The Sturm und Drang of US Politics

Hello Bloggers! It would seem that "hope and change" for some is "chaos and confusion" for others. The highs and lows of American politics are not new, but except for the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, our generation may be living through one the most contentious and divisive periods of our history.

Americans stood together during the world wars, but today we seem more inclined to curse, abuse, or even harm one another.

Dangerous Republican Anger and Frustration

The radicals are everywhere, on both sides. Still, there are differences. One group refuses to acknowledge last year's election results; dismisses the whole concept of majority rule and the legislative process by calling it fascism (when they're not in control at least); is hell-bent on causing as much trouble as possible (disrupting town halls and more); uses propaganda filled with incredible lies to sway public opinion their way; "disrespects" the office of the president by calling him a racist and a liar; and worst of all, is threatening violence and revolution.

Those are serious differences. Ordinary Democratic Americans may have been angry with Bush and the Republicans - and called them names like "war criminals" for all kinds of good reasons, but the difference is that leading Republicans and trusted sources across the media spectrum are now doing it. It's all pretty despicable. Even moderate Republicans are beginning to talk about how embarrassed they are by it all. I don't blame them. It's been pretty ugly.

After eight years of shoving policies, laws and lawbreaking down our throats, they are now acting as though we are intruders in their home. Being the majority is not enough for them. Despite our true mandate, they need us to pass our laws with solid Republican support (by over 70% in the Senate). If not, they call us fascists, socialists or communists. They seem to come up with new names every week. It's insane.

They never allowed us any input while in power. They controlled everything in every committee, along with floor debates. They were the worst majority party in the history of Congress. So, after treating our attempt at bi-partisan politics (electing Barack Obama) like crap, why should we care?

It's simple, they're angry because they're out of power. It's not about the American people; it's about power. Now it's 24/7 lies, hate and bile all encouraged by today's ratings-based, corporate media. They may not see it, take responsibility for it, or even know they're doing it, but they're doing it. The sad thing is, except for losing the big election, their behavior is unprovoked. We try to be bi-partisan, and they spit in our face. It's tiring.

They're refusing to acknowledge the election results. Instead, they're resorting to lies and distortions in an attempt to annul our victory.

It all needs to end. It's getting dangerous. As I've said before, somebody is going to get hurt or die. We need to find our way back to real issue debates, and find a way to filter out all the lies. We need to convert the radicals. We need to clean our political house.

Before we can stop it we need to identify the source of the anger, which will help us get rid of it. What is different about today? The answer will help us.

What is the Source of the Anger?

I would say it's the decline of truth in media and the subsequent decline in American intellectual curiosity - especially as it relates to real news and facts. I often talk about propaganda in media today, but it's also important to acknowledge the decline in America's appetite or desire for real news. Sadly, facts no longer seem important to people. Opinion - especially coming from pundits - seems to be more important today. So, what caused it?

Did Americans lose interest in real news, or did real news abandon Americans first? It's complicated, but I blame Ted Turner and his network buddies. Sorry Ted, but somebody had to be first, and that means you get the blame. Ted launched CNN in the eighties as America's first 24/7 cable news channel. The quality was good at the beginning. Along with MTV it thrilled Americans, but unfortunately a nasty rot soon set in.

First, CNN became very successful. Ted was making millions (enough to sell his empire to Time Warner for billions), which caused the big broadcast networks (CBS, NBC and ABC) led by their corporate parent companies to do the unthinkable. Greed and jealousy drove them to merge their once great independent news divisions into their larger entertainment media groups, forcing them to compete as big corporate profit centers. That was the beginning of the end.

Second, CNN's success in the post Reagan era of money, power and deregulation (the late 80s and 90s) drove big corporate media men to take great risks. Rupert Murdoch's News Corp and General Electric's NBC soon launched their own 24/7 news channels. Rupert joined forces with Roger Ailes and the Republican Party (FOX "News") while NBC joined forces with the high tech world of Microsoft (MSNBC). Both launches represented large corporate initiatives designed to consolidate power and influence while attracting huge profits.

Along with CNN at the time, they were willing to sacrifice their journalistic ethics for more tangible gains.

It was the beginning of the end for real news. Money from advertisers who were inappropriate - due to conflicts of interest - poured millions into the 24/7 news companies. Greed replaced ethics and the old divisions between "church and state" crumbled into dust. 24/7 news channels morphed into 24/7 "news" (some say entertainment) channels. I consider them "news" channels only because I don't know what else to call them. I suspect many people feel the same way. To me, they are corporate shills, or corporate whores.

