Police Raid Houses of Suspected RNC Protestors

I read this article and was extremely disheartened.  Apparently police in Minneapolis have been conducting paramilitary-style raids on houses of people suspected of planning to protest at the upcoming RNC.  They haven’t been showing warrants, and have been stealing computers and paperwork and generally intimidating everyone they can.  I also read earlier that Bush has been quietly working on a bill that includes some language that will extend the war on terror “indefinitely,” allowing for more of these human rights violations and similar atrocities.  To anyone who plans to exercise their right to free speech and peaceful protest, I recommend that you stay informed and be careful out there!

Campaign Finance Bribery Over FISA?

I’ll let you be the judge of this.  According to this article, which cites campaign finance information collected by Maplight.org, 88% of the 94 Democrats who helped pass the new FISA bill last week (after previously opposing it) received an average of $8,359 in campaign funds from the telecommunication companies over the last three years.

I don’t know if it’s that simple.  All I know is that people need to call their state representatives before this bill makes it through the Senate.  If you’re a democrat, you need to make sure that your representatives know that you won’t tolerate them rolling over for the Republicans.  Let them know that you want change!  We don’t want politicians to keep wiping their asses with the constitution!

Who Hates America More?

I read an argument sparked by statements made by Michelle Obama (see page three of this article from The New Yorker) on a random blog I discovered while procrastinating on the intarwebs. Basically, the breakdown of the argument was:

“Barack Obama hates America!”

“No, Republicans hate America!”

“No, Democrats hate America, and you’re a poopoo head!”

“Well, my daddy is going to beat up your daddy!”

“Nuh uh!”

“Uh huh!”

First off, none of these politicians hate America! It’s a ridiculous statement. In their own misguided ways, all of the Presidential candidates believe that they’re doing something good (although some may be more power-hungry and misguided than others). Also, statements that conservatives like to throw around (i.e. “anti-family, anti-religion”) are completely ridiculous cases of baseless fearmongering. What the hell does “anti-family” mean anyway? Seriously?!

Obama has come under attack for pretty much everything except for the issues on which he has based his campaign. Clinton continues to attack his supposed lack of experience rather than his policies; however, Republicans have by far been the worst at this. Take, for example, the argument that Obama must hate America because he doesn’t wear an American flag lapel pin? Or the constant use of his middle name by certain pundits and politicians – as if being named Hussein automatically makes you a bad person!  Talk about racist!  That’s like saying all men named Adolf are Nazis!  Or the argument that this picture proves that he hates America:

There’s also the matter of comments made by his wife during the campaign. When Michelle Obama said that she was proud of America “for the first time in [her] adult life,” Republicans jumped on her like rabid dogs, claiming that her statement meant that she wasn’t proud of America. While her hyperbole may have been a bit misguided, this definitely isn’t an issue deserving of the attention it has received. Her more recent comments from the New Yorker article are already starting to receive similar attention. Here’s a sample:

“Obama begins with a broad assessment of life in America in 2008, and life is not good: we’re a divided country, we’re a country that is ‘just downright mean,’ we are ‘guided by fear,’ we’re a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents. ‘We have become a nation of struggling folks who are barely making it every day,’ she said, as heads bobbed in the pews. ‘Folks are just jammed up, and it’s gotten worse over my lifetime. And, doggone it, I’m young. Forty-four!’”

Allow me to deconstruct this quote for you.

The statement that “we’re a divided country” is absolutely undeniable. Watch the news, check out the debates, read a few political blogs and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about. People’s beliefs regarding the war, the environment, the economy, healthcare, etc. have become so fervent (dare I say, religious?), that most attempts at debate are viewed as personal attacks and end up devolving into childishness.

Yes, people in America can be pretty fucking mean (particularly when it comes to political arguments!). Once again, read a newspaper: there’s plenty of evidence. Hell, I’ve seen how petty and mean people can be here. I’m not going to make a comparative statement, since I doubt America is the “meanest” country in the world, but I do believe that one of the negative side-effects of our individualistic society is a waning sense of empathy. The media feeds us this ideology on a daily basis through entertainment and advertising, so it’s little wonder so many people don’t take time to consider how their actions may hurt someone else.

We are absolutely a country that is “guided by fear.” Analyze the persuasive language used by politicians and news agencies, and you’ll see that their arguments are largely based on fear: fear of disease, fear of natural disasters, fear of terrorist attacks, etc. If you don’t believe me, read “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” by Naomi Klein. In fact, check out this short film by Naomi Klein and Alfonso Cuaron (director of “Children of Men”) based on the book:

I also agree that “we are a nation of cynics, sloths, and complacents.” I myself am guilty of this. We have a tendency to bitch and moan and threaten to move to Canada, but rarely do we ever get off of our increasingly fat asses to do anything about the things we don’t like. Activism has taken a serious downturn. I remember seeing small groups of (mostly) Vietnam vets and aging hippies protesting the war near Baywalk in downtown St. Petersburg, FL. For the most part, people ignored them, because they just didn’t care. Apathy is not a fucking badge, but we have begun to wear it like one.

It’s also true that there are a lot of people struggling to get by in this country. A LOT. Look at the current foreclosure rates. This whole “subprime lending” issue is an issue because people are gradually digging themselves deeper and deeper into debt while trying to shelter and feed themselves. Rising energy costs won’t help this situation at all. Just because Michelle Obama hasn’t actually experienced this side of life doesn’t mean she can’t say that it exists. There isn’t a single candidate on the ballot that can actually identify with life at the poverty level in this country, but it’s a problem that they need to be able to address regardless.

M.O. continues by bemoaning the high price of education and the massive debt people incur while in school (I can definitely attest to the validity of this statement!). She also mentions the sad state of health care here (having only recently gotten basic health coverage myself, I can also attest to this!). In general, she didn’t shy away from the unhappy issues, which apparently runs contrary to our cultural expectation that the first lady is supposed to be America’s cheerleader: “rah rah rah, sis boom bah.” This is an old-fashioned, chauvinistic assumption (which might be why conservatives are so fixated on the idea).

Anyway, that’s all for me. If you’ve read this far, I’d like to issue you two challenges (for you and for myself):

1) Be informed. Don’t mindlessly absorb what you’re fed by [insert preferred news outlet here]. Check out websites like Project Vote Smart, where you can find transcripts of speeches, information about candidates’ political records, lobbying groups that support them, etc. Do whatever you can to make the most informed political decision possible.

2) Do something. If you see a problem, don’t bitch about it! Fix it! Volunteer some of your time to working on an issue you feel strongly about. Don’t let your apathy get the best of you! Even if it seems hopeless, just get out and try to do something to better your world. AND VOTE!