Splitsville

One of the most inspiring things a modern leader has, in my opinion, ever said was when president John F. Kennedy famously stated "We all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children's future, and we are all mortal."

If, however, that statement were to be reworked by certain people of a certain political persuasion, that statement might continue: "Except the poor, the brown, the foreigners and any other douchebags who don't agree with us."

It's all well and good to approach current events from an evenhanded perspective. But it's not enough to say as much when the information disseminated under the rubric "fair and balanced" is both unjust and biased. ("Fair and Balanced" -- a phrase which has lost as much meaning as the quaint descriptive "gay" has gained). Saying something louder than anyone else doesn't make it true (except when Regis Philbin does it).

Avowed liberals consider themselves to be loyal to the truth while die-hard conservatives seem only to be loyal. Somewhere in the middle lies the perfect American.

But like the seminal grade B monster movie The Manster (early 1960s, black and white, nightmarish) in which a mad scientist injects some crap into a guy who then literally splits into two warring sides of his own personality, our nation, having sustained constant injections of dumbed down media and high-tech distraction has eschewed sanity, morality and common sense and, yes, is splitting apart.

Let's look at these two divided elements, shall we?

One of them believes that their way is the only way. It's kind of like the Alamo, where a shrinking minority under siege from the inescapable and somewhat inconvenient truths being hurled at them from a world tired of unilateral neo-con poppycock turn into kamikaze conservatives and have no compunction about protecting their treasured ideology by using human beings as sandbags.

The other of the divided elements takes a gentler approach to life's problems, seeking to ameliorate them in ways that, while attractive to anyone in possession of basic human compassion, are rarely practical. They tend to bicker, to lose focus, to be betrayed by the very characteristics which would distinguish them above their more vitriolic opponents: introspection, patience, open-mindedness.

In other words, they are ineffective milquetoasts and their disorganized and scattered approach causes thick layers of impenetrable waxy yellow buildup to accrue which then necessitates more money being spent to chip it away which inflames the other element which hates to spend money for anything other than plasma TV's, pistol cross-bows and ceramic figurines of braided milkmaids.

So complicated and entangled has the business of governance become that it would take a civil confrontation mutually assuring the other's destruction to cleanse the body politic of its toxicities which led to its destruction in the first place.

Shall I continue? Try and stop me!

Is this split man-made or a product of intelligent design? If it's man-made then evolution dictates humankind's inevitable demise will ironically come as a result of its own unrestrained intelligence. Inevitability and Irony live together in perfect harmony.

If it's intelligent design then The Man Upstairs clearly has a sick sense of humor, having created humankind as a way to alleviate a god's boredom. We might actually hear, moments before Armageddon: "Thou art punked. Psyche!!!"

Either way, it's looking more and more like Splitsville will be the last stop for this little experiment in democracy. That is unless we get our shit ... together.

 

 

Comments

[BuckCarson]

As a typical conservative, I don't understand where you get these ideas about conservatives caring only about people who act and look like them.

You use the phrase: "Fair and Balanced" which I think you are referring to FoxNews. Gays and Gay lifestyles are not news to me, so if you are actually referring to the ostensible brushing off of the "gay news" at Fox, then let me say that there is a hell of lot more going on of much higher urgency than this type of news.

Let's get real folks.

[maxgen]

We'll get real

5000 of our service people dead in Conservative's war
1/2 to 1 million humans (largely women and children) dead in Conservative's war.
Brownie does a heck-of-a-job in conservative's opinion.
Millions out of work and destitute due to Clinton's and conservative's license for corporations to plunder.
Up to $3 trillion added to national debt to get us out of the mess.
Outright lies are presented as truth by conservative crack pots and right wing "news" channels. These are not contested by "respectable" conservatives.

etc. etc.

[NYCexile]

"Avowed liberals consider themselves to be loyal to the truth while die-hard conservatives seem only to be loyal. Somewhere in the middle lies the perfect American."

