Past imperfect

Anna Quindlen writes in the current Newsweek about Loving V. Virginia, the mostly forgotten 1967 Supreme Court opinion that "Marriage is one of the basic civil rights of man" thereby ruling against the Racial Integrety act of 1924. Of course we consider a ban on interracial marriage a bit archaic today, even though the fundamentalists who told us that since God had "separated the races" we shouldn't allow them to mix are still here and telling us what God wants and damn the Constitution and its heretical equal protection clause. It's probably what they mean by "Judicial activism" when they complain about the Supreme Court of the 1960's, but of course our constitution was specifically designed to thwart the impositions of religious institutions; impositions that are still the backbone of Conservative culture.

Does anyone sane still think the purpose of our government is to enforce sectarian rules as interpreted by self appointed mullahs? Apparently so. Karl Rove sets forth in the same issue to tell us that in reconstituting the Republican party, the values traditional to people who traditionally oppose any concept of freedom other than their own freedom to impose rules, should absolutely never be compromised. Can we really separate the "conservative culture" he champions from the long standing tyrannical opposition to things as diverse and numerous as "Misogyny," Women's suffrage, the five day work week, segregation or Social Security? Can Republicans seriously consider themselves to be the "Party of Lincoln" when Lincoln was a Liberal willing to ignore biblical tolerance for slavery?

The Social Conservatism of Karl Rove, whether or not it's a smokescreen hiding the dragon of tyranny, is outmoded and has been abandoned by countries along with fundamentalist religiosity and bigotry toward social minorities. In fact it's obvious that much of the world has begin to recognize the freedom of people to define their own family relationships, make domestic contracts and partnerships as they see fit. So far, despite the Fallwellian demagoguery, nothing bad has happened and isn't likely to happen when we catch up with the Canadians, as eventually we will do.

Republicans should come across ( not necessarily be) as morally serious, says Rove, although Rove has long demonstrated that victory is the root of morality. What escapes him is that the Constitution of this country protects me against other people's moral seriousness when it comes to the rights it guarantees. What escapes him is that his vision of a reconstituted party is a party still attached to the losing side of history.

"We can't just dwell on the past" says Rove without any apparent sense of irony. "The Future is already here."

Indeed it is and I'm hoping that the conservative impulse toward clinging to that past is part of the past and that Karl Rove and the other enemies of liberty and personal responsibility are not part of the future.

Come on People Now…Everybody Get Together

Obama and McCain met Monday in Chicago to discuss working together to “fix” up our country:

After the meeting, Obama and McCain issued a joint statement saying:

"At this defining moment in history, we believe that Americans of all parties want and need their leaders to come together and change the bad habits of Washington so that we can solve the common and urgent challenges of our time."
"It is in this spirit that we had a productive conversation today about the need to launch a new era of reform where we take on government waste and bitter partisanship in Washington in order to restore trust in government, and bring back prosperity and opportunity for every hardworking American family," it said. "We hope to work together in the days and months ahead on critical challenges like solving our financial crisis, creating a new energy economy, and protecting our nation's security."

As Americans, we need to take a page from their book and determine to work together in the struggle to save our beloved country. Ranting and raging all over the blogosphere accomplishes little as does resting on our laurels now that the election is over – we need to make our voices heard in Washington; conservatives and liberals and everyone in between. Don’t like a proposed policy? Let them know about it! How? Read on…

Hat tip to Libby over at the Impolitic for steering me to the new Obama website where, if you move your cursor over the agenda tab, you get a drop down box of issues. Click on the issue and you will be taken to a page outlining the administration’s plans and ideas. On the right of each page is a blue box for submitting your own ideas and thoughts. And if you prefer to contact your state senator here is the website to find them.

We are at a most critical time in our history and our very survival hangs in the balance. I am reminded of an old typewriting course practice drill (who else remembers those?) “Now is the time for all good men (and women) to come to the aid of their country.” Not by flinging insults and trading barbs but by participating in the political process. We have little to lose and everything to gain by trying to work together. This is my country, this is your country, this is OUR country.

Welcome Rockync

Give me your tired, your poor restless insomniacs,
Your huddled masses cunning pundits yearning to breathe free scorn
The wretched refuse crooks and liars of y our teeming shore[s].
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed hysterically livid to me
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
And throw your table lamp at the dim-witted boors.

Emma Lazarus (O)CT(O)PUS

Jurassic Questions 'R Us

What do all y’all think of this? Academic Study: Franken Likely to Win Minnesota Senate Race. I don’t know quite what to think – on the one side, I would like to see a real comedian in the senate. Wouldn’t it be grand? Clowns to the left of him, jokers to the right, there he is: Crazy Al from the glory days of SNL! I think he would be a great successor to the late Senator Wellstone. On the other side, the academic study sort of implies that a fair number of Democrats are either doofuses or can’t bring themselves to follow the directions for marking the ballot. It says “punch the circle,” so we make an x or, better yet, we underline the candidate’s name or some such thing. Just to be individuals, you know…. Circles? We don’t punch no circles. We don’t need to punch you any stinking circles! I myself merely offer the poll station workers a couple of knowing, affirmative nods. They seem to understand…. Well, apparently in the Minnesota recount, x’s, circlings around the candidate’s name, and knowing, affirmative dinosaur nods are all supposed to count as votes. That should prove interesting….