If you're a fan of Orwell, I would also call them the "big brother" networks.

Our Drive-thru News Culture Today

Quality news still exists (NewsHour, NPR and the BBC), but they are drowned out by the less serious and more entertaining 24/7 competitors. Americans have grown accustomed to seeing their "news" peppered with anchor celebs, car chases, human interest pet stories, hype, sex, and the prolific he-said/she-said interviews where the interviewer cares more about the drama than real facts.

News is no longer about news. Interviews teach us nothing. Follow-up questions no longer exist. It's all about who is more convincing at the time. Interviews are more like duels - the truth be damned.

It may sound devastating, but America's "tabloidization" of the news is almost complete. News today is, for all intents and purposes, crap! Quality news and journalism is in decline, and sadly American intellectual curiosity along with it. I doubt journalism schools even teach ethics anymore. They probably focus more on hype. The days when real issues were discussed and debated and corrupt people everywhere worried about the investigative or confrontational journalist are over.

America's Fourth Estate has evolved into a bad joke. Corporate propaganda has replaced it, and it is now the engine that drives the ratings and money in media. It is corrupt, on the take, and in the tank.

That corruption leads us to the next big reason why things are different today - media's unhealthy influence on politics. Politics has always partnered with media, but not like today. There's something different. The 24/7 "news" channels have had a serious corrupting influence on today's politics. Instead of learning about issues and finding real solutions, politicians are spending inordinate amounts of time on public relations, communications and getting re-elected via the media. Sarah Palin is the archetypal modern media candidate - all BS and no substance.

Today it's all about getting a sound bite and form over substance.

The 24/7 Effect on Politics Today

We've established that modern politics is being eroded by the lies and manipulation of our corrupt 24/7 corporate media. It's unclear just how far the damage has gone, or will go, but it is clear the system needs to be fixed. Now we need to salvage what is left. I don't know how much faith I have left in the system, but President Obama and the Democratic leadership need to so something before it's too late.

The whole situation is made worse yet by the Supreme Court's decision to hear the case about the 2008 election-era Hillary Clinton movie. If the justices rule in favor of corporate money supporting candidates, the Democrats and our whole democracy may be at risk.

I realize that President Obama and the Democrats have a lot on their plate, but this is a critical issue. We may need to act soon. If not, we may never hold power again. Incredibly, the rest of our achievements may ultimately become meaningless unless we can prevent a potential corporate takeover of our political culture.

So the "system" is corrupt, polluted with misinformation, manipulation and media control - among many other things. Unless we can change course soon, our nation is at risk.

What Can We Do to Stop It?

It's time for us all to stop watching the 24/7 "news" channels, and that includes those of us who love to hear the "good news" on MSNBC. The same goes for FOX "News" fans, but my gut tells me that the 30% of Republicans who enjoy the FOX echo-chamber are even more loyal than Democrats - based on the ratings and cult-like fan base.

Besides ignoring the 24/7 big brother networks, we need to focus on education. Though our Republican friends deny it, the Reagan Administration started the process of dumbing-down America. It began when they started to dismantle our federal education standards in the 1980s. The process continued under Bush Sr., yet thankfully slowed under Clinton and Bush Jr..

We need strong national education standards. It is the only way to help reverse the damage.

We need to promote national excellence in math, science, civics and other critical subjects. We need to teach kids to doubt what they read, to question sources, and to think for themselves. We need to discourage home schooling and encourage respect for education, intelligence and learning again. Americans need to stop embracing leaders who cannot speak, read or write. America needs to move forward, not backwards.

The things I've written about here are important. If we don't recognize what has gone wrong and try to fix it, we will become less competitive as a nation, and ultimately suffer a national decline. The Sturm und Drang (storms and stresses) of modern American politics are difficult to control, but it's clear that unless WE THE PEOPLE try to improve things ourselves, we may never recover our freedom.

Tuesday's/Wednesday's/Thursday's Political Rant - Michael

Scarborough Co-Hosts Anti-American?

