is becoming increasingly stupid. It's sad, really -- we don't read, we are not incisive in our educational process, we are preoccupied with current events, publicity, and fame, but shun basic concepts like history, mathematics, politics and logic.
The result is a public that is both unaware and forceful in its imposition of stupidity on the rest of the world. While I have used US support for the modern nation of Israel as one example of how our inability to view the world through any sort of critical lens is becoming detrimental to our national identity, there is another example. That example is our current political state.
We have a first-term president, a political newcomer, Barack Obama. He inherited a nation that was nearly at its knees after eight years of Republican era mismanagement and paranoia. He has stepped in and made a Herculean effort to turn our country around. Yet we have Republicans who, in continuation of their campaign of disinformation, are determined to put their own hysterical (as in hysteria-generating) spin on every move made by this Administration. "Joblessness is at an all-time high!" There are too many budget and regulatory policies for businesses." The reality is that when Obama took office, the stock market was in a freefall, and we'd lost nearly a million American jobs. Now the stock market is slowly correcting itself and the job rate has GROWN consistenly for six months. "Healthcare reform will result in death squads!" (and putting healthcare in the hands of people who are motivated solely by the bottom line will have what sort of impact upon our health?) Environmentalists blame Obama because there is a backlog of species that need protection under the Endangerd Species Act. The Obama Administration has protected an average of 25 species for each year it's been in office. Compare that to an average of 8 species per year for the Bush administration.
In my mind, all this Republican sniping is, whether intentional or not, another manifestation of a uniquely American blend of racism and ignorance. It's like they're all saying "OK, I proved I'm not a racist 'cuz I voted for a black guy. But he promised change, and everything hasn't changed, so get this n-word outta there and give me somebody I can really believe in." The problem with this position, given our national inability to critically examine the issues, is that we're very likely to end up with someone who looks "presidential" (like an actor we've elected before) or someone who has a suitable "presidential pedigree" (like the shrub we kept for two terms), or someone else who merely represents a REACTION to our collective ignorance and lack of critical discernment, rather than someone who actualy has the skills, abilities and represents the possibility for our country's continued viability.
As I look at the matter of Charlie Rangel, I can't help but think two things: 1) it's part of a massive campaign to discredit men of color. It may not be an intentional campaign -- it's part of our collective belief that there is something "other" about people of color. How else do you explain Washington coming together to take this extreme an action against one of its most own most powerful members? I think the fact that Pelosi's censure lasted only 22 seconds reflects her opinions on it. It's as if she were saying "I don't want to do this, but I'm forced to." Why was she forced to? Because the politicians are hanging Rangel out to dry, much as they are abandoning Obama. 2) Although they are both Republicans, I happen to agree intensely with both Peter King 's statements and with Ben Stein's statements regarding Charlie Rangel.
Yes, he made some errors in judgement or got sloppy in his recordkeeping. As the head of the Ways and Means Committee, he needed to be held accountable for that. But giving him the harshest penalty short of expulsion and ruining a career that's spanned a longer time than many people who voted against him have even been on the planet? That's just wrong.
But there are a lot of things going on, inside and outside this country, that are just plain wrong. I'm a bit horrified that we as a people are not aware enough to recognize them. I hope that anyone reading this post will get out to vote and encourage everyone you know to vote -- I'm enough of an American that I don't even care whether or not you vote the same way I would. I care that you are aware and informed and knowledgeable about what terror lies ahead for America. If you choose to doom the country to a future with someone I wouldn't have chosen, that's your choice. My prayer is that we as a country will come to a place where we are making rational, informed choices and are not simply giving in to knee-jerk, emotional reactions.
No comments:
Post a Comment