I've been feverishly overdosing on Network News and cold medicine. Taking Nyquil and MSNBC in large doses leads to amusing changes in consciousness. For instance, France is taking to the streets protesting a change in the retirement age from 60 to 62! Almost everyone says the Dems are going to lose the House, and maybe the Senate. I watched the American delegation walk out of the UN when Iran's President quoted three conspiracy theories about 9/11.
The only outdoors time I've had was listening to the coyotes with Joni the other night. The coyotes were having quite a skirmish over something. Joni (with her acute hearing) could distinguish six distinct yelps. Perhaps they were celebrating, as we are down to one lonely chicken; the rest snatched by the coyotes. We still haven't solved this problem yet (much to the coyotes joy!).
So being sick with a fever is not a way to enjoy American politics. The antics of the Tea Party is hard to handle from a decongestant-induced feverish fog. All these Tea Partiers just seem to be fiddling while Rome burns. Angry White backlash; mischanneled anger. Angry with providing health insurance to the poor and not being angry at attacking oil fields for the rich. The field of debate is so very, very narrow on all these news channels. MSNBC being the best of them--but still coming up short.
Amy Goodman and Democracy Now! often gets it right. An island of sanity amongst the talking heads of media. But who watches her? You have to be pretty invested in the news to suffer through her pedantic program. And you have to have a high tolerance for tweed jackets and professorial opinion.
So go out on a limb Allan. Is this 1994 all over again? Or is it worse than that? How should Greens feel about this election cycle? Our issues have been shut out. I think it is important to get out and vote for the Dems because they, at least, don't deny climate change. Vote for the Dems and hope that Obama takes a populist green turn for the second two years of his term. It's the lesser of two evils once again. But this time, the evil is eviler than they have ever, ever been (and I never thought that could possibly happen).
In the meantime, and no matter who wins the election, I need to build a better chicken pen.
3 comments:
Kia ora Allan,
I don't know what to feel at times from the outside looking in, but people like Palin and this other Tea Party woman even being taken seriously just scares the shit of me. And to read today the FBI is now rousting and searching anti war protesters in Mpls. and Chicago for being suspect of "aiding terrorism" does not bode well. Shit, the US government and corporations have been doing that for decades! Look out free speech.
Cheers,
Robb
Allan,
Yea, the state of American politics is quite distressing. I have always tried to be an optimist when it comes to America and its problems, but now, after 30 years of the same sh** I have lost my confidence.
Today:
Deficits are bad...cutting taxes are good.
Outsourcing of jobs is good...no jobs in America is bad.
Health care for all in Iraq's "democracy" is good ... health care for all in America's "socialistic" state is bad.
Energy independence is good...solar and wind power is not the way to do it though.
China is progressive...America is regressive.
America's best Senator (Wisconsin's Russ Feingold) is likely going to lose his Senate seat to a Tea Party Republican mulit-millionaire who has exported hundreds of thousands of jobs out of Wisconsin the past deade. Our progressive populace will elect him because he knows how to create jobs? Yes he does...overseas!
I'm disheartened...I'm saddened...I'm frustrated...
And yet let's not forget that as Rome burned...the wealthy elite prospered.
I hope you are feeling better.
Larry
Well said, both of you...
Yup things are bad. This election is starting to feel like 1980 and 1994 wrapped into one election cycle.
Robb might have the best idea to just pull up stakes and move to New Zealand. :)
But since Larry and I are stuck here, we will just have to hope that things aren't as bad as they seem. I just wish the Dems would stand up and start sounding like Democrats again.
And maybe with all those "vote by mail" ballots out there, and with most folks using cell phones (and not accessible to polls) the election might not be as bad as it seems.
Losing Feingold would be terrible. It'd be worth knocking on a few doors for the poor guy.
Either way, this election might best be handled with a bottle or two of wine for commiseration or celebration.
allan
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