Hello Bloggers - Did you guys see the way that A-HOLE Joe Scarborough made a fool of himself on MSNBC this morning?! It was outrageous - I'll look for it on YouTube. He made a complete ass of himself this morning by accusing his co-hosts of being anti-American and anti-Texan. The really sad part was that he wasn't joking - if he was, you couldn't tell. He actually looked offended.

It happened when the Morning Joe program came out of a commercial early this morning when they showed a shot of the Dallas skyline. Mike, Willy and Mika (the "liberal/progressive" co-hosts) were trying to figure out the significance of the Dallas skyline shot. They quickly concluded that it had something to do with a baseball game.

Joe "the deaf and dumb" Scarborough, sitting in another studio somewhere with what must have been a bad audio connection, starting accusing them of being anti-American for mocking the idea of showing a picture of Dallas. He simply jumped to the conclusion they were mocking America and Texas. The weird part is they never said anything of the sort. It was very strange to watch.

He didn't seem to be kidding. He seemed to be kind of angry. It was so weird to watch him accuse his co-hosts, and his countrymen, of hating America - right there on national TV. The others just sat there in shock for a moment. Then Willy Geist responded by saying that he didn't need his patriotism questioned "by the likes of you." I thought that was pretty cool. Mike and Mika just sat there stunned. They quickly cut away to another shot in another studio.

I'm not a regular viewer, but I will say that I was extremely offended by Joe's remarks. It was embarrassing and rude. I hope to never watch the a-hole again. The man comes across as a reactionary moron. He should be suspended, or maybe fired. Who needs that crap? We the viewers certainly don't. I guess MSNBC does for ratings, but they should think twice on this one.

I don't care if he's controversial and represents a segment of society - it's a very UGLY SEGMENT OF SOCIETY to the majority of Americans. To me, the guy represents what's wrong with the right today. In my opinion they're harboring deep anger towards us on the left. That little scene showed the real Joe - and they way people like him think.

In my opinion there are too many hot-headed Republicans out there screaming about progressives being anti-American these days. I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of having my patriotism questioned - like Willy Geist. Who the hell do they think they are? I don't want to hear any more of their crap! He and his ilk are all a bunch of intolerant twits! I only hope he pays a price for his stupidity.

Btw, on a similar note, let's add one more psycho story to the list of Republican psycho stories. In addition to the developing list of red state calls for succession these days, we now have Congressman Nathan Deal, a Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, proposing to change the long-standing federal policy that automatically grants citizenship to any baby born on U.S. soil. Of course, it's pretty much opposed by immigrant rights advocates.

Deal and his supporters say the 14th Amendment wording was never meant to automatically give citizenship to babies born to illegal immigrants. "This is a sensible, overdue measure that closes a clause that was never meant to be a loophole," said Bob Dane, spokesman for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which seeks tighter immigration restrictions.

Under Deal's proposal, babies born in the U.S. would automatically have citizenship only if at least one of their parents is a U.S. citizen or national, a legal permanent resident of the U.S., or actively serving in the U.S. military.

I wonder how the Hispanic community will react to the Republican Party after hearing that little tidbit? I'll leave it to the courts to decide, but I do think it's fascinating to watch the Republicans constantly shooting themselves in their electoral foot.

Wow, think about it, if they add that campaign to a serious one against Supreme Court Nominee Sonia SotaMayor, they may as well go all the way. They should just start slurring the Holy Mother, wear cheap sombreros and sing tasteless Latin music. That might attract even better publicity. LOL!!

Tuesday's Political Rant - Michael

Real Life Guts and Common Sense

Good Morning Bloggers! Jonathan Turley on MSNBC this morning said that President Barack Obama's new choice for the Supreme Court, New York jurist Sonia Sotomayor, is considered an "intellectual lightweight" by most "intellectual court observers." I don't know what to say about that point, but I will say that I was struck by the speeches this morning.

Her story is the quintessential American story, and it begs the question whether having a little more humanity on the court is more important right now than one more brilliant jurist. President Obama obviously thinks so, and he's an excellent legal scholar. I think I'll go with his expertise and ignore the talking-heads for now. It seems like a good choice to me.

The idea of our first Hispanic justice is also very exciting. Her "common touch and a sense of compassion" seem like excellent qualities for a person who is meant to judge our laws and our lives. Republicans may not understand the emotion, but I agree with the president - empathy is a very good quality when it comes to judging others. So far, I'm a big fan of the 54-year-old Sotomayor. I guess we'll all have to wait and see how it unfolds over the summer. For now, I'm very happy! I'll write more about it later.

