Am I crazy?
I've just been reading various political stories on the web. But more importantly, I've been reading the comments from other readers.
Such a mismash of comments from the left ("Obama is siding with insurance companies," "Obama has disappointed me on ending the war," and so on) and the right ("Obama is afraid of the NRA," "Obama is going to destroy this country," etc.).
And two friends have recently told me they were disillusioned with Obama because he hasn't already ended the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that keeps gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.
Am I the only person in America who simply voted for someone to lead the country? Who woke up on November 5th without a laundry list of grievances to be addressed or paranoid fears to be stoked?
Is this all we are, a bunch of narrow-minded and self-interested partisans?
I hope it's simply that it's only that type of person who takes the time to comment on political stories online. But to some degree, that group overlaps the group of people who actually vote.
I hope the part of the Venn diagram where I reside is bigger than would be predicted from the evidence at hand...
Such a mismash of comments from the left ("Obama is siding with insurance companies," "Obama has disappointed me on ending the war," and so on) and the right ("Obama is afraid of the NRA," "Obama is going to destroy this country," etc.).
And two friends have recently told me they were disillusioned with Obama because he hasn't already ended the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that keeps gays and lesbians from openly serving in the military.
Am I the only person in America who simply voted for someone to lead the country? Who woke up on November 5th without a laundry list of grievances to be addressed or paranoid fears to be stoked?
Is this all we are, a bunch of narrow-minded and self-interested partisans?
I hope it's simply that it's only that type of person who takes the time to comment on political stories online. But to some degree, that group overlaps the group of people who actually vote.
I hope the part of the Venn diagram where I reside is bigger than would be predicted from the evidence at hand...
Labels: U.S. politics
posted by michael at 12:52 AM
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2 Comments:
You're not crazy, Michael. I'm split on this currently; I feel that Obama is doing very well at leading our country out of the darkness of the last eight years. He is restoring our place at the international table, working to reverse the economic woes, preparing for health care reform; all things he promised during the campaign.
But he has so far done nothing towards repealing DADT, even while good people are being thrown out of our military simply for their orientation. People with long, honored service records and/or highly needed skills. He could easily suspend the DADT enforcement while working with congress to repeal the act. He has decided he would rather lose the military assets than expend any modicum of political capital on this issue.
He has made no acknowledgment of the sweeping tide of marriage equality happening in the country. Iowa, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey - all passed or considering equal rights actions. No notice from the White House. Repealing DOMA was also part of the agreement he made with this country to be elected as our leader.
I can understand that there are many important national issues that the White House is facing right now. I could easily understand if there was a plan to address things like DOMA and DADT down the road, IF he would care to share that with us. But he remains silent on these issues. That's where the frustration that I and your friend comes from. This is too reminiscent of the LGBT movement being thrown under the Clinton bus fifteen years ago.
I still believe that Obama will be one of our country's great presidents. But he has not, as of yet, been the "fierce advocate" for LGBT rights that he said he would.
1. There's a difference between being disappointed that Obama is allowing gay Arabic-language translators to continue to be fired in the midst of wartime marked by stoploss measures, and being disappointed that he hasn't ended DADT just yet. As I had commented before, the latter makes a bit of sense, but the former doesn't--and that criticism is justified. Furthermore, as Commander-in-Chief, it is entirely plausible that he can have it both ways: send executive signals that these firings should not be pursued (in anticipation of full policy reversal), while at the same time letting the policy 'stand' in the books.
2. Obama is not above criticism; and as leader, he was rightfully subject to it from 12pm, January 20. While the tone of criticism you comment on may be somewhat non-academic, it is entirely democratic. Not every American, nor every global citizen will parse the issues in 'objective' fashion; but nor are they obligated to. 'Democracies' don't require the mob to be enlightened. They just require a mob.
3. With a historic perspective, there really are fewer differences between G.W.Bush and B.H.Obama than there are between this pair and previous American presidents, especially considering how the latter's policies have moved to the center somewhat (which isn't the worst thing in the world). Moreover, G.W.Bush, while pushing the envelope--and adhering to convenient interpretations--of the law, nevertheless, for the most part attempted in his way to operate in a generally (if debatable) 'lawful' way. Yet in spite of their similarities, Democrats from Nevada to New Hampshire pilloried him in completely partisan ways; and it was partisan fervor that drove Obama into office. So long as political parties exist, partisanship will be a factor in shaping the peoples' opinions. Perhaps in the true spirit of post-partisanship, political parties should be abolished?
(Further: in light of Speaker Pelosi's rhetorical spin-crobatics regarding her consultation on 'enhanced interrogation techniques', on what moral high ground do Democrats really stand?)
4. G.W.Bush, while perhaps not leading in the ways Democrats would have hoped, led nevertheless. And yet... is his legacy a (debatably) "liberal" one?
http://www.macleans.ca/world/usa/article.jsp?content=20080820_86797_86797
5. The Venn diagram in which I suspect we both (/all) live is not a simple 2-dimensional, 2-circle construction, but a convoluted, complicated, manifold, inter-dimensional membrane that varies with time, space, and situation.
6. I appreciate my laundry list of grievances, and my self-interest; it's what informs my political choices in the end, even while I make an effort to accept and recognize the audacious political acumen, and also the positive, human attributes in my political opponents/opposites. I also proudly declare my engaged, optimistic, cynical utopian attitude, for it has spirited roots. I can have it both, and all ways, because that's what makes me human: my infuriatingly irrational rationality. I figure you can appreciate that. ;)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_paradoxes
7. In good faith,
-RM.
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