In game theory, Nash equilibrium is a strategy that applies to two or more players, whereby each of the players knows the other's assets and deficits and no one can benefit by a unilateral change in strategy. Given the Republican strategy--destroy viable members of the opposition by any means necessary--Democrats return the favor, and the net result is stasis and political inertia.
Mutually assured destruction is an example of the theory at work, where a "poison pill" strategy obviates an unpleasant outcome for both sides: total devastation of both attacker and attacked. So Democrats take out one of their soldiers (we can't think of an example that wasn't in some way justified) and the GOP takes a public servant working for the Democratic Party -- the latest being Van Jones, special adviser for green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality -- and the goals and aspirations of each party are waylaid.
Jones resigned shortly after midnight in the middle of Labor Day weekend. The move was designed, it would seem, to create the least amount of news. While we respect that desire, it's hard to sit idly by as the worst tendencies in American politics are allowed to destroy this country unchecked by at least a modicum of critical rebuke.
Here's what Jones said in his resignation:
On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. They are using lies and distortions to distract and divide. I have been inundated with calls -- from across the political spectrum -- urging me to "stay and fight." But I came here to fight for others, not for myself. I cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. We need all hands on deck, fighting for the future.
That is the Van Jones we have come to know over the years. He is 100% committed to creating the conditions for an improvement in society. He is dedicated to progress, and solution-oriented activism. He is a team player. He knows how to follow the leader, and how to be the leader. So it makes perfect sense that he would bow out at this point.
What did he do to get in such a bind? He called Republicans names -- or one totally PG-rated name -- and he signed a petition asking for more information about the attacks of 9-11... The latter is not at all clear. There were a lot of petitions floating around during the years that followed 9-11, and many of those petitions included the title of an August 2001 CIA report titled" "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US." Who wouldn't want to know the whole story? There were questions regarding what the Bush administration knew, and when. And frankly, there still are. 9-11 was Katrina without the satellite imagery.
It could be Jones signed the wrong document. The point is this: It doesn't matter. His field of expertise had nothing to do with the questions raised by the opposition.
Last week I received an email from a colleague. He was passing along a comment from his boss, someone who has been fighting in the cold war-trench war of partisan politics since before my colleague was born. (To be fair, I was probably already in elementary school.) We had posted a satirical video about Glenn Beck with the title: "Fun Fact: Van Jones Is Not A Communist." It was clearly poking fun at the notion floated by WorldNetDaily folks that Van Jones, a pro-business, pro-jobs social enterpreneur, was a card-carrying communist. The note urged us to rethink our framing. A denial was as good as an affirmation in this media climate of factless amplification and dogmatic emotionalism. Our esteemed colleague was right.
The point was well made, and we ignored it. We didn't think Van would resign. Or most of us didn't. We didn't think the right wing natter amounted to anything. It was absurd. I knew this for a fact. My colleague's warning invoked the Nixon "I am not a crook" speech to illustrate why the satirical denial of Jones's political non-affiliation might be problematic. The more you deny, the more folks, it seems, rely on the opposite statement being true. The cynicism underlying the situation is nauseating, but a real part of daily life in American politics.
Van Jones was the best person for the job he just relinquished. He would have helped Republican lawmakers in their districts. He would have created jobs. He would have made a difference. It seems passably clear that the folks who launched the smear campaign against him knew this. They didn't care. Mutually assured distraction is the name of the game, and both sides are expert at it.
The winner? No one. The loser? First and foremost, America. Runner-up: Health care reform, a strong climate change bill, better education, and, for the GOP, the scariest thing on Earth: Obama's brighter tomorrow. Solution: stop playing games with the future of the nation?
Originally published by Air America.
Follow Beau Friedlander on Twitter: www.twitter.com/BeauFriedlander
Van Jones had to go. This is not a sacrificial lamb to Glen Beck although he and his supporters will claim it as such. This is just good sense.
The only news about a czar that we should hear is the good news of the progress they're making. With Van Jones there was going to be a revelation every other week to undermine whatever progress he was making with green jobs and he would be the new William Ayers boogeyman to run against all Democrats in 2010.
The need for a green economy is bigger than a man who does not have enough good judgement to examine the aims of the groups he joins or the 9/11 petitions he signs.
