My need to move on
I try not to write about politics or even think about politics, because when I do I suffer the same side of side effects that come with your latest pharmaceuticals: may cause nausea, vomiting, and intense rage. To me, politics are just a joke, they are a systematic (and far to successful) attempt to disenfranchise individuals in a democracy.
People I know well know better than to "talk politics" in front of me. I usually know better than to aggravate myself by delving into things. However, it was pretty much impossible to ignore politics for the last 6 months. And my lack of sleep is a testament to that. So I am going to shout out my one last gawp and let it go for good.
If you want an interesting read sometime, check out George Washington's Farewell Address to the American people. I will admit that taking something from over 200 years ago and trying to apply it to modern times is often foolish. However, some words from Washington ring hauntingly true for me--particularly his thoughts and warning on political parties. Check this out:
"In contemplating the causes, which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern, that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by Geographical discriminations, Northern and Southern, Atlantic and Western; whence designing men may endeavour to excite a belief, that there is a real difference of local interests and views. One of the expedients of party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts."
Or how about this:
"All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests."
Oh, it gets better:
"Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."
If I may indulge in a terrible analogy, politics is like professional wrestling. You have to be highly skilled and trained in certain areas to make it look real, and when done right can make two sides seem to truly despise each other, but in the end it is scripted. The two major parties are run by a handful of people who essentially hold all the power in this country, with the mutual understanding that despite the results of elections and the swings of fate and fortune in the political arena, they are all getting paid (and getting power) at the end of the day.
Before the "if-you-don't-like-America-move-to-Russia" geniuses chime in, let's get one thing straight. I don't hate America. But I do hate hypocrisy and self-delusion. I don't hate the idea of a representative democracy, but I do hate that the two political parties do not always represent whom they should be representing.
And I really hate that the political parties think that by putting on such a great show, assisted by their various media extensions, that we might be misdirected into ignoring where the real power lies. But I hate it more that they are right in that thought.
There, now maybe I can sleep again.
People I know well know better than to "talk politics" in front of me. I usually know better than to aggravate myself by delving into things. However, it was pretty much impossible to ignore politics for the last 6 months. And my lack of sleep is a testament to that. So I am going to shout out my one last gawp and let it go for good.
If you want an interesting read sometime, check out George Washington's Farewell Address to the American people. I will admit that taking something from over 200 years ago and trying to apply it to modern times is often foolish. However, some words from Washington ring hauntingly true for me--particularly his thoughts and warning on political parties. Check this out:
"In contemplating the causes, which may disturb our Union, it occurs as matter of serious concern, that any ground should have been furnished for characterizing parties by Geographical discriminations, Northern and Southern, Atlantic and Western; whence designing men may endeavour to excite a belief, that there is a real difference of local interests and views. One of the expedients of party to acquire influence, within particular districts, is to misrepresent the opinions and aims of other districts."
Or how about this:
"All obstructions to the execution of the Laws, all combinations and associations, under whatever plausible character, with the real design to direct, control, counteract, or awe the regular deliberation and action of the constituted authorities, are destructive of this fundamental principle, and of fatal tendency. They serve to organize faction, to give it an artificial and extraordinary force; to put, in the place of the delegated will of the nation, the will of a party, often a small but artful and enterprising minority of the community; and, according to the alternate triumphs of different parties, to make the public administration the mirror of the ill-concerted and incongruous projects of faction, rather than the organ of consistent and wholesome plans digested by common counsels, and modified by mutual interests."
Oh, it gets better:
"Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.
It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another."
If I may indulge in a terrible analogy, politics is like professional wrestling. You have to be highly skilled and trained in certain areas to make it look real, and when done right can make two sides seem to truly despise each other, but in the end it is scripted. The two major parties are run by a handful of people who essentially hold all the power in this country, with the mutual understanding that despite the results of elections and the swings of fate and fortune in the political arena, they are all getting paid (and getting power) at the end of the day.
Before the "if-you-don't-like-America-move-to-Russia" geniuses chime in, let's get one thing straight. I don't hate America. But I do hate hypocrisy and self-delusion. I don't hate the idea of a representative democracy, but I do hate that the two political parties do not always represent whom they should be representing.
And I really hate that the political parties think that by putting on such a great show, assisted by their various media extensions, that we might be misdirected into ignoring where the real power lies. But I hate it more that they are right in that thought.
There, now maybe I can sleep again.