Hillary for S.O.S? What about this notion of one H. Rodham Clinton becoming Secretary of State? No doubt Obama is operating on the LBJ / Lincoln theory on how to deal with adversaries. Is this a good choice or a bad one?

The New, Improved Conservative Movement (can a leopard change its spots?)

There has been a clarion call of sorts among conservatives to redefine the GOP and return to the basics of a Reagan type conservatism. They want to win the hearts and minds of those Americans they lost during the rather negative and dirty presidential campaign of 2008. So I have been cruising around the conservative bloggerhood, leaving comments (you know me, rockync, commenter extraordinaire) but mostly just observing what form this new improved movement would take.

Over at Conservative Convictions a new blog effort by my respected conservative friend, Robert and the equally engaging Jennifer, there has been a lot of activity and some very interesting posts. Alas, a comment thread under the post for “Part II – Approaches to the New Administration” that is quite lengthy concerning Bill Ayers, the Weather Underground and President-Elect Obama shows how easily distracted people can get by unproductive arguments. I don’t think most Americans are unduly impressed with this fragment of a conspiracy theory cut from whole cloth. They said this by their vote. Beating this dead horse will do nothing to win the hearts and minds of Americans.

Much has been made by conservatives about the unpatriotic-ness of criticizing our government and current president but over at The Liberal Lie, The Conservative Truth we find this post: “BARACK OBAMA - SHOULD WE WANT HIM TO SUCCEED ? - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY.” You can go read the complete post for yourself but this paragraph sums up the gist of it:

As an American I support the office of the President and respect the position even when I disagree with the office holder because he still is the leader of this Nation and the Commander in Chief of the greatest military in the world. But from a stand point of principle, core beliefs and supporting a policy that I have almost no agreements with is asking anyone to disregard personal and political philosophy just to wish success for someone who is polar opposite of what I believe and stand for.

The post goes on at length attempting to make a rational argument for abandoning the former stance of “criticize President Bush and you are unpatriotic”, becoming, “criticize President Obama and wish him failure ONLY because you have the best interests of your country at heart” and, somehow, that now makes you patriotic. When liberals made this type of argument they were called unpatriotic. The conservative movement will have to make up their minds; which is going to be?

There are other blogs, and other examples, but I’m supposed to be writing my first-ever blog post, not my first online novel!
While I recognize that there will be a period of disappointment and bitterness over the outcome of this election and it will be reflected in the various blogs, I hope the conservative movement will not get too mired down in their own distractions, thus losing this window of opportunity to enact the positive changes many conservatives crave.

The Commies are (still) coming!

If you really thought the Obama-as-Communist insanity had anything to to with Obama, with National Health Care or progressive income taxes or anything else in the real world, here's some evidence that might change your mind. We've seen many attempts to make us afraid of creeping Communism during the last two years and I've written about some of them: stern lectures about how frogs won't notice if you boil them slowly, fake letters from professors quoting "exchange students" who warn us about small increments of socialism being what brought on communism in Vietnam. Of course Communism never did arise that way anywhere, but by armed revolution or invasion, nor did it grow from or replace socialism but rather corrupt feudalism or colonial fiefdom. The slippery slope argument they all share is a fallacy of course; an unsupported assumption or extrapolation designed to deceive and frighten, but it's one of the few things left to Obama haters and they continue to use it.

The recent recrudescence of a fake quote by Nikita Kruschev that first appeared to the delight of wingnuts nearly 50 years ago is a perfect example. Titled "And so it begins!" the screed tells us that:

" We cannot expect Americans to jump from Capitalism to Communism, but we can assist their elected leaders in giving Americans small doses of Socialism until they suddenly awake to find they have Communism"

That Kruschev never said it or anything like it and that extensive research supports the fact that it was cooked up by people who had private reasons to object to social security, minimum wages, welfare and unions, doesn't really matter. This is the USA and most of us are either ignorant, dishonest or both and a substantial number are barking mad and willing to believe anything that validates their obsessions, their fears and their greed.

I'm nearly convinced that the biggest problem facing our new administration is not terrorism, depression or climate change, but the enemy within; the enemy who disseminate viral e-mails, throw tantrums on AM radio, giggle and sneer on Fox News: the people who make stupid jokes and the people who pass them on and on and on.

All over for Obama

Remember the people who told you that to criticize the president was nearly treason; the people who questioned the patriotism of anyone who questioned the war, the Patriot Act, the torture at Abu Ghraib, the signing statements, the surveillance of citizens and all the other things that Bush wrought?