Um, no. Both sides are merely loyal to their side's talking points. "Truth" as such, is a malleable thing, easily bent to whatever point of view a given individual has. This has corrupted the debate to such an extent that citing actual facts can and are dismissed out of hand. I've seen this regularly demonstrated on both sides. Nobody can claim any sort of high ground, because there isn't any. Both Republicans and Democrats say anything to win elections, and then ignore those promises once sworn into office.

The Republicans aren't "the enemy", they're the competition. "The Enemy", as such, is the culture that exists in DC and the various state capitols that enact laws and proulgate regulations which benefit a small, connected group and ignore the rest of us.

[audadvnc]

Hmmm, how are sensible, fact-informed, reasonable people that are given to introspection, patience, and open-mindedness now considered the far left wing of humanity?

[harriscrl3]

The far left and the right are flawed politics its too bad that neither camp can see that.

[William50]

Actually, the two extremes of the two political parties have opened the middle to the people of America. While it will take time for the middle to understand that they are the owners of America, that they swing every election and that they have had no voice in any election, until now, the forty to forty five percent of Real America, those that consider Americans problems first, care for their country, state and city/schools before they see the big picture, those who know that crime is more important then Afghanistan, education is poor because of Washington, religion is a city, county issue and jobs deserve attention before health care, have not been heard.
UNTIL NOW! middleamerican2010
Casey

[liveinhope23]

I don't think the demise of our species could ever be characterized as having been caused by our own "unrestrained intelligence". Quite the opposite. Natural selection requires a broad base from which to choose and clearly, there are variations within our species that have brought us to the point where one type can barely tolerate the other. This is social evolution. All that remains to be seen is whether the big, strong, war-like apes win, or the smarter apes are able to organize themselves and out-think the warriors. There is much that impedes progress for our species (government, religion, corporate power, religion, jingoism, religion...). However, I find your inference of equivalence between the Left and Right somewhat unjustified. The Right is defending an ideaology that has been constructed over thousands of years of history. Built on slavery, despotism, oppression, bellicosity, etc. It is an entrenched, well defended and (for some people) very successful position. The Left is trying to assail this from the outside and I think we are sometimes overwhelmed by the sheer size and scope of it. How do you stop the US Government from being run by corporate lobbyists? Damned if I know. There are myriad problems of this size and nature that will require phenomenal amounts of energy, organization and will to combat. The Internet has provided many people on the Left with a new sense of community. So Steven, don't despair of our chaotic and sometimes ineffective appearance. We're just getting started.

[C Pollard]

Do you truly believe that lobbyist's are only "conservative"? It's about power and greed and that is not exempt from any ideology. It is human. Conservatives acknowledge this, liberals don't. It's pretty simple really.

[telebob59]

Yesterday's post, high, hard 100 MPH heat. Today's Weber post, a cut fastball, perhaps? It certainly elicited some interesting responses. He's as correct as Gore Vidal about the fate of this lil' ol' democratic experiment known as the U.S. of A., but since Steven's a tad younger he can muster an open-ended, potentially hopeful close to this piece. Gotta get our collective excrement integrated, that's for real an' true. Inevitability and irony...the only constants apart from change?

[den1953]

Why not just be a proud American and think about positive things that make everyone proud of our country,both parties get a bit carried away with there positions on various issues but all the hate and bigotry in this country should really be toned down!

[jmpurser]

How about we try to change the country into something we CAN take pride in before we strut about BEING proud? And no, this isn't a "both sides" thing at all.

[1088]

As an Ex Republican and coming from a party that sticks together like glue no matter what. The opposite can be said about the Liberals and Progressives. If I had to choose a team that would have my back and do everything to save my life, I would choose the Republicans, for the left have no loyalty and think they knows it all, but in fact are no different in mentality than the right wings. I'm looking for a party that is discipline with their convictions in truth, justice, loyalty and tolerance. So far I haven't seen any!

[jmpurser]

Please go back and become a republican until you understand why saying things like "If I had to choose a team that would have my back and do everything to save my life, I would choose the Republicans," makes the rest of the world fall down laughing at you. Until you get it the left and every other reality based community can't use you.

