On my soapbox again. So I read this article (see link) and it got me thinking...which is worse the fact that someone actually writes this or that a certain segment of the population actually thinks there is truth to it? All I can say is this is no way to run a country.
I freely admit that I lean to the Democrat side of thinking but I also can appreciate the way Reagan ran the country back in 80s. Now in the 80s I was "coming of age" and frankly politics really didn't affect me. At that age you simply made fun of politicians. As I aged, I appreciated Clinton's intelligence and desire to balance the budget. This made sense and to think a Democrat wanted to balance a budget...then we had the Bush and Gore debacle. Politics suddenly became a dividing issue, an us versus them mentality. Compromising and providing an adequate second voice suddenly became outdated. The minority party simply laid low for two years and hoped that policies backfired and that they would then become the majority again. This seesaw battle has only given us failed policies (Guantanamo Bay, Iraq/Afghanistan, and Death Spiral of a Federal Budget to name a few).
Which brings me to the the article above...how is it then that the best interest of this country is when one party simply sits back and lets the other party do what it wants while laying the seeds of dissent with the hope of whatever policies are set forth, fail so that in the next election cycle they can tout their dissent for ultimate political gain. Anyone want to place bets on who controls Congress in 2010? Does 1994 Contract with America ring any bells?
What happened to making your interest in this country number one when it comes to making decisions. Why has our two party system failed so utterly in the last 20 years? For a democracy to work we need cooperation and compromise. We need the Republicans (and Democrats) to bring forth opposing ideals. Ideals with validity that are designed to make this country better. Politicians then need to debate and compromise and write bills that find common support. Something each party can walk away with and say this is a win for us. Instead we simply have no minority ideal, no dueling plan, just a group of dissenters with nothing to say but "NO". Compromise is now seen as weak and siding with the enemy. I mean the Republicans have recently announced a ten point checklist for candidates hoping to gain funds...you can bet siding with the "enemy" is a big no - no! The daily news cycle wants black and white, a winner and loser and therefore any middle of the road politician is run out the door filling our democrat institutions with extremist politicians that have lost touch with their constituencies and simply become "yes" man to the political machine that welcomes their staunch support to parties views that get the most bang for the buck.
Where is compassion? Desire to make our country great? How is that we have become so hateful of others with different views. Deep down I don't think we truly hate each other that much. Red vs Blue is just a construct, a media tool. In the end I think the world is going through a profound change...America's are scared. Our time as a great country is waning, we no longer control our destiny. This fear is being used for political gain and might. It is much easier to lead with fear then to try and establish that we have lost our way and to find it again might require effort. In this day and age that is what I see, the Democrats latching on to hope that each individual can make a difference while the Republicans latch on to fear and negativity.
In the end it is a sad day for our country. Obama promised hope and yet that hope is slipping away. Where is that leadership we saw in the election cycle...the positive, the inspiring words, the desire to do good. If things don't change hope will simply fade as a failed idea. Why have we become so distressed...why don't we want to make the hard choices? Because it is simply easier to mock our opponents and not be part of the solution. Who wants to be responsible?
Without a middle ground our country will simply polarize itself into oblivion. Hard decisions won't be made because right or wrong it becomes part of your record. Easier just to do nothing and blame the opposing party for your woes rather than setting forth your own ideals. We have become the "not-me" generation...what a pathetic path especially in respect to our forefathers who sacrificed so much to provide for us the foundation that we sit upon today. Politicians today should be shamed for what they represent. Not only are you failing your country but you are failing our children who will be left with a hollowed out core of a Constitution...we can only hope they see through our petty policies and make a difference otherwise we all fail.
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