National politics offer cause to be concerned about the future of democracy. Locally, however, the winds of self-government are blowing warm and strong.
I used to wonder how someone like Trump could be like he is. Then just accepted it as it is. After all, mental illness isn't solely a disease of the poor.
I then wondered how so many people were either unethical enough or stupid to follow him; with their attachment growing stronger with every principle broken. Then...
Then how so many otherwise decent people compromised their principles to accept being associated with a party or people who were and did such things. Then...
Finally, I wondered how others were willing to so studiously look the other way, for the sake of comity. If there were ever any principle they would not compromise in order to act like they've achieved something by letting Shaun buy them a beer?
I reviewed in my mind all of the bridges, all the lines of society and decency, crossed in the last decade or so. None of that has done it. Why believe there is something that would?
Innate racism in the birther movement. From the party of Lincoln. To the extent that the actual KKK filed for celebratory parade permits upon victory. And when tragedy struck, we learned there were "good people" on both sides of torch marches.
Mockery and disrespect to veterans. And them thanking him for it as a group. A draft dodger mocking an honored, wounded POW like McCain, attacking those who stood up for principle; whether Vindman, Mattis, Kelly, Mueller.
A man found in court to have committed sexual assault, admitted on tape doing similar actions, and is under indictment for actions taken to hide such acts. Along with various frauds, insurrections, intelligence lapses, etc. Only 7-8 dozen, but who's counting?
Abandoning allies, attempted insurrection, caging of children, 100's of thousands of unnecessary American Covid deaths, deficit exploded, cops attacked, attempting to invoke martial law, yada, yada, yada - and not only is he still doing it, and actively working to do more of the same - as his followers line up to follow him once again, some gladly - some holding their nose - but we still have fine folks such as yourself proudly telling us how - no matter all or any of that - (and I know I missed many, many similar items) - look at you, it's still not enough for you to say enough.
You'll still take that beer, by golly. Shame on anyone who won't. Because the important thing is that we don't judge. O
And meanwhile, be sure not to consider any of that while voting, because your vote on national issues does not matter. So don't bother.
But it's all okay, because we agreed with each other that it was bad when they closed the daycare......
The good news is that, to me, none of that is really news. Any more than any of the other things I wondered about in the past.
I guess that's progress, in that I have few expectations along that line? Though I doubt where we are progressing to is where we really want to be.
I will say this though. If there IS a principle that folks like yourselves won't abandon for that next round of self-affirming beer; you've hidden it well.
We are with Leo Watkins on this. Pretending there is parity between an actual political party and one that has been infiltrated by a Russian intelligence op is ludicrous. There are certainly legitimate conservatives in abundance, but we are in the middle of an existential crisis that we ought not to pretend away. Local politics is also clearly infected and the related corruption extends well beyond King George County and the Spotsylvania School Board. We are going into the third national election where one party is willingly accepting the assistance of a foreign power, and an anemic press appears unable to imagine such things possible. Wow.
The Framers -- none more so than Jefferson -- were obsessed with the self-correcting personality of our Democracy through the freedoms of speech, press, assembly and petitioning enshrined in the 1st Amendment. The goal of the press -- who, what, when, where, why and how -- and the ethical rigor needed to produce the answers to those inquiries is more important than virtually any of the other implements of Democracy, including even voting. It makes sense that those bent on destroying Democracy, regardless of what party they claim (or disclaim), would want an enfeebled, compliant and vertically integrated press.
I used to wonder how someone like Trump could be like he is. Then just accepted it as it is. After all, mental illness isn't solely a disease of the poor.
I then wondered how so many people were either unethical enough or stupid to follow him; with their attachment growing stronger with every principle broken. Then...
Then how so many otherwise decent people compromised their principles to accept being associated with a party or people who were and did such things. Then...
Finally, I wondered how others were willing to so studiously look the other way, for the sake of comity. If there were ever any principle they would not compromise in order to act like they've achieved something by letting Shaun buy them a beer?
I reviewed in my mind all of the bridges, all the lines of society and decency, crossed in the last decade or so. None of that has done it. Why believe there is something that would?
Innate racism in the birther movement. From the party of Lincoln. To the extent that the actual KKK filed for celebratory parade permits upon victory. And when tragedy struck, we learned there were "good people" on both sides of torch marches.
Mockery and disrespect to veterans. And them thanking him for it as a group. A draft dodger mocking an honored, wounded POW like McCain, attacking those who stood up for principle; whether Vindman, Mattis, Kelly, Mueller.
A man found in court to have committed sexual assault, admitted on tape doing similar actions, and is under indictment for actions taken to hide such acts. Along with various frauds, insurrections, intelligence lapses, etc. Only 7-8 dozen, but who's counting?
Abandoning allies, attempted insurrection, caging of children, 100's of thousands of unnecessary American Covid deaths, deficit exploded, cops attacked, attempting to invoke martial law, yada, yada, yada - and not only is he still doing it, and actively working to do more of the same - as his followers line up to follow him once again, some gladly - some holding their nose - but we still have fine folks such as yourself proudly telling us how - no matter all or any of that - (and I know I missed many, many similar items) - look at you, it's still not enough for you to say enough.
You'll still take that beer, by golly. Shame on anyone who won't. Because the important thing is that we don't judge. O
And meanwhile, be sure not to consider any of that while voting, because your vote on national issues does not matter. So don't bother.
But it's all okay, because we agreed with each other that it was bad when they closed the daycare......
The good news is that, to me, none of that is really news. Any more than any of the other things I wondered about in the past.
I guess that's progress, in that I have few expectations along that line? Though I doubt where we are progressing to is where we really want to be.
I will say this though. If there IS a principle that folks like yourselves won't abandon for that next round of self-affirming beer; you've hidden it well.
Very well.
We are with Leo Watkins on this. Pretending there is parity between an actual political party and one that has been infiltrated by a Russian intelligence op is ludicrous. There are certainly legitimate conservatives in abundance, but we are in the middle of an existential crisis that we ought not to pretend away. Local politics is also clearly infected and the related corruption extends well beyond King George County and the Spotsylvania School Board. We are going into the third national election where one party is willingly accepting the assistance of a foreign power, and an anemic press appears unable to imagine such things possible. Wow.
The Framers -- none more so than Jefferson -- were obsessed with the self-correcting personality of our Democracy through the freedoms of speech, press, assembly and petitioning enshrined in the 1st Amendment. The goal of the press -- who, what, when, where, why and how -- and the ethical rigor needed to produce the answers to those inquiries is more important than virtually any of the other implements of Democracy, including even voting. It makes sense that those bent on destroying Democracy, regardless of what party they claim (or disclaim), would want an enfeebled, compliant and vertically integrated press.