[1088]

I had good sense to leave a party that is now filled with hate, but personally I see the other party pretend that they support President Obama and is willing to undermine his ability to lead. You people don't know how to support and don't help to push the Congress and Senate to achieve Mr. Obama's goals. You all sit complain and whine about everything. The Republicans hate the President because he's a Democrat and a black man. You Liberals and Progressives undermine him because he is black. As an outsider, I clearly see it. If Hillary and Bill Clinton was in office, you all would not complain and whine because they are white. I see it during the campaign, and I see it now.

[liveinhope23]

They live on Krypton

[CarolinaYankee]

Watch how all the rats start abandoning the sinking ship "The Ensign", it has already started. Yeah they really stick together and are loyal... just watch hahahahaha

[eweqo]

I wonder wheere letterman and polanski fall in this scale?

[jmpurser]

Way to demonstrate the brain death that is the conservative movement in America!

[stellanoir]

". . unless. . .we get our sit together. . ."

Indeed

http://www.global-mindshift.org/

[WellTickleMeWillie]

The new ReThuglican credo::

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the Dis-United States of America,
and to the Republican party for which it stands:
One global corporation under Rush Limbaugh, indivisible,
with free market liberty and just wealth for all Republicans.

[eweqo]

Instead of distorting someone elses view, why don't you articulate your own?

[blindjester]

I have no idea where you stand on the issues (left, right or moderate), but I'm fanning you for that one intelligent, useful comment.

I totally agree.

[TruthJusticeForAll]

You are so WRONG!! The Republicans would NEVER leave God out of their pledge. At the least, they might say under God, Rush Limbaugh.

[NoFactsJustTruth]

I think your ending perhaps hit on a larger cause of OUR society 'rifting' than the politics alone, Steven. Religion, not entirely unrelated to politics, is doing far more to cement hypocrisy and denial as republican't party attributes than do their illogical political obstructions in CONgress.

I've described to you before how some of the more religious engineers I work with are so blinded by faith and denials of science they become difficult to work or even talk with. It 'absolutely' also affects their politics as they simply refuse to accept improvements to OUR society or ANY 'good' could ever comes from the - 'other side'.

When one can deny to their self the existence sciences like geology, archeology, anthropology, genetics and biology (that we KNOW exists) for a religion, then no matter what that religion may be, one's already adopted and accepted a form of 'psychosis' - that their science and reality is MORE 'flexible' than their faith, or unfortunately, also their politics.

How could something like that NOT affect - ALL they do?

[NoFactsJustTruth]

Apologies for the editing, I'm a bit hurried and under-the-weather today.

[WellTickleMeWillie]

I'm afraid that this nation has once again past a point of no return. Like the splisville that began the first American Civil War with shots on Fort Sumter, the lunatic right have continually fired verbal shots across the bow of USS Obama and all that unites us. Cheering the loss of the 2016 Olympics to Chicago, is a symbolic gesture of the rights disloyality as so many of their other salvos have been lately. A ReThug Senator going to China to tell them that they should not believe or trust the US, Gen MacKrystal's insubordination, ReThug Congressmen against the official foreign policy of the US, endorsing the military takeover in Hondurus, the health debate debacle, etc. The right has shown and demonstrated repeatedly it's will to be disloyal and unpatriotic. Divide and conquer to win elections is their credo no matter what the truth or cost may be to this nation. How long will it be before the first real shots are fired by some right wing lunatic or militia group at Obama or other duly elected Democrat. It's not if, it is when the second Civil War begins. Neighbors would be pitted against neighbors all over this country. I'm not a gun advocate but I can see the merit in arming oneself to protect against the coming right wing violence. I know many rightwingers as work associates and they are all armed to the teeth and talk stupid.

[jmpurser]

I think your posts demonstrates that the illness of personality cult infects both sides. Otherwise you would not say that the great unforgivable offense of the Right was to dis president Obama but the assaults upon the principles of this nation instead.

[wietog]

And the most surprising thing is that the religious right cling to Jesus, who would be mortified by their actions.

[kitkatborn]

He certainly would be.