...Because everyone else has one: Washington, D.C. - at least the monuments are impressive

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Washington, D.C. - at least the monuments are impressive

Media attention is tasty!

Photo courtesy of the Yahoo! (AP)

I've become more aware of late that my tirades against the American political landscape have mostly been directed at the right wing. While it's certainly easier to direct criticism at the party that's in power and has no idea what to do with it, I am loathe to think that I might be branded as a hard-core supporter of the left wing, as there's not a whole lot to see and like there either. Fortunately a quick look at today's headlines provided a perfect opportunity to fire shots at both wings of this great bird we call American politics (which incidentally is resembling Ben Franklin's national bird more than the bald eagle every day).

So the Democrats in the Senate - specifically Harry Reid, Rubber Mallet to Tom DeLay's Hammer - called for a closed session allegedly to discuss the not-so-ongoing investigation into the intelligence used to make the case for the Iraq War (I find it odd that in the talking point, sound bite era of journalism, we haven't come up with a catchier name for this thing - suggestions anyone?). Naturally, both sides have taken this opportunity to lob political spitballs at each other. For the sake of those who might not have the time or intestinal fortitude to slog through the sound bites, allow me to dramatize the discourse:

DONKEY: You guys aren't playing right. I'm gonna tell mommy (our base)
ELEPHANT: Mommy (base), Donkey's cheating! That's not fair!
DONKEY: Is too!
ELEPHANT: Is not!
DONKEY: Is too!
BASE OF BOTH: This is lame, when is CSI on?

Seriously, can we blame judges of either political persuasion for supposed judicial activism? Why should we have any confidence in these people? First of all, exactly why did we need this to be a closed-door session? Because we can't bear the thought of our constituents seeing our pathetic attempts at getting anything accomplished. Democrats should at least be proud to see that their legislators are rivaling the GOP in one skill: the absurdly transparent timing of this "hijacking" a day after the announcement of Samuel Alito as a Supreme Court nominee, a man the Dems would love to oppose but know they cannot, would make Karl Rove himself quite envious. If we didn't already know that the left's obsessive desire for truth related to the fiasco surrounding this war has nothing to do with a sincere search for justice and everything to do with the best political weapon they have against the majority, here's your smoking gun. We were going to say something, but we were waiting for a good time. Were we perhaps waiting for another 2000 soldiers to die?

And then we have the right. As far as I can tell, any derision they might feel towards the Democrats is derived solely from the embarrassment that comes when you cant keep tabs on a legislative body of which you're supposed to have complete control. These rules are there for a reason, guys, and it's quite possible that in spite of all efforts by your colleagues across the aisle, you'll be in great need of this particular motion soon.

I've heard it said many times before that this country gets the government it deserves. I certainly agree with that, at least to a point - isn't that how democracy works? But is it possible that we're caught on the losing side of a chicken/egg debate? It's not a secret that voter participation in this country when compared to the rest of the "developed" world is poor. Can this apathy be pinned on our children in Washington?

Unfortunately my knowledge of foreign political debate is pretty slim. I've already written about what I've seen in my own homeland, but that's all I've got, save a clip or two of British debates which impressed me greatly. It's possible that the problem lies deeper in the structure of our political and electoral process. One thing in particular that I don't think we can ignore is the two-party system we currently utilize. I think a lot of people (myself included) have a hard time feeling represented because two wings cannot fully encompass the viewpoint of a country certainly more culturally diverse than most any other. Republicans and Democrats can both be clearly divided into at least two different camps - is it a wonder they all implode very soon after attaining a kind of control in Washington? Until our other parties become a more viable option in elections above the most local level, too many people will feel much too alienated to become excited about our own brand of participatory democracy.

Both wings are always quick to cry pessimism and a lack of patriotism when the other side starts to criticize (I consider one side to be more guilty of this than the other - I'll leave it up to you to decide which - that's right!). Oh, that's how democracy works! The point is that when we criticize, we hope that someone is listening. Just remember this: we have no better way to have our voices heard than by voting. I don't care how worthless our all facets of the electoral process have become; voting may not fix it immediately, but not voting will certainly result in status quo. I've heard every excuse in the book: no term limits for senators, no line-item veto, it's all about money, etc. I don't care. If none of your choices seem immediately palatable, find another one, or pick your poison: I'm talking to you, no-shows in 2004 who are outraged at the direction of our country today.

And after you vote, maybe write a blog. Don't let the Man (DHS) keep you down. Exercise your right to be a cantankerous, misanthropic, insufferable wonk. It's fun, it's therapeutic, and it's so much better than CSI.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot.