On Modern American Discourse

[Suji to Seoul]

So, it finally happens. Something of historic magnitude occurs in our country and the response is that of a collective yawn, such as those yawns I passed during my critic’s viewing of “Smila’s Sense of Snow” in 1996 when I was a freshman at Niagara University. Some things never change. Apathy lives deep inside the minds of the self-interested. And those prone to action do so because, most of the time, their own little world is inconvenienced and their own little habitat might be affected.

I mention this simply because I am tired. I am sincerely exhausted and have grown more tired as the months continue in the Obama administration. No, this isn’t a criticism of Obama’s leadership and policies . . . and there are certainly many things I could criticize. I am about 45% happy with what has transpired within the first 18 months of the Obama Administration and the thinks I am not happy with I know I have accept. Handing the presidency over to the other side would be throwing the baby out with the bath water. He isn’t completely good, but he is better than bad and I accept the limitations.

I am not here to criticize the administration’s lofty goals of bipartisanship. I am not hear the criticize starting out the Health Care Reform goals with a compromised position of a Public Option and then watering it down from there. I am not even going to criticize the fact that after everything was said and done, the Obama Administration garnered exactly ZERO Republican House votes on final passage and exactly ZERO Republican Senate votes (not even that bastion of moderate Republicanism Olympia Snowe).

I am here to cast light on the fact that bipartisanship is a worthless idea to begin with. When Republicans were in charge, bipartisanship meant we do what we want and the Democrats can go pound sand. Now, they are the minority and their idea of bipartisanship has turned into “we want the Democrats to do what we want and the Democrats can go pound sand. . .and if they don’t do what we want, we will take our ball and go home.” Eric Cartman puts it best: “screw you guys, I’m going home.”

To compound the misery of the modern American politic is the legitimizing of certifiably crazy representatives as Jean Schmidt, Steve King, Randy Naugebauer, Joe Sensenbrenner, Darrell Issa, Joe Barton, Peter King, Eric Cantor, John Boehner and the worst of the bunch. . .Michelle Bachmann. These wonderful examples of pure insanity dressed up as intellectualism are proof that the system has sunk into a bottom feeding, who can appeal the lowest common denominator politics. Even Joe “You Lie” Wilson is back on the back bench. When with this occur to the legitimate leaders of the bipartisanship or else crew.

However, I’m not even going to criticize them. I’m not going to admonish them for their narrow minded, short sighted policy ideals that will destroy a country and their media shills and weak pundits who either support or give them cover through softball questioning. Each has their fault.

As stated, something of historic significance has occurred within our country, something so large that our media has chosen to ignore the importance. We have watched one political party cater their policies to the lowest common denominator. They have sold out their core principles in order for consensus. They have given up their long standing principles in order to attempt to reach out either the other side or the extremes of their parties. But I will not even mention them.

No. . .something important did happen. Death threats made against children of Jewish Congressmen, black Congressmen call “n”-bombs and spit on, death threats left on voice mails and even relatives of Congressmen having their houses and property vandalized. . .and NOT ONE PERSON IS TO BLAME. There’s the important, significant event. Those who disseminate and follow the illogic and rhetoric are not to blame for their actions.

It’s not the fault of the talking heads who whip their followers into a frenzy, or political figures seeking momentary glorification by pandering to fear and anger (at some nameless, faceless, shape-shifting doppelganger were either the red shirt of Socialism/Communism or the brown shirt of fascism, whichever the figure deems more inciting), or even a television network that propagates the lies and spin into a false consciousness of subverted reality. It’s not the fault of even those who give speeches telling people to “reload” and using gunsights on her facebook account.

No, it’s not their fault that their followers are willing to foment revolution by hatching a plot to kill policemen (?). It’s not the pot stirrers fault that a disgruntled man flew his plane into a IRS building. That man is a hero, apparently. It’s not anyone’s fault.

Our media and the apologists want to make it sound as thought this is only a bunch of crazies acting and it’s only isolated, which leads to the idea that the only ones at fault for the rhetoric that spawned these actions are those who listen to it. It’s the same logic a Charles Mansion uses: He never killed anyone. . .only his followers did.

So, who is to blame for all this? Well, obvious, just like a rape victim, it’s the victim. Alan Grayson’s five year old son deserved his death threat because Alan Grayson lobbed rhetorical bombs at Republicans and everyone knows that Alan Grayson’s five year old son was the cause. It’s John Lewis’ fault that he was called an “n”-bomb. If only he wasn’t black. It’s Elijah Cummings’s fault he was spit on. He should have moved out of the way. In fact, it’s all Harry Mitchell’s fault that he was told to “watch his back.” If he didn’t have a telephone, there would never be a problem with threatening voice mails.

Don’t you see? Republicans and conservatives are innocent. It something happens, it’s always someone else’s fault. It’s not a Republican’s fault. After all, Dan Quayle said it best: “I’m not part of the problem. I’m a Republican.” Then seconds later, he declared war on Murphy Brown.

Sophistry knows no limits. But at least no one is responsible anymore. And the world will keep turning. After all, this is not the era of personal responsibility. This is the era of shifted responsibility. The buck stops here. . .or there, whichever one will get me ahead. Just leave your conscience at the door and end the lunatic asylum.