I voted for it… I helped campaign for it… i waited for it… and i’m still waiting for it. WTF.
Archive for the 'Political Discourse' Category
The Homeland Security Agency is unconstitutional anyway because it is a merger of civilian law enforcement with the military – which is the formula for a dictatorship! That is something which is never done in a republic!
Apparently these worries of draconian agencies weren’t turned on for the past seven years under the decades royal failure in chief, W. Now it’s ‘gubment gonna getcha you betcha’ pills being passed around without any regard for a civilized society but fear. Suggesting the “bullet box” is one thing and passing out fear for her own popularity and personal gain is quite a few things more. No this wasn’t Sara Palin. This time the award for pure tackiness goes to Catherine Crabill.
I pretty much ignore the Palin circus but seeing as how this is a piece of political news and a governor of a state just resigned, it makes sense to reign in the sunshine. Rumors are abound that she is now about to be federally charged for some shady dealings on the construction of her house just months before she started her race for governor. The resignation letter on her web site is pure gold.
Letterman-Palin fued was fake
Now we know what the “Letterman” incident was about a few weeks back. All I could think was “why now? Why make up this attack on her family that Letterman never did and play it so hard into the media? It was all about playing herself as the victim and continually build the charade that everyone is after the Palin family. We now know it was in anticipation of this resignation over an impending investigation.
Meanwhile in other news: a coup in Honduras, Rush Limbaugh wishes it would happen here, and Iranians are still proving themselves to have bigger balls when it comes to public protest than we currently do.
That is what i saw in the final night of the Democratic Convention at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. The resonance of 75,000+ people in Mile High Stadium looked so surreal. What a beautiful vision for tomorrow. The Republican welcome mat was pure genius especially when we got to the Republican “testimonials” section before the Obama crescendo. “We need a President that looks out for Barney Smith not Smith-Barney” brought the crowd to a roar. Barney Smith, you are my hero. And the courageous woman that preceded Barney with her wrenching story of losing health care and her hold of the “American Dream” after consistently voting for and believing in the Republican promise. The solidarity we’re seeing unfold is one we need to rejoice, embrace, and then quickly build upon. Let’s get to work.
One of the key things the left needs to do to bring politics back to the left of center is to regain the community perception of reality that is has been under attack by the right-wing marketing machine. The right and it’s lemmings have proven themselves oranized in taking talking points and language handed down by it’s strategists and turning our culture’s use of everyday language on it’s head. It sickens me to see them frame the debate and re-frame our language and get away with it.
Example I: Tree Harvesting
This is a term I hear used often living in the Pacific Northwest. No longer will you hear the term Clear Cutting used in reference to the massive deforestation that occurs daily—it’s no longer a term referred to in our popular culture. Tree Harvesting sounds so much softer and kinder… oh that 90 year old oak was cut down.. it was harvested! It’ll be back next year with the annual picking of strawberries and turnips. It’s no coincidence that clear cutting has been blunted to fruit picking as the juicy profits of big timber are quite sweet I’m sure. A harvest has always been in reference to things that grow anually and does not apply to something that has taken 80 years to grow. “Oh go ahead and chop it.. it’ll be back next year.” Umm… no it won’t.
Example II: Climate Change
Sounds nice doesn’t it?
“Ah… look… that silly mother nature…. she’s at it again.. climate change. What’s for lunch?”
It was and always will be remembered as GLOBAL WARMING. It’s more than obvious things are warming faster than they should. It’s not something that should be framed politically or marketed in a softer gentler framework. This is serious business and we need to take the language back. Repeat after me: Global Warming, Global Warming, Global Warming. Ok.
Example III: Torture is still Torture
All of the best minds in the intelligence and military world will tell you the same thing: torture doesn’t work. It didn’t work on Americans in World War II in bringing down the allies and it certainly won’t work if we do it. Holy hell I can’t believe I even have to say this. Put anyone in the whacky column if they come back with the “yeah but what if there’s a bomb that’s going to go off and…” line. But let’s face it… we know we’ve lost all credibility on this matter. So at least reclaim the language and the ethics that lay beneath the words. Torture is still torture.
(to be continued)
For more on how they use language to frame reality check out this article which is based on a 1996 memo by Newt Gingrich with what he refers to as Optimistic Positive Governing Words ›