political ramblin' on a cold winter day
So I've been living in the Washington DC area for a little more than 7 months now and I must say that, unlike my previous dwelling place known as Gotham, I enjoy living here in this far superior city. DC is the perfect metro area for anybody who wishes to experience city excitement without feeling overwhelmed.
Anyway, one thing I like about DC is that events happen here that don't happen anywhere else and the whole world tunes into watch. That's to expected when you live in the capital city of the world's greatest and powerful nation. With the Inauguration this coming Thursday, I am being reminded that the eyes of the world will be focusing on my city for the day. Somebody recently asked me if I would be doing anything for the Inauguration this coming Thursday. I replied that I wasn't off work and would be spending the day doing the same thing I do every day in suburban Maryland. I added that even if I was off of work on Thursday, I would not in any way be participating in the Inauguration; that means not watching it in person, on television, nor following it on the news.
My reasoning is simple: I absolutely loathe the man they call George W. Bush and all that he stands for. There was a short time when I was bitter about the election, but like a Tony Danza comeback it passed quickly. Bush won the election fair and square (at least I hope so). I respect the fact that he is the president. However, on no level do I accept him as my President who represents my interests and beliefs. His opinions on social policy are only the tip of the iceberg for reasons why I dislike him so much. The older I get, the more I realize that politics is about economic policy and money more than anything else. Bush and his interests do not represent most people who are my age or in my (current) income bracket. I do not respect Bush as a president or as a person.
Anywho, I have spent many a Livejournal entry professing my florid hatred of Dubya. The upcoming inauguration has me thinking about the polarization of America. If Kerry had been elected, I probably would have taken the day off of work to watch the Inauguration in one way or another. If Bill Clinton had been the president to die in the Summer of 2004, I probably would have gone to the Capitol to view his casket. When Reagan died, the thought never crossed my mind. I sometimes picture the US government as a tennis ball that bounces back and forth between the two parties. The Republicans get it, then the Democrats get it; the Republicans get it, then the Democrats get it. Different things remind me of this day in an day out. One of the requirements of my job is to go to a federal office where a picture of Bush hangs next to a picture of Cheney. Seeing those pictures make me cringe, yet I doubt I would do so if I saw pictures of Clinton, Gore, or Kerry.
While I enjoyed Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911, I was offended by one thing he did. He would sometimes show shots of historic and beautiful American buildings in Washington such as the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, or the many memorials and monuments while discussing the evils of Bush Incorporated. While I loathe Bush as much as Michael Moore does, I do not like him using symbols of American democracy to symbolize the evils of an adminstration. Truth be told, those buildings and the 1776 values they symbolize will outlive and outlast every presidential administration or Congress. There was a time when those buildings were embodied with the Camelot of John F. Kennedy and another era when it was embodied with the mack daddiness of Bill Clinton. While they may currently be embodied by redneck Spam sandwiches and evangelical Ned Flanders values, this is merely a passing phase.
Fortunately, my metaphor of the US government as a tennis ball keeps me sane as we are forced to let the Bush administration run its course like a flu virus for the next 4 years. The powers of evil may have it now, but they won't always.
Anyway, one thing I like about DC is that events happen here that don't happen anywhere else and the whole world tunes into watch. That's to expected when you live in the capital city of the world's greatest and powerful nation. With the Inauguration this coming Thursday, I am being reminded that the eyes of the world will be focusing on my city for the day. Somebody recently asked me if I would be doing anything for the Inauguration this coming Thursday. I replied that I wasn't off work and would be spending the day doing the same thing I do every day in suburban Maryland. I added that even if I was off of work on Thursday, I would not in any way be participating in the Inauguration; that means not watching it in person, on television, nor following it on the news.
My reasoning is simple: I absolutely loathe the man they call George W. Bush and all that he stands for. There was a short time when I was bitter about the election, but like a Tony Danza comeback it passed quickly. Bush won the election fair and square (at least I hope so). I respect the fact that he is the president. However, on no level do I accept him as my President who represents my interests and beliefs. His opinions on social policy are only the tip of the iceberg for reasons why I dislike him so much. The older I get, the more I realize that politics is about economic policy and money more than anything else. Bush and his interests do not represent most people who are my age or in my (current) income bracket. I do not respect Bush as a president or as a person.
Anywho, I have spent many a Livejournal entry professing my florid hatred of Dubya. The upcoming inauguration has me thinking about the polarization of America. If Kerry had been elected, I probably would have taken the day off of work to watch the Inauguration in one way or another. If Bill Clinton had been the president to die in the Summer of 2004, I probably would have gone to the Capitol to view his casket. When Reagan died, the thought never crossed my mind. I sometimes picture the US government as a tennis ball that bounces back and forth between the two parties. The Republicans get it, then the Democrats get it; the Republicans get it, then the Democrats get it. Different things remind me of this day in an day out. One of the requirements of my job is to go to a federal office where a picture of Bush hangs next to a picture of Cheney. Seeing those pictures make me cringe, yet I doubt I would do so if I saw pictures of Clinton, Gore, or Kerry.
While I enjoyed Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 911, I was offended by one thing he did. He would sometimes show shots of historic and beautiful American buildings in Washington such as the White House, Capitol, Supreme Court, or the many memorials and monuments while discussing the evils of Bush Incorporated. While I loathe Bush as much as Michael Moore does, I do not like him using symbols of American democracy to symbolize the evils of an adminstration. Truth be told, those buildings and the 1776 values they symbolize will outlive and outlast every presidential administration or Congress. There was a time when those buildings were embodied with the Camelot of John F. Kennedy and another era when it was embodied with the mack daddiness of Bill Clinton. While they may currently be embodied by redneck Spam sandwiches and evangelical Ned Flanders values, this is merely a passing phase.
Fortunately, my metaphor of the US government as a tennis ball keeps me sane as we are forced to let the Bush administration run its course like a flu virus for the next 4 years. The powers of evil may have it now, but they won't always.