The problem with the national "conversation"
Okay, here's the thing that really irks me about the national political conversation, or lack thereof. We really don't, as a country, seem to care as much about progressing as we do about our "side" being right. It doesn't matter what party you belong to, even if it's a third party. I'm going to use the Foley incident ONLY because it is the most recent. There are examples from all sides. Foley has horrible conversations with underage boys. Everybody castigates him, because that is what is expected of them. Then the politicking begins. Republican bloggers and pundits are trying to change the focus to 1. suspicion about the timing of the release of the information, and 2. claims of hypocrisy on the part of the Dems. Dems, nowhere near guiltless, don't wait for even the tiniest scrap of evidence or investigation before it's a "cover-up" and somehow Foley's actions are a reflection on the entire Republican Party. And no matter what they do, if you support a Third Party, any action they take are the signs that it's time for them to go. We seem to have totally given up on listening to the other side. What's worse, the drive for our side to be right, and our side to "win" overrides the general concern for the well-being of America. Democrat, Republican, Independent, you, your friend, me. We're all responsible for a serious breakdown in the national dialogue. We get immediately defensive when a member of the party we support gets in trouble. We try to "flip the script" on the other side. If someone criticizes Bush, someone invokes Clinton, no matter how irrelevant it is. If someone criticizes Kerry, someone immediately points out all the Bush incidents of alleged "flip-flopping." We do it under the guise of "I'm concerned about the welfare of my country" but in truth most of us do it because we want our side to come out smelling like roses, even if our side is no side. How do we fix it? I really don't know. But we need to acknowledge it. A friend once introduced me to a great quote that I had not encountered before: "The first thing you should do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging." How do we get Americans to put down the shovel?
posted by Dark Lord at 8:51 PM
8 Comments:
I'm not sure, but it probably has something to do with not demonizing the other side and trying honest dialogue. Maybe open mindedness needs a resurgence?
The problem is that the republican consevative high-muckymuck's have potrayed themselves as the moral vanguard of america . Foley himself was at the forefront of anti-predatory laws ,was he not? You dont think folks are going to get called out about this? In a climate where republican's have been screwing up royally ; abrahmov{sp?} and the "war" . Hell, just those two things are enough to shake hardcore consevatives and make them look at their OWN party strangely.
You can't continue to the speak your rhetoric and the chickens not to come home and roost.
i dont think either main party gives two craps about america and i dont mean to be pessimistic , but thats what is set before me.
Hari, I wouldn't call that last bit pessemism as much as realism and how sad reality is in this case. But I'm a cynic too...
Can we separate his personal actions from the good he did in pushing forward those anti-predatory laws?
I just have a hard time when people, in general, forget that some good came out of his life...
And no...I'm not defending his "moral character". The guy sucks...for a variety of reasons...
Shady ...can you not see the hypocrisy though? while pushing for tougher laws against predators he was in fact one himself!
and he represents a party that has anchored itself as america's protector of children and moral's. and time and time again , this is proven to be an untruth. a party that seems to have KNOWN about his "activities" for months ,if not years.
psychologically, it is common for people who have sick sexual tendencies to stringently support actions against those tendencies. It is not because they aimed to do good, but because they hate themselves and their own urges.
...but does that somehow give him an excuse for his behavior?
He's a deviant and should be treated as so and should be dealt with in a harsher manner because of his stance on the "issue" and his position .
this isnt a new issue. there was a discovery channel documentary done on the very issue than got killed because of opposition from politians on the early 90's .
this has been going on for how long?
this is beyond a partisan issue , but at the same time , the folks who spoke the LOUDEST about protecting the very concept of american moral's seems to be the one break thier own rule(s) constantly.
and to state is some psychological problem is crap. it just feeds into the concept of "victimization" that people yell out when they're caught.
rehab? ........
rehab for tryin' to coax a kid into a diddle session ? hunh?
his peers have said numerous times now that they havent seen him drink...hmmm.
come on guys. if someone touts themselves as a protector of anything and turn around and corrurpt the idea or maliciously destroy what they have sworn to defend. they will be treated as a TRAITOR. and now couple that with attempted molestation?
.............
You gets no argument from me on any of that, Hari.
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