needed government fodder for our global militant ambitions.

So conservatives must be careful. Most of their high ground morality is either sinking or now being co-opted by an eager opposition party wanting to claim their share of the responsibility for wars, unaffordable deficits, shrinking rights, increased insecurities from further Homeland Security intrusions into our lives, etc.

Other issues, such as energy, healthcare costs and burgeoning numbers of uninsured, vanishing job security and pensions are shared by both parties. That is, there's little discernable differences between them. Neither seems inclined to solve these problems themselves. They're much too controversial, which makes them far too risky politically. Better to let their insurance, pharmaceutical, oil and other industry benefactors make the laws. They know what's best for all Americans!

So okay, with elections on the horizon and most issues either compromised or too hot to handle, go ahead and roll out those passionate perennials. Play with 'em, toss 'em around, but for god's sake, don't break them by solving 'em. Leave those flag burners, gays, bible thumpers, abortionists, NRA folks hangin' another two years. We're gonna need some kind of really significant issues to delineate our differences in the '08 elections.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Flag burnin' again! you'd think GWB would have learned a little more from his father's mistakes. Remember Doonesbury's cartoons of Bush Sr all wrapped up in the American Flag? And there is almost NOTHING that makes me angrier than that Americans can get so worked up over flag desecration, but when it comes to desecrating the whole damn country & everything we've been proud to stand for? It's almost as ironic as a "compassionate conservative" or the GOP being "fiscally responsible as opposed to those tax'n'spend dems" when a hard-core third of the country will vote to keep on the scandalous bankruptcy train as long as no gays, aborters & their doctors, non-christians, or peace-loving diplomacy-minded folk who support the Bill of Rights are allowed to board.

I think a good American Epitath should incorporate Abbie Hoffman's "Democracy is not something you believe in ... it's something you DO. If you stop doing it, democracy crumbles". -- D.K.

Dada said...

Oh D.K. -- Thanks for your angry comment. I feel lightheaded. It's making me swoon. God how I love this subject. (I'd throw in a link to one of my very earliest blogs here from June 23rd, "Latest distraction from *real* attrocities" but I can no longer find a direct link to it.)

Your response is so right, so dead-on! I'm sick and tired of playing the traitorous sumbitch for these "patriotic" chickenshitmotherfuckinbastards!

And your Hoffman quote was the cherry on top the whip cream. Yeh, I know, all those sleazy neocon Xtian mutherfuckers are looking for some hidden pornographic meaning in that.

(Keep looking, you slimy corrupt, sleazy little bastards! But don't get yourselves too wet in the process!)

Thanks for the inspiration. Tomorrow I'm barbequeing on the patio. But to conserve oil-derived products, I'll be using--instead of charcoal lighter--a couple of American flags! How well done you like your burgers, pissant patriots?

Thanks for the insightful comment, D.K.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, where's that pentagon-levitating american flag-wearing Hoffman now that we need him, huh? And you know what else might make an excellent alternative fuel source for your BBQ? All the documents being shred fast & furious prior to Fitzgerald putting out the warrant for 'em. D.K.

Dada said...

Geez, I'd love to invite Hoffman, Rubin, Dellinger, Hayden, Davis, Weiner, six of the original Chicago Seven. The seventh, Bobby Seale, could be my guest of honor, of course, with his "Grandma's secret recipe barbeque sauce."

What better symbolism of 'what we were' to remind 'what we've become'?

enigma4ever said...

I love this post Dada...and DK - what a great Hoffman quote....awesome...and oh joy Dada made a new wonderful $3.00 word...( which of course I must steal..) and the BBQ sounds right on- maybe you should ask Hillary to come and bring her centrist special sauce for the burgers....( jus kiddin')

Dada said...

e4e: It's about time to fire up the Bar-B-Que. I've been holdin' off, hopin' Hoffman and Hillary might show. Abbie would love my charcoal starter. And Hillary could bring a couple of neglected kids from the "village" for whom we'll roast some weiners and burgers.

Then maybe to wrap up the night, Hillary can 'cut the ribbon' signaling the low "flyover" of F-16s with afterburners full throttle after dropping their little fireworks in the form of napalm. It'll be a rekindling of the barbeque for those still hungering for more protein, but this time instead of wienies, it'll be the kids from the village Hillary will barbeque. God, how I love the benefits of bi-partisan politics!

(Oh, and can you pass some of that Huey Newton widow's "Burn Baby Burn bar-b-que sauce" to enhance the smoky flavor of this well done 'meat'?)