Y’know, back when the USA really had to struggle just to exist as a nation or hold itself together, there doesn’t seem to have been as much dingleberry domination of great political issues.
In part, this was no doubt because such arguments weren’t permitted by the social climate, but when I think about the silly season involving “under God” in the Pledge of Alleigiance (a post hoc addition, in any case and thus not true to the original Pledge) and people who get up in arms over what gets displayed where, I must wonder.
Is this political silliness a luxury? It’s children in a suburb getting into fights over who has the spiffiest glow-in-the-dark flashing sneakers.
Not. Being prosperous doesn’t necessarilly translate a vibrant people into a nation of morons. It just happened. Blame vote grabbing democrats and fluff-headed namby-pamby educators and our own parents who were kind but hopelessly naive.
I would also blame morons too stupid to tell the difference between a piece of colored cloth and the nation it stands for. Likewise, let us not forget the utter idiots who can’t understand why they can’t turn courthouses into Yeehaw Billy-Joe-Jim-Bob Kotchapie’s Ultra-Thumpin’ Holly Rollin’ Baaaaaaayubul-believin’ Cross-burnin’ darkie-hangin’ Revival Meetin’ Ministries. Then there are the uncountable folks so stupid as to not realize that the word “theory” in science doesn’t mean "it’s just a bunch of idle speculation without anything to back it up.
Lay it on 'em bro, them limp-wristed, lefto-pinko, commies-under-the-skin have brought this great american nation to the brink of near ruin. But today their red flag waving and freedom flag burnings grow unamusing to a slowly awakening people of right-minded thinkers , and now the half-baked theories of the oldeo-neo socialists amongst us begin to sound childish and strained.
But Hell dogface, let’s be fair. Their Wealth Distribution Theories of Utopia collapsed with the collapse of the old Soviet Union and so today all they have left is to praise Castro’s pitiful Cuba and cuss President George W Bush for freeing the Iraqis.
Ah yes, it is is good to be alive in this place and time in America.
Oh yes, ** dogface**, the south will rise again, but this time we will take all the good citizens of the north, east, and west (including Alaska and Hawaii), black and white, yellow and Buddhist, male and female, and otherwise, rich and/or poor, and a few of the more likable members of the middle class, and (as I should have said at first) every one the freedom loving people on this great blue globe --> ** Mother Earth**.
I don’t see symbolic politics as a result of prosperity but rather as a testiment to the pathetic state of our political system. American politics are symbolic because they can’t be substansive. That is, political effort is expended upon “silly” projects because they are symbolic of larger problems. The pledge debate, for instance, is a proxy fight over the status quo. The right thinks America isn’t all it should be because of the godless left and the left blames the current state of the union upon the activities of right wing zealots. Why fight over symbols instead of addressing the perceived problems directly? Because our government is breaking down.
We have created a government that is so divided against itself that substansive policy making is only possible under extraordinary circumstances. For a time after 9/11 Bush was able to enact real changes but things have returned to normal. For a change we have one party nominally in control of the entire federal government yet it still operates as if we have divided government. Look at the proposed changes in FCC rules. Limiting governmental regulation is a bread and butter issue for conservatives yet their party has been unable to act decisively. If the Repubs can’t act when they control the White House and have majorities in the House, Senate, Supreme Court, and the pertinent administrative board then when can a party act? What passes for leadership these days is mostly just responding to crisis. We have plenty of those because our politics are reactive instead of proactive.
We’ve certainly come a long way from
“I have an idea boys! Lets go to the harbor and dump all the TEA in the water! That will show that stupid king!”
and laws setting a fair price for a full-grown Negro to our current political silliness between left-wing liberals, fighting for free drugs and welfare benefits for all with their homosexual army vs right-wing conservatives with their laisee faire capitalism and child labor, beheld to no law but his lord Jesus Christ and defending the rights of white men everywhere.
And hang 'em from trees while singing in front of a burning cross.
OK Dogface, just what the hell did you mean by that vile slanderous remark? Explain yourself to me.
… right-wing conservatives with their laisee faire capitalism and child labor, beheld to no law but his lord Jesus Christ and defending the rights of white men everywhere.
And as for you, ms mith537. What race baiting racist drivel! Who are you suggesting mistreats young children and is a racist? Me? Right-wing Conservatives? Apologise!
I suspect there always have been wacko-nutso politics, as long as there have been people.
I mean things like the “crusades” were pretty wacko, and Roman emperors making horses senators… ah no - horses do less harm than some politicians… OH!
Of course, current mass media availability allows their messages to spread to, or at any rate, to become known to, a larger segment of the population, than in earlier historical periods.
Or, maybe that is just wishful thinking on my part, as it is less scary than the idea that the wackos are winning.
Alright, easy fella. I don’t want to get slapped with no dueling glove.
I was attempting to provide ridiculously extreme rhetoric from BOTH sides (on re-reading my post, I don’t believe that I made the Left-wing side as extreme as I would have liked)
Timothy Dwight, President of Yale, warned that if Thomas Jefferson were elected President “our sons would become the dragoons of Marat and our daughters concubines of the Illuminati.”
And there was the AntiMasonic Party & the Know-Nothings.
