My good friend Joe Fab sent me his thoughts on the idea of "American Exceptionalism" that is being used as a foundational principle for Republican presidential candidates in 2012. The Wash Post did a piece on this unfortunate development yesterday and it prompted these thoughts from Mr. Fab:
I'm proud and feel very fortunate to be an American. But I know that I'm here by good luck, not because I myself am exceptional in an earned sense of any consequence. What I have done and am doing with my own life is the measure of my worth, and I feel a heightened responsibility to make that worth register positively in part because of the chance combination of time and geography that led to my birth in this country.
That's a far cry from the sense of entitlement that these new American exceptionalists (may we call them AEs?) often seem to feel. You'd think they'd fought the American Revolution themselves the way they wrap themselves in the Declaration of Independence. If one were to appropriately employ the hyperbole so popular in recent years -- the comparison to Nazi Germany -- this might be just the occasion for it. No matter what the AEs think, America is unique as in "one of a kind" and exceptional as in "set apart by certain unusual qualities." But we are not the kind of 'exceptional' that automatically gives Americans a seat above and before all others on the planet.
None of us living today created that unique aspect of this country. We are the beneficiaries of what some amazingly thoughtful people cooked up many generations ago. We are the trustees of their wise design. The design is what is exceptional; we are not. And the only way for us to strive toward being exceptional is to treasure, respect and responsibly carry on the values and principles contained in both the Declaration and Constitution.
A clear and precise distinction must be made between that mission and the shallow flag-waving, placard-carrying tantrums in evidence in AE America. To me, today's use of the idea of American exceptionalism is frightening and smacks of desperation and immaturity.
Mel Brooks' Two Thousand Year Old Man captured the AEs perfectly when he reminisced about the Stone Age and how neanderthals began to group together into tribes. He remembered with relish how everybody thought his own gang was the absolute greatest, just because, well, it was the gang to which he belonged. His group lived in Cave #7. Their rallying cry may sound primitive, but is it really any different from what the AEs are saying?
"Everyone can go to hell except Cave 7!"
Well said, Joe, well said -- and thanks for sharing.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Confidential Memo to Republican Voters
Alert! Alert!
I have just intercepted a confidential memo to Republican voters from their Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Here it is in its entirety:
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO TO REPUBLICAN VOTERS
FROM: US SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL
DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2010
SUBJECT: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
Yes, what the hell are you doing???
Why are you out there spending for Christmas? Retails sales were great on Black Friday. They continue through the weekend to be up. Online shopping is soaring off the charts.
I'm trying to limit Obama to one term and you are not helping.
The stock market is up and may go up another 300 to 400 points in 2011. If you keep up this pace of helping him recover the economy we may see a 30-40% growth in the stock market next year.
You small businessmen: why are you hiring? My thanks to large businesses who continue to sit on their trillions in cash but you small businesses are not doing your part. I see that private sector hiring has been growing steadily upward for the past four quarters.
And while I'm at it, many of you are decrying spending via earmarks while writing me urging that I slip in an earmark or two for your special projects. Don't you think the hypocrisy of your position is a bit obvious? I can't cover your hypocrisy forever, you know. The Democrats like earmarks, too, I know, and you have been great to point that out, but they usually insert about 4,000 per year when they are in charge. Republicans, on the other hand, have been trying to keep quiet the fact that we insert about 14,000 each year, We do it for you. What are you doing to help us cloud this fact?
So, yes, what the hell are you doing to help us defeat this Obama character besides calling him names?
Stop spending, stop hiring, stop investing. What kind of patriot are you anyway?
Some of you have even joined the socialists on the other side of the aisle demanding that we not "repeal and replace" the recently passed health care reform law, but that we "keep and expand" it. Fully 51% of you have abandoned our cause. How do you expect me to get paid this year by my friends in the drug and health insurance industry?
Consider this a wake up call! Do your part.
Next: Coming soon, a confidential memo to discuss your demands for increased spending for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and unneeded, unrequested military hardware the DoD doesn't want without finding a source to pay for them. You know that is an untenable position, don't you. Your grandchildren will question your IQ if you keep this up. I'm serious, do you want that?
Your obedient servant,
Mitch McConnell
I have just intercepted a confidential memo to Republican voters from their Senate leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Here it is in its entirety:
CONFIDENTIAL MEMO TO REPUBLICAN VOTERS
FROM: US SENATOR MITCH MCCONNELL
DATE: NOVEMBER 28, 2010
SUBJECT: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?
Yes, what the hell are you doing???
Why are you out there spending for Christmas? Retails sales were great on Black Friday. They continue through the weekend to be up. Online shopping is soaring off the charts.
I'm trying to limit Obama to one term and you are not helping.
The stock market is up and may go up another 300 to 400 points in 2011. If you keep up this pace of helping him recover the economy we may see a 30-40% growth in the stock market next year.
You small businessmen: why are you hiring? My thanks to large businesses who continue to sit on their trillions in cash but you small businesses are not doing your part. I see that private sector hiring has been growing steadily upward for the past four quarters.
And while I'm at it, many of you are decrying spending via earmarks while writing me urging that I slip in an earmark or two for your special projects. Don't you think the hypocrisy of your position is a bit obvious? I can't cover your hypocrisy forever, you know. The Democrats like earmarks, too, I know, and you have been great to point that out, but they usually insert about 4,000 per year when they are in charge. Republicans, on the other hand, have been trying to keep quiet the fact that we insert about 14,000 each year, We do it for you. What are you doing to help us cloud this fact?
