This is an emotionally honest article but I disagree with her conclusions, that this is "their" America. The fact is that this is our America - that the Republican extreme Right Wing nut cases have hijacked the process, and therefore the government (stem to stern) is a reflection of how the system is broken, not a reflection on our "splintered" and divided country.
The fact is that most people do want clean air, are concerned about global warming, helping those less fortunate, repairing our image with our allies, keeping our soldiers safe, making our cities safe and ridding the world of tyrants and terrorists. Almost everyone would agree that abortion is a tragedy, whether they support choice or not.
Most Americans are moderate in their stance on gay relationships. Exit polling confirmed this on Tuesday. Moral values does not mean anti-gay and bigoted.
We would all agree that the government shoudn't run huge deficits. We agree that we have to be aggressive and diligent to stop terrorists. We all know that we continue to be extremely vulnerable to attacks. Just look at the fear generated from being short of the flu vaccine this year. What a strange form of bio-terrorism. How easy it would have been to orchestrate. (I don't think anyone did, but it isn't any harder than shipping in nuclear weapons on one of the thousands of unchecked ships or planes - that will only be a matter of time).
So if Democracy is broken, then what about it is broken? besides the voting machines? (see entry below)
Obviously the media has suffered enormous losses in professional standards these last 10 - 15 years. I understand that the dumbing down of American media - all forms - continues apace. And I understand that the glut of accessible information makes it less sexy to just report the news. But we are seriously lacking the unbiased, stringent investigative reporting that used to be the norm. By tending toward analysis as a replacement for facts, we lose faith in our information sources.
Oh sure, we believe the information is accurate, but what about the motives? What is the hidden agenda?
If the only reason the Republican apparatchik won the election is because their spin was better than our spin, because they were able (again) to create a more sophisticated package for the prez and his merry (insane) men, then why isn't this just a beauty contest ?!? - oh yeah, damn. It is.
Democracy only works where the information is accurate and the votes count. Yes, it's broken. But no matter which way you voted, this nation is only deeply divided on the fringes - the extremists of both parties are deeply divided! not the majority. And on I'm not at all sure they swung the election. It's nice to believe that their votes canceled each other out. So what decided the election? Spin.
This election, last election and the way Bushmen run the government has created a false picture of division, when what we really want is to respect our leaders. We want to be respected in the world and to listen to a president who can complete full sentences. We (mostly) all cringe when he appoints far right justices to the Supreme Court and the many federal benches.
The Republican neighbors and family and friends I have are not evil people - far from it. They are thoughtful, loving, intelligent citizens who care deeply about the future of their children, the country and the world. They are not so different from me.
Our goals are similar, but our take on what is cause and effect come from different sources - different channels, literally.
Our trust in the government is different, although we've all distrusted it at times. Our faith in a man who makes decisions not based on evidence and advice from his staff, but based more on his prayers is very different.
Everyday people are not responsible for the reprehensible bare-knuckled assaults that we witness in elections and in the now normal course of Washington politics. We wouldn't treat each other that way in local politics. Where has the civility gone?
May G-d bless those moderates in both parties and bring them to the forefront. They are our only hope for taming the monster that extremists have created using this election.
The monster is extremism itself, running our country, with all the protective, softening effects of civility and respect and reason stripped away.
v
Posted by Vicki at November 4, 2004 06:37 AM