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aggravated But I've really had it. I respect folks who have conservative politics - this isn't about that. It's their POV, and it's fine with me - I can even hug a Republican on election day and mean it. :D But I am just finding I'm growing more and more disgusted with the "parrots" of any political party - right or left - and the really twisted defenses some of them offer to defend their political candidate/administration of choice.
I wonder if it doesn't have to do with the increasing polarization of American politics, myself. The Repubs have it particularly hard - they have a real nimnul of a President/sketchy administration to try and defend in the face of criticism from the Left. It must be forcing them into contortions they never thought they'd have to consider when defending their party and Pres. But... at some point, I would find myself asking myself why I was constantly being put in the position of defending a real jackass like that. ;)
I was reading someone posting today on that famous Board I've Mentioned Too Much Here, trying to justify the FEMA response and political whitewash about it all on the grounds of federalism of all things? Meaning, this is a local issue, so the federal government has its hands tied by the constitution (yeah, I know, bear with me here) so they couldn't intervene and alleviate the suffering of the people of NOLA, repair the levees and start draining, and get more food, medicine, and sanitary conditions to the people trapped in NOLA's rescue centers, even?
I was thinking.. omg... how dare you use the constitution of all things to try and give a figleaf to your President and administration, for their choice to use local charities vs. federal agencies out of political conviction... how dare you excuse this decision to let children in NOLA sleep in a sweltering shelter in a sub-tropical climate, with festering food, no water, and corpses being stacked in stairwells/put off to the side/put in the streets so they're outside... how dare you use the freaking US constitution of all things to try and justify this and give your President cover?
Here's CNN's take on what's happening there, and the difference between the Federal Government's official statements (excluding Bush's for some reason), and the statements of people on the ground in NOLA: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/09/02/katrin
I wish there was some way to have a real political discussion anymore. I mean one where people don't feel such an immediate defensiveness because of political namecalling - and don't feel the pressure to slip into bizarre contortions, as I've mentioned, in the name of defending a freaking politician at all costs.
This kind of political tribalism isn't new, looking at it from a historical standpoint. But even so...
It works in a parliamentary system, but not in a federal republic like the US. Maybe we should just chuck the federal republic thing and go for a parliamentary system... at least, then, the party would have to really carry whatever it was they'd done.
On a happy note - DAMN, THE ARCTIC MONKEYS ARE GOOD!!! :) I feel a post about how happy I am about the music scene, even just the teensy bit I've seen of it, here in Yorkshire - and balance all this angsty political stuff out. Yes... that makes my toes wiggle... and my toes must be obeyed.