Tuesday's Political Rave - Michael

Political Rave/Video: Keith Olbermann is Right, It is About Love and Family

Hello Bloggers - Last night Keith Olbermann of MSNBC's Countdown amazed us again with one of his best and most heart-felt special comments yet.

He said it without being loud or angry, although, I liked it when he was angry during the worst of the Bush years. He just talked about love and understanding. It was wonderful, and impressive.

His special comments are always good, but this one was special. It was a straight man defending a gay person's right to happiness.

Like he said, it's a simple thing: "please don't get in the way." I agree with him. That is what I said in defense of those basic civil rights on this blog before the election.

No matter what my fellow voters of California said, the US Constitution guarantees equal rights, and our founding, cornerstone Declaration of Independence promised everyone a right to be happy.

We should not deny monogamous, consenting adults the right to be happy together. If marriage is necessary to guarantee that happiness, then we need to avail that civil and basic right to them.

Laws prevent polygamy and incest because they damage lives. If gay marriage doesn't hurt them, you, your children, or society, then Keith is right, get out of the way. Allow them to create families, love each other, and be happy. Building better families is always better for society.

Tuesday's Political Special Comment Rave and Video #1 - Michael

PS - I published the transcript under the Comments section here for those who, like me, like to read the words too.

Political Rant: McCarthyist Republican Campaign Tactics Point to the Darkside

Good Morning Bloggers - I don't know if you guys noticed yesterday, but the Republican talking points moved from simply crazy to "serial killer-kind-of-crazy" in my opinion.

I caught Bay Buchanan on CNN and Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann (R-MN) on MSNBC's Hardball yesterday and both were spewing the worst paranoid politics I've heard in a long time - if ever. They seemed to take their cues from Senator Joe McCarthy, but instead of calling out communists they were calling out the millions of "anti-Americans" and "socialists" supporting Barack Obama.

Wow! I guess I'm an "anti-American socialist" now because I support Barack. Incredible! I don't think that describes me at all. I think they're just NUTS! The interviewers looked just as shocked, and intelligently each seemed to be offering them plenty of rope, if you know what I mean.

It was an incredible news day. Chris Matthews tried to get Bachmann to name who the "anti-Americans" were, but she only responded with vague comments about how they exist everywhere, including Congress. She was actually calling on the FBI and the press to expose them. My mouth was wide open by that stage of the interview. I was stunned! The only good news is that Bachmann's opponent in the Minnesota race received over $30K in contributions within hours of the Hardball broadcast.

So, they've gone from Bill Ayers and Rev. Wright to cast suspicions on everybody who doesn't support their candidates or their issues. She kept saying "are they pro-America or anti-America?" It was surreal to say the least.

I realize they've questioned our patriotism in the past, but never in such a desperate, campaign-coordinated, tactical manner. They are actually now taking a campaign-supported position that anybody who doesn't vote their way is anti-American, or a socialist. It's a bold move. It's an outrageous move. It's a crazy, ####ed-up move.

My God, what is happening to the Republicans? How low will they go? Do they really want to win at all costs? Do they really believe the ends justify the means? I think the answer is a resounding yes, but feel free to give your opinion. That's what a blog is all about.

In my opinion they have no dignity left. They've dredged the depths of the swamp and released their noxious gases. I do wonder if they have worse, and how low will they go before it's all over?

It's kind of interesting to watch, in the same way you watch a horrible crash or an unfolding disaster. It's a morbid curiosity. Oh well, no matter what, they are now befouled by their own wretched stench. They are no longer even remotely respectable.

I wonder who the Sith Lord is these days? John McCain? Karl Rove? George Bush? Dick Cheney? Whoever it is, there's no doubt in my mind now, they've all joined the darkside. There's not much good left in them. We can only hope that Obama wins and they finally choke on their own, putrid bile.

Okay, I feel better. Republicans, it's your turn.

Saturday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Rant: Cable Network Lies Keep Presidential Race in Artificial Dead Heat

Good Morning Bloggers - I would like to slam the corporate media for the manipulative "infotainment" they call news during this election, and how they're reporting a "tight race" at this time when all indications are that the race has already tightened and is favoring Obama by double digits.