"Van Jones there was going to be a revelation every other week to undermine whatever progress he was making with green jobs"
which is why you say he needed to be sacrificed.
Why didn't he just use the publicity to push his ideas and ignore the BS from the peanut gallery...
Conservative don't need real issues, they make them up for fun.
For the conservatives: Plutocracy must rule unfettered(never mind that it crashes whenever they control things),
Conseverives agenda requires that
Democracy must be:
controlled,
owned or
destroyed.
And the word czar is used more by right wing media than the White House. Even the New York Times has picked up on the whisper campaign that by using the word czar, the administration avoids confirmation hearings. Not true. Cabinet members go before the Congress for ..... what ?..... approval?. What are they going to say? I don't like him or her? Do they approve the President's secretary or body person? This is all distraction. Good for summertime read, not for serious issues. Same old Republican playbook. Distort and Distract.
There are way too many gullible people in this country.
Van Jones, like many many Americans, had a right (nay: obligation) to ask HOW. Being in Bush America which was joking about where to find WWDs. YEAH I'd say we ALL have the right STILL (and deserve the explanation of HOW). Rather than Van Jones having to slink away - from that lowlife trashbag Glen Beck, he should proudly demore more than a bi-partisan panel of pretenders.
HOW is it possible that the second plane had a clear path in to topple another tower. I find that inconceivable in the United States of Amerca. And asking that is not making me a birther or death panelist - it makes me an educated consumer of media milktoast ...I WONDER, is all. This guy need never be ashamed to be onboard that ship of skepticism - infact, Obama is tripping over himself trying NOT to notice all the wrongs that remain to be righted from the Bush Version of how to undermine MY/OUR AMERICA..
Nice attempt at word association, though. All you've shown is your fear and ignorance since the day he was elected.
You boldly state "we need a president to get off his butt and lead the country" my question to you is are you willing to put aside your fears and judgments and give him someone to lead? It is unreasonable to expect the president to fix all the divisions that exsist but we can help by uniting together for the good of the country.
I look around me and see people hurting they are not concerned with who helps them they just want some one to do something other than disrespecting our president and letting fox and other networks stir up fear and encourage division. They need jobs and green jobs are the future. When we start pointing out peoples short comings we run the risk of losing the people who can help us build up america again.
Yeah, I think so. The theme has been, don't let go of Van Jones, the Right will win. And you all say it's Obama who's letting the Right take over.
I hate losing Van Jones because he has great ideas for moving the country forward.
The White House should have given a two word answer that would have stopped the questions: "so what?" As Beau say's, these accusations have nothing to do with Jones' job description. Calling someone a communist in this day and age is ridiculous. Shoots, Palin supported a secessionist group a few years ago.
If our leadership lays down because of some name calling why should their constituents support them? They need to stop being so concerned about their media image on a day to day basis, it's like in the old west movies where the bully makes someone dance by shooting bullets around their feet.
This has got to stop.
I'd rather see Obama serve a valiant single term than try for an effectual two terms. We can't afford that.
And Rick Perry still supports one now. But I think the point has been made by another blogger today that what is acceptable from the right wing, is complete anathema from the left. At least according to the right wing, and the left tamely goes along with this myth.
continue to give, effect change and inspire.
Let's hear Glenn Beck lead a cheer for Social Injustice! Go Republicans, rah, ray Republicans!
I guess you think we didn't really need those jobs--or that green energy.
Cheney told Sen, Leahy to "f*** off", I did not see the outrage from the Right all I saw was laughter. Palin puts her "common sense" approach to health care with "death panels". Limbaugh, Hannity and O'Reilly only want to bring this Administration down and do not want any person who is of color to make any changes to help America and its' people. God forbid a black person should be more educated than a white person.
It all comes down to the fact that the Right still cannot accept the fact we have a Black man as President.
And Beck does his "homework"? What homework might that be? I remember reading an article about Van Jones that stated he wanted to work within the system and not take it over. I did not hear Beck make that argument.
The Times story indicated that the Chinese have been able to develop many forms of green power and have strong R&D programs in this area powered by the many US educated Chinese engineers, mathematicians, and scientists. Check out your local grad school.
BTW, what do you know first hand about 9/11 and where did you do your homework?