They haven't gone away, but like Tokyo Rose and Lord Haw Haw they're singing the defeatist song on every media outlet they can co-opt. Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Michelle Malkin; The recession is Obama's fault, the record oil prices were Obama's fault. His ideas are killing the economy, says Rush. "there will be more Elian Gonzales snatchings" says Ann; more attacks like Waco. The Democrats have "Palin derangement syndrome" says Malkin.

Of course it's the identical tactic they used against Bill Clinton but honed and perfected over the years. "The failure of the Clinton Presidency" was a worn out phrase before the man took office and the crimes of Obama will be a tenet of the Republican culture before the ball drops in Times Square. "Do we wait until he makes a mistake?" asks Sean Hannity. Of course not: better to invent the mistake for him before he gets the chance to muddy the waters with facts and better to condemn him on Fox's terms than on his own.

No, we already know he's a Muslim, will raise taxes to near Reagan era levels. He'll take your guns and he'll give all your money to welfare queens and put abortion doctors on the Supreme Court and force men to marry men. He'll ruin your marriage, he'll make you drive some nasty little car and eat hemp sprouts and he'll take God off the money and open Madrassas in Arkansas and make Louis Farrakhan Secretary of State. He'll confiscate all your property. He'll do all that and more; he was born in Kenya to do it all, and so in their world he's already done it. He is already guilty, he's already failed and Fox is here to tell you all about it.

The struggle is not over. The struggle did not end with the election and the struggle will not end -- ever.

A BONFIRE AFTER THE VANITIES

America, America,
Man sheds his waste on thee
And hides the pines with billboard signs,
From sea to oily sea!

(George Carlin)

Once again, voters prayed in the temple of democracy, our ritual to form a more perfect union without resolution or end.   Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!  We have our succession and our epanalepsis; but the land will not be purged of heretics, dragons, or sphinxes until we’ve cleansed our communities of political trash.

Those campaign signs that screamed for attention and stirred our passions … bullet ridden, stolen, vandalized … now lie abandoned, ignored, forgotten.  Some will be harvested by campaign officials or saved as keepsakes.  Most towns and cities will require their removal within a specified deadline, and the bulk of this junk will end up recycled or dumped into landfills.

Your crafty 8pus has another idea.  One of our Swash Zone readers asked recently:

Is it me or are there a lot of people in the blogosphere suffering from election ... let down? (see comment at 7:27 PM, November 08, 2008)

After twenty months of anxiety-inducing, fear-mongering, insurrection-inciting, nail-biting suspense, maybe what we really need is a form of ritualized closure, some celebration or ceremonial event to mark the end of an election cycle.

On November 8, 2008, the Saturday night after the election, our community gathered up all yard signage and held a cookout with music followed by a bonfire.  Those thousands of iniquitous yard signs that pitted neighbor against neighbor went one-by-one into the eternal fire … never to be seen again.

Lets start a national trend.  What better way to assuage partisan bad blood, close ranks, and restore communal civility than to hold a post-election bonfire in every town and village from coast to coast.  Rituals can heal the wounded soul.  Falò delle vanità.  Spread the word!

One more thought before 8pus returns to his undersea locker:  In four years time, if our elected officials fail us yet again, and another scourge blights our fair land, I suggest we throw those politicians on top of the pyre and burn them as witches.

Open door policy

"I'm like, OK, God, if there is an open door for me somewhere, this is what I always pray, I'm like, don't let me miss the open door. Show me where the open door is,"

That's what Sarah Palin was like yesterday on like Fox News, not that there was like much doubt about like what she was like all along. So I'm like hoping that one of the voices in her head will like tell her to like step through that open door, to like lead her whole party; witch hunters, gay bashers, heretic haters, Bible thumpers, Crusaders and glossolalian Godbothers down an open elevator shaft.

I'm sure there are many Republicans who feel the same way, but will they be like able to divorce themselves from like the religious psychos and the market fundamentalists and the clepto-capitalists and like become a loyal opposition able to present like constructive criticism of the Democratic majority?

In a way, I hope so, but in another way, I'm like having so much fun rubbing the noses of the gobbling turkeys in their own folly, I hope not. Perhaps there is like a God and like maybe he's like giving us this polished boot wearing, Hitler saluting twit as a cautionary example lest we be tempted to like continue the plague of Crazy Christian expansionism, but like maybe not. Maybe it's like time to save ourselves.

Two posts on gay marriage

As both are really, really long -- I don't know what it is that compels me, sometimes -- I'll just leave the links, rather than hogging the whole front page.

Wingnuts & Moonbats: My thoughts on Homosexual Marriage

Wingnuts & Moonbats: Is there a right to marry whomever one wishes?


Sorry I've been remiss in not posting, here. Nothin' lately seemed worthy...