Guest Contributor
+ FollowSticks, Stones and Charles Manson for President
by Damion White
Since Barack Obama was elected, I have been taken aback by the vehemence and the vitriol that his detractors have employed, even before his first day in office.
Understandably, one might argue that enthusiasm, fervor, and mean spiritedness were at an all-time high among Democrats and left-leaning independents after 8 years of George W. Bush, but I’d remind you to consider that it was only after 8 years of Bush that things became as heated as they did.
To sum it up: G.W. Bush took a greater number of vacation days than any other American president (even while presiding over 2 wars and unprecedented, simultaneous tax cuts), Barack Obama has, in less than 3 full years as POTUS, experienced the greatest number of filibusters against him than any other American president.
Bush was believed by many to have lied to the American people en route to sending our fellow American service men and women to die senselessly in wars that some allege were more about his personal vendettas than about defeating state sponsors of terrorism and defending our national security. Would anyone dare say that Iraq – even under Saddam Hussein – did more as a state sponsor of terror than Iran, then and now? A grim reminder as we officially and quietly end our full military involvement in Iraq.
There is more context than blame, but the Bush administration presided over the development of the economic events closest in proximity and prevalence to precipitating the economic meltdown that landed us where we are today. There are policies and programs from decades ago that contributed, but financing two wars on the backs of tax cuts, deregulation and the industrial-oil complex definitely accelerated and exacerbated the financial crises.
Sure we can debate over the possible economic outcomes had the second economic stimulus not been passed, had the banks not been bailed out, or if the auto industry had been allowed to sink, but what we can’t debate is that many of the economic policies of the GOP are at the root of our economy’s current woes. In my opinion economic stimulus is on par with trickle-down economics; the two are opposite ends of the same spectrum. However, trickle-down economics is continual; whereas, economic stimulus appears in one-off circumstantial instances.
At any rate, let’s get back to the vitriol and vehemence that has been aimed at President Obama. From allusions to Obama as Hitler, to saying he is not an American, to depicting his likeness as The Joker, or as a porch monkey invoking the spirit of Jim Crow, President Obama has experienced unprecedented distrust and disrespect even before proposing his first piece of legislation. We can pontificate as to why that is, but much of the discourse has not changed from the Democratic primary until now among the Tea Party and any others who adamantly disagree with the president.
When people make these incendiary and inflammatory remarks only half-jokingly, if they are joking at all, I find it representative of the most depraved elements of the part of our society passing itself off as thinking. I believe in everyone’s right to free speech, but I also strongly believe that the sentiment behind such inarticulate commentary has rendered our discourse useless. The political dialogue in this country – for the responsibility we assume as the world’s leading Democracy – is severely lacking in articulation, intelligence and meaning. We can’t move forward when our conversations are founded on how outrageous a metaphor we can come up with. We’ll be perpetually stuck as long as we get off on showing disdain via melodramatic vehemence, vitriol and complaint. There is such a thing as productive disagreement; it is actually a root element of Democracy. In our society it’s a relic; a lost art.
I recently encountered a commentator suggesting that she would rather vote for Charles Manson for POTUS and allow him to run the country from prison, before she would vote Obama in for a second term. A follow up commentator suggested that the outcomes for our country would be better with Manson at the helm.
Moments like these make it difficult for some of us to be proud of being an American. And I’m not talking about pre-teens or adolescents exaggerating the closeted bigotry shared around the dinner table; I am talking about middle aged adults in their mid-40’s or older – people the same age as my parents. It boggles my mind that, collectively, we are not as mature as we should be.
The equivalent would be me saying: The EPA needs to lobby the federal government to finance a $25 trillion commission of Gay/Lesbian/Transgender scientists to complete the genetic mapping of a hybrid clone of Karl Marx, Che Guevera, Ghandi, and Jesus Christ (the ultimate liberal…. how’s that feel evangelicals?) from the embryonic stem cells of aborted fetuses. The project would be undertaken in a newly created laboratory powered completely by solar energy all backed by Chinese currency and a restoration of the 1950’s & ‘60’s marginal tax rates of 90%+ on wealthy Americans. The resulting scientific marvel would then be raised for its appointment to the position of Dictator Extraordinaire of the Global World Planet Earth International Government (GWPEIG), a body solely focused on decreasing freedom via large government, redistributing wealth, and penalizing success.
The only difference is, my saying some outrageous dumb s*** like the above comment doesn’t make me feel better, or like I’m more in control. Studying and researching ways to be more financially efficient and ways to make wise investments in order to protect my children in the future, in spite of who is running the government (since bootstrapping is the American way, I don’t expect the government will be responsible for ruining my kids’ futures), is how I solve any problems – regardless of who’s in the White House.
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4 Responses to Sticks, Stones and Charles Manson for President
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yael 
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