So, yes, what the hell are you doing to help us defeat this Obama character besides calling him names?
Stop spending, stop hiring, stop investing. What kind of patriot are you anyway?
Some of you have even joined the socialists on the other side of the aisle demanding that we not "repeal and replace" the recently passed health care reform law, but that we "keep and expand" it. Fully 51% of you have abandoned our cause. How do you expect me to get paid this year by my friends in the drug and health insurance industry?
Consider this a wake up call! Do your part.
Next: Coming soon, a confidential memo to discuss your demands for increased spending for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and unneeded, unrequested military hardware the DoD doesn't want without finding a source to pay for them. You know that is an untenable position, don't you. Your grandchildren will question your IQ if you keep this up. I'm serious, do you want that?
Your obedient servant,
Mitch McConnell
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Read the Constitution?
During the recent orientation session, new members of Congress were handed a manual that instructed them how to handle the media, how to avoid ethics violations, how to organize their offices, etc. but I was delighted to learn that the number one thing they were encouraged to do was "Re-read the US Constitution."
Isn't that special.
Why would that be necessary? Because many (not all) of the incoming class have never read it from beginning to end, and even more have no knowledge of its meaning, or regrettably, fewer still have no knowledge or understanding of the legal precedents established by it, e.g., separation of church and state doctrine. This is obvious from their recent campaign rhetoric.
Re-read the Constitution?? I would be happy if they just read it.
Isn't that special.
Why would that be necessary? Because many (not all) of the incoming class have never read it from beginning to end, and even more have no knowledge of its meaning, or regrettably, fewer still have no knowledge or understanding of the legal precedents established by it, e.g., separation of church and state doctrine. This is obvious from their recent campaign rhetoric.
Re-read the Constitution?? I would be happy if they just read it.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Tea Party Madness Started Years Ago
As the campaign of 2010 reached its zenith on election day (or its deepest pit, depending on how you view these rituals), I kept asking myself "why are these tea party people so angry?"
When President Obama was elected, he did what he said he would do and what the American people voted for. His Democrats passed the financial reform bill that kept the economy from falling into a well carved and deeply cut Republican ditch. His Democrats passed a health care reform bill that has only begun to pay dividends for the American people. No, it couldn't be all of those things that made them so angry because those Obama initiatives were actually good for the American people. It must be something else.
I am only an amateur psychologist, but I venture to say that their anger is pent up from watching their favorite son, Bush 43, spend and borrow, and borrow and spend for his entire 8 years in office. The tea party conservatives in America kept quiet. To criticize Bush 43 would be out of step with their brothers in the Republican cult. No, the answer goes back much farther. The anger starts with Bush 43, and to some extent, Reagan 40. Bush 43 saved the banks with the $700 billion TARP money.But he did not tell his voters he would favor such an expansion of government. And Reagan nearly tripled the national debt. Not a good thing in the eyes of the tea party folks.
So, under the surface, the tea party simmered. Their subconscious mind told them their favorites had broken from the conservative movement, or horrors, were never really with them. They also knew they had been lied to for decades. Every Republican President in their memory had always said he was for lower taxes and smaller government, but they never delivered. That made the tea party Americans very mad. Heck, that would make me furious. And this year their madness exploded and hit both mainstream political parties, Democrats the hardest, but they were not and still aren't happy with the Republicans.
If you tea party people want to feel better about your participation in the political process, start by telling your candidates to "put up or shut up." If they can't give you a program they would cut to make a difference in the federal budget, tell them not to bring it up anymore. If they can't tell you a major federal agency they would eliminate to make government smaller, tell them not to bring it up anymore. You will find that these people have very little else to talk about. You may then have an opportunity to recruit candidates to your cause who actually know something about governing, starting with an understanding of the US Constitution.
When President Obama was elected, he did what he said he would do and what the American people voted for. His Democrats passed the financial reform bill that kept the economy from falling into a well carved and deeply cut Republican ditch. His Democrats passed a health care reform bill that has only begun to pay dividends for the American people. No, it couldn't be all of those things that made them so angry because those Obama initiatives were actually good for the American people. It must be something else.
I am only an amateur psychologist, but I venture to say that their anger is pent up from watching their favorite son, Bush 43, spend and borrow, and borrow and spend for his entire 8 years in office. The tea party conservatives in America kept quiet. To criticize Bush 43 would be out of step with their brothers in the Republican cult. No, the answer goes back much farther. The anger starts with Bush 43, and to some extent, Reagan 40. Bush 43 saved the banks with the $700 billion TARP money.But he did not tell his voters he would favor such an expansion of government. And Reagan nearly tripled the national debt. Not a good thing in the eyes of the tea party folks.
So, under the surface, the tea party simmered. Their subconscious mind told them their favorites had broken from the conservative movement, or horrors, were never really with them. They also knew they had been lied to for decades. Every Republican President in their memory had always said he was for lower taxes and smaller government, but they never delivered. That made the tea party Americans very mad. Heck, that would make me furious. And this year their madness exploded and hit both mainstream political parties, Democrats the hardest, but they were not and still aren't happy with the Republicans.
If you tea party people want to feel better about your participation in the political process, start by telling your candidates to "put up or shut up." If they can't give you a program they would cut to make a difference in the federal budget, tell them not to bring it up anymore. If they can't tell you a major federal agency they would eliminate to make government smaller, tell them not to bring it up anymore. You will find that these people have very little else to talk about. You may then have an opportunity to recruit candidates to your cause who actually know something about governing, starting with an understanding of the US Constitution.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)