Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Goddamn America

I'm disappointed by Obama's denouncement of Pastor Wright. Only 2 months ago, I was so happy to see Obama relieving us of the Whack-a-Mole game campaigns have become. "Oh, so and so said something you don't like? WHACK! I denounce them! Whatshisface said something you don't like? WHACK!!" Each whacking completely hollow, without meaning. I know I personally had been glad he didn't fall into this - no matter what either one of them said, I was glad to see somebody play outside the box of Whack-a-Mole. Denouncings like this one are no more meaningful than when some celeb is rolled out by his or her publicist to issue a formal apology over some dumb shit they've done or said. But because we Americans are such retards, we immediately check said celeb off our "To Forgive" List and move on to the next one who "offends" us.

Once again, people need to learn how to be selfish with their choices. You need to accept that there's gonna be something your guy says or does, or some shady associate will pop up, that will make you groan. It will happen; accept this. Period. Let's say Candidate X wants to do everything you want a candidate to do. Maybe you want to pull out of Iraq, you want roads fixed and you want healthcare. Whatever. But Candidate X it turns out has a brother who in college once roomed with a known communist. Oh oh!! You, being the average American, pile on Candidate X, screeching that said link is unacceptable, and switch your allegiance to Candidate X's opponent. Yeah, maybe your new guy doesn't quite offer the country (and yourself) the things you want it to do, but by gum at least he don't have a brother who knew a commie back in 1975. So.

Well, of course how long til THIS jackass has some dirt come out on him? So now you, hamstrung and cornered by your own stand on "values" et al, are forced to move again to the next candidate. Well, this candidate is for the war, against healthcare and against fixing roads. But at least he has a clear "character" resume as far as you can tell. And now you find yourself having to support the very candidate who will do the very opposite of what you and your family would like/need. All because you let yourself be ruled by periphery events. Which, what do you know, each of the last few elections have been about.

You know, Adam Smith believed that in general people freed to pursue their own interest would fare better than they would under a system that dictated what was "good." If enough Americans got together and decided that they wanted healthcare and jobs and peace for themselves, it would happen. If the same Americans allowed themselves to be distracted and pulled along like a donkey by the powers that be insisting over and over that "values" and "character association" are what matter most well, then guess who gets whacked in this game? You.

Endless cycle. Perpetuated today, sadly, by Obama, who let periphery shit take precedence over everything else. I know it would never happen, but in my dreams he woulda said "You know what, if my association with some dude means so much to you, then by all means vote McCain. And fifty years from now when we're a second world country still locked up in Iraq, let's see how many people remember Rev Wright's name."

Chickenshits coming home to roost. As per usual.

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