Hey,
The President looks good, OK. He's got a delightful smile and the way he scampers down the ramp of Air Force One, waving, gives me tingles all over. And ohh... that voice.
I know this is a serious thread and it contains some serious political pieces: Kristol, Steyn, but we collectively deserve this Administration. Currently this country is a joke.
Most people I know find National Review and Weekly Standard too burdensome to read (says something about the company I keep).
It has become comical, if not Orwellian, how the country's information organs have corrupted the political logic in this country. Has anyone else noticed, in just about every US airport terminal and now the Bank of America lobbies and other public buildings, TV monitors drone on, non-stop, with CNN. Why..? Because we Americans like to be a well informed people.
It's no wonder so many Americans are confused. The common reasoning: hey, the talking head is clean, he's well dressed, why would he lie to me? Think Dan Rather. It reminds me of the "Big Brother" Apple Computer Adds in the mid-eighties.
Events are mostly shaped by the keepers of the narrative and how they spin it and with what perspective.
The depth and tenacity of the leftist roots in our education system, our government and our Main Stream Media, has wrested the narrative away from the position: "reasonable men can disagree". And "you're entitled to your own opinions but not you're own facts" also does not seem to apply any more.
We're past the time for neutral, keep your head down, complacency. In fact we only have a small window opening left, where fired-up activism may still have an effect.
If the Congress remains essentially the same in 2010, this countries future is screwed for a long time and maybe no event will be able to overcome that downward slide.
I hope I haven't hijacked another thread with my anger and, how was it put, grumpy attitude. But hey... I like preaching to the choir and sticking it to my philosophical adversaries; isn't that what the political forum is for?
Here's a relevant quote from Margaret Thatcher: "The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money".