From what I can observe, CNN and MSNBC are lying about the election at this moment. Yes, they're lying scum. Each continues to call Nevada, Colorado, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida "swing states" despite the fact that the majority of polls in each of those states is now showing Barack Obama ahead of McCain beyond the margin of error - many by double digits. I won't bother to report on FOX. I don't even consider that to be "infotainment." I just consider it pure propaganda, or crap, whichever you prefer.

I know the networks have a job to keep their ratings up, but they also have a duty to the American people and the airwaves we allow them to use to tell us the truth. It used to be required by law, but since those regulations were gutted by Clinton and the Congress in the 90's I believe it's more of a pledge now. No matter, it's still a pledge.

They should not be allowed to lie, and they are lying to us, their customers. We don't allow package goods companies to lie on their labels (at least the regulated ones), so why should we allow media companies to lie in their news. Sure, Republicans can defend them by saying that if even one poll suggests otherwise then it proves they're not lying, but that's not the standard they use for their statistical analysis. I read through their standards and it is clear that those states should be moved into "leaning-Obama" based on their own criteria.

We all know the only reason they're not doing it is because they need to lie about a close race to keep their ratings up. Those "swing states" remain their only bread and butter. They need to keep those residents frothing at the mouth, creating controversy, and angry. That's the way to keep the rating's up and the money train flowing I guess. It also helps them to keep pumping the candidates for more campaign ad revenues. I think it's despicable, unfair to the campaign donors, unfair to the voters who seek the truth, and shouldn't be allowed to continue after this election.

The networks should have a public obligation to report honest facts during elections. If people knew that the race was going a certain way they might turn their attention to other problems. Keeping us continually in the grip of a fast and furious horse race is dishonest and distracting. It's also completely unfair to the candidate who is actually ahead. They should be able to see the fruits of their labor, and focus on sealing the deal. I hope we make some changes after this is all over.

Tuesday's Political Rant #1 - Michael

Political Praise: Rachel Maddow is Awesome!

Hello Bloggers - I hope that some of you caught David Frum, former Bush speechwriter who is now with that glorified Republican retirement home known as the American Enterprise Institute, on MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show this evening. It was fantastic!

Frum was trying to say that both campaigns are showing the "ugliness of tone" that has "prevailed over the past years," and that her show was a good example. Of course, he forgot to mention that the 'tone" was mostly caused by his fellow Republicans - a very ugly crowd indeed.

Rachel offered a wonderful response suggesting that there is a difference in tone, and that comparing her show to the McCain campaign's tolerance for verbal assaults was "a sort of false equivalence." God, I love you Rachel. I agree completely. You are so damn intelligent, and funny. I guess that's another way to describe that old Rovian tactic of "muddying the waters."

Frum's attacks on Rachel's show continued describing it in almost juvenile ways. He said that her show was part of the problem with its use of "heavy sacrasm," "sneering," and its "disregard for the more substantive issues." Rachel, of course, defended her show's use of humor perfectly. We progressives love our humor, she said, or something like it.

She went issue-by-issue peeling apart his calls for more substantive debate, pointing out that people enjoy getting their issues presented in different ways (she put it better). Overall, it was a wonderful exchange that Rachel handled like the progressive hero she is, and she deserves our praise. Thank you Dr. Maddow! I love your humor!

Like so many of those "Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Wolfowitz" types, Frum annoyed the hell out of me. I lost count of the number of times he dropped the word "intelligent" into the debate; he used it like a clumsy, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. He was so obvious in his attempt at intellectual snobbery and his overuse of "Yale-speak" to be obscene.

I've often wound up debating that type at dinner parties. You know them, the ones who try to make things more complicated than they need to be. They love to try and make you feel less capable, less articulate. It's just a tactic, albeit, a very annoying tactic. They're also the ones who leave early if you start throwing it right back at them. They frighten easily.

Republicans like Frum have lost a lot of their potency over the past eight years. Decades of corruption, eight years of Bush and "Rumsfeldian double-talk" have left us bruised and burned and them cowering in their corners - at least the smart ones, the dumb ones are still talking. We don't trust them anymore. It will take a whole new generation before they recover.

If the past eight years have taught us anything it's that they're mostly full of hot air. They're also less competent by and large. We need to remember that the more obnoxious a person seems, and the more they throw around the word intelligent, the less we should consider them so. They flew too close to the sun, and now we have only to see them fall.

Monday's Political Rant #2 - Michael