Fantasy and Reality
Oct. 20th, 2008 05:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wyld_dandelyonMy sister sent me this in a much-forwarded e-mail, with the comment that some people have too much time on their hands:
This image makes me dream of a much better world. A world where politicians don't treat each other like deadly enemies in bad B movies, and where, instead, they focus on issues (and honestly state their positions on the issues), instead of spending hours of stump speeches and millions of dollars on character assassination and similar obnoxious smear tactics.
As to the real world--this morning, online, I saw an interview (MSNBC), in which Minnesota Representative Bachmann repeatedly claimed that Senator Obama may hold "anti-American views" because of his association with “extreme liberals” (citing, of course, Prof. Ayres and Rev. Wright). She even asked the media to investigate other members of Congress to "find out if they are pro-America or anti-America." (!)
When asked if she thought all of the 30% of the American people who are liberal are “anti-America”, I found her response scary. She didn’t come out and answer “yes” to that question, but she certainly didn’t say “no” either. Instead she worked back around to her message that Obama is scary because he (allegedly) hangs out with "extreme" liberals.
I find this very troubling.
Likewise Governor Palin’s commnents about how she likes to visit "pro-American" regions of our Country.
Admittedly, it’s not as if this is a new type of behavior in the Republican party, though it’s gotten more overt. A few years ago, we were all treated to the ideas that flying a flag meant you supported the invasion of Iraq, and that if you didn’t support that war, you were un-American. That didn’t end until Democratic Senators stood up and said, loudly, "this flag isn’t just for some Americans, it’s for all Americans".
I want to say, “Folks, there’s no one I know who agrees with everything our government has done. We certainly disagree on a number of points as to which things the government could have done better, and which alternative actions would have been better, but we can all disagree with some of our country’s actions and still be Pro-America.”
But then, by just about anybody’s definition, I’m very much on the “liberal” side of politics, so I doubt they’d listen to me.
This image makes me dream of a much better world. A world where politicians don't treat each other like deadly enemies in bad B movies, and where, instead, they focus on issues (and honestly state their positions on the issues), instead of spending hours of stump speeches and millions of dollars on character assassination and similar obnoxious smear tactics.
As to the real world--this morning, online, I saw an interview (MSNBC), in which Minnesota Representative Bachmann repeatedly claimed that Senator Obama may hold "anti-American views" because of his association with “extreme liberals” (citing, of course, Prof. Ayres and Rev. Wright). She even asked the media to investigate other members of Congress to "find out if they are pro-America or anti-America." (!)
When asked if she thought all of the 30% of the American people who are liberal are “anti-America”, I found her response scary. She didn’t come out and answer “yes” to that question, but she certainly didn’t say “no” either. Instead she worked back around to her message that Obama is scary because he (allegedly) hangs out with "extreme" liberals.
I find this very troubling.
Likewise Governor Palin’s commnents about how she likes to visit "pro-American" regions of our Country.
Admittedly, it’s not as if this is a new type of behavior in the Republican party, though it’s gotten more overt. A few years ago, we were all treated to the ideas that flying a flag meant you supported the invasion of Iraq, and that if you didn’t support that war, you were un-American. That didn’t end until Democratic Senators stood up and said, loudly, "this flag isn’t just for some Americans, it’s for all Americans".
I want to say, “Folks, there’s no one I know who agrees with everything our government has done. We certainly disagree on a number of points as to which things the government could have done better, and which alternative actions would have been better, but we can all disagree with some of our country’s actions and still be Pro-America.”
But then, by just about anybody’s definition, I’m very much on the “liberal” side of politics, so I doubt they’d listen to me.
