I used to argue that progressives in this country had no choice but to support the Democrats -- even pathetic frauds like Howard Dean and inept Thurston Howell III clones like John Kerry. I used to quote Frederick Douglas's despairing comment about what the Republican Party of his day represented for African Americans: the rock; all else is the sea.I want to disagree with this--to get out of bed in the morning I have to disagree with it--but it's pretty hard to find many places to poke holes in the case he makes.
Maybe that was true, once. But I've finally come to realize that in modern-day America there is no rock -- just a vast, featureless expanse of reactionary ocean, like something from the set of Waterworld, except without a gilled Kevin Costner.
So here's my confession: At this point I really don't give a flying fuck whether the Democrats take the House or the Senate back. No, wait, that's not true. The truth is I hope they don't. It wouldn't save us from what's coming down the road, in the Middle East and elsewhere. It wouldn't force President Psychopath to change course or seek therapy. But it would make sure that the "left" (ha ha ha) gets more than its fair share of blame for the approaching debacle.
Just go read it, and if you don't like where it ends up . . . well, neither do I, but you have to take it seriously just the same.
Meanwhile, this is going onto the Reading list on the sidebar.
4 comments:
I haven't read the full argument, but just responding to what you have posted here I have to say it really DOES matter who takes the House or Senate. When one party owns everything, there is nobody who can be a watchdog. No one will investigate. The ruling party has free rein to do whatever it wants. We MUST have split power to keep all those duelling politicians on their toes. The only thing that will keep them on the up and up is knowing that someone has the power to do somthing about it if they don't.
OK, I've read it now and I see why you've been in the fetal position. I still say, for the good of this country, we really need Democrats to take control of at least the House. Someone's got to be able to call for investigations and maybe impeachment. Of course, that begs the question, "What then?" Because, as we all know, the Republicans are so full of dirty tricks and the American public is so ignorant and sidetracked and gullible that it could absolutely be turned on them. Either way, it will though - they can always keep blaming Clinton and people will believe it.
No, I think it's best to fight for this country. So go, Dems. We really need to rebalance the power structure as soon as possible.
Hi, Becky--
I agree with you, and I'm not giving up the fight.
But the part of Billmon's argument that worries me most is: If the Dems get Congress back, and even the Presidency, there's still all the consequences of 6 years of Bush/Rummy/Chenyism, including a health-care bomb, a personal-debt bomb, a housing bubble, a widening gap between rich and poor, an over-extended military, depleted diplomatic credibility, ever-limited civil liberties, and so on. When all that shit hits the fan, if the Dems have the [un]lucky timing to be in the driver's seat, I'm not too optimistic about American's ability to remember who's to blame.
Still, if the alternative is the uninterrupted continuation of Bush madness at home and abroad, then there's no sane choice but to support the Dems. But Billmon's point is that, if those really are our only two options, we are well and truly screwed as a country no matter who wins the next two elections.
Time for me to uncurl, get up off the floor, and get back to work.
bn
I get the point about it being too late and I worry about that quite a bit myself, actually. On the other hand, the Democrats (particularly Clinton, but also the "peaceniks") are being blamed for everything as it is, so what's the difference? Might as well do what can be done before this ship sinks - and all of us along with it.
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