The Prodigal Senator?

So, the wussies are back.  No, I'm not referring to the Swiss Army Command, the deluge of cheesy family-friendly Holiday television specials, or even the Cleveland Browns.  I'm not even talking about those kids that played hopscotch or Magic the Gathering at recess.  I am referring to that upper echelon of weenies, that nose-bleed section of wimps, the Coward Club of Mt. Everest.  Yes indeed, the Democrats of the late 20th Century and the first eight years of the 21st Century are BACK!  (And only two weeks after they vanquished Washington.)

Yesterday, the Democratic caucus in the United States Senate held a secret vote on the fate of Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut. The Senator had not only endorsed the Republican candidate John McCain for president (because he's his friend?), but had viciously campaigned AGAINST his party's candidate, Barack Obama.  So because of his dissent, the vote could simply oust the Senator from his committee position, from the entire Senate, or completely approve of his performance in both.

Nevermind the fact that Lieberman has already broken a pledge to his Connecticut constituency by declaring himself an Independent. Nevermind that he co-chairs the Senate Homeland Security Committee, and has failed to provide a single instance of oversight, or ANY evidence of cajones against the current extremely right-falling president. Nevermind the fact that Lieberman has turned out to be quite possibly the most hawkish Democrat in history (barring LBJ himself).  Uh, nevermind alllllll that...I'm sorry, I can't keep a straight face - MIND ALL OF THESE THINGS.  Senator Joe Lieberman has time and time again proved himself to be utterly useless to the Democrats, and generally useless to the call of progress.

So it's pretty obvious that this joker should go, right?  What was the outcome of this obvious vote, you ask?  42-13, Lieberman stays in the Senate with his chairmanship intact!  Really?  REALLY????  Wow, that takes some serious anti-balls.

Let's get one thing straight: I am the last person to tell people to fall in line with a particular party. I am an Independent myself. I happen to be very left-leaning, but there are things that the Democratic Party does that I severely disagree with. I happen to think both parties are corrupt, broken, and even wrong in many instances. This isn't about that. This, ladies and gentlemen, is about the nature of forgiveness.

I'm sure already the pundits are thinking up some sort of metaphor to Jesus Christ's parable of the Prodigal Son in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 15: 11-32)...which I guess I just did.  I find the story to be uplifting, and I believe it teaches a valuable lesson about - among many things - humility, repentance, and forgiveness.  I believe the story also gives us a model of how rebellion and atonement can play out in a natural and life-changing fashion.

I can appreciate the comparison, but there is one large incongruity between the two.  The real-life situation doesn't follow the model.  In the parable, the father immediately forgives his son upon seeing him return wearily into his arms.   Sure, both the son and Lieberman did things that require forgiveness.  The son was selfish and wasted what was so graciously given to him, and Lieberman...well, was...selfish and wasted what was so graciously given to him.  However, forgiveness must be requested, and the detractor must have changed his or her defecting ways.  The son came back on his knees, imploring his father to employ him as a worker, and to no longer call him his son.  Lieberman, however, was not so repentant.  He was more or less UNrepentant.  His public statement after the 42-13 vote leads me to believe that he not only never asked for forgiveness, but that he doesn't even intend to change his actions.  This is where this instance drastically differs from the Prodigal Son.

I'm not naive. I understand the reasoning behind the decision. The Democrats - along with President-Elect Obama - want a chance at a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate, and that rests on Lieberman being brought back into the fold. As of now, with Lieberman back, the Democrats have 58 Senators with two more races still undecided (60 is the magic number).  So, the decision is purely political.  I get it. However, I believe Lieberman may cause more trouble in the future than that much-envied majority is worth. This is particularly true if Lieberman continues on his path of unapologetic warhawk-ness, and if he truly believes his own anti-Obama rhetoric.  (He said that Obama is all talk, that he voted to cut off funding for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, blah, blah, blah, lies, lies lies.)

I believe that without punishment, we don't grow. In the end, we are animals. If nothing has happened to us to break us of a habit, then the habit will continue, because there is no incentive to stop it. Similarly, repentance and its resulting growth will not come about without some sort of punishment. The Prodigal Son was punished by having to live with the pigs, and grovel at his father's feet.  The Senate Democrats have afforded no such punishment. Joe Lieberman will still retain his status in the Homeland Security Committee, he will retain his good standing among Democrats. In fact, all parties involved have passive-aggressively put on a smile and pretended like everything is just peachy.

So, in conclusion, all I have to say to the Senate Democrats, is that I hope they're satisfied with they're decision. Because, from where I sit, they may have created one more thorn in the side of real lasting change that Barack Obama can and will create with the right support in the Senate.

Sources: 

The Rachel Maddow Show, November 18, 2008

Countdown with Keith Olbermann, November 18, 2008

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/11/19/lieberman/?source=newsletter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prodigal_son

Proposition 8

This is a civil rights issue. In no way does this issue affect my life directly, and yet it is extremely important to me. The fact that citizens of California didn't simply reject a bill that made gay marriage legal, but UPHELD a bill that BANNED it, is outrageous, hateful, inhuman. Something must be done about this mindset in our society. Stop creating barriers to happiness! I couldn't say it any better than Olber the Mann:

True Justice In this World?

There is a whisper of justice in the wind.  Hear it?  Ffffffffffffffff.  There it is.  It's faint, but slowly waxing loud.

Lady Justice, for the past 8 years, has had 20/20 vision when it looks on those who define it.  Yes, I'm referring to the Bush Administration's Department of "Justice."  And the true justice to which I am referring, will be dealt toward those individuals that comprise the very Administration that spat in her face.

Torture, Non-Habeas Corpus, Indefinite Detention, and Rendition (aka fear tactics - sound a lot like terrorism?) will soon end in this country.  But what will become of those who approved of them in defense of a sadly comic War on Terror? (What's next, War on Joy, War on Reticence, War on Levity?)  Well, some are suggesting the Obama Administration has plans for them.  Not only has President-Elect Barack Obama publicly declared that closing Guantanamo Bay is a top priority, but there are even rumors of an investigative commission on the horizon.  I feel like a giddy schoolgirl simply considering that!

However, many think that criminal prosecutions are unrealistic, due to the very perpetrators' passing of the War Crimes Act in 2006, making prosecution more difficult (How can those who are so absurdly stupid be so fucking brilliant at times?).  Also, if done too soon, prosecutions would trigger the worst and most brutal partisan battle we've seen in this generation.  I agree, which is why the commission started by the Obama Administration will likely be bipartisan - even NONpartisan.  This is a journey that must be trod lightly and precisely.

I think the reason this possibility excites me so, is not the fact that a small group of power abusers are getting what's coming to them.  I am never one to rejoice in someone else's misfortune.  It's more the symbolic victory that Justice as an idea will gain.  If these people - who seemed utterly immune to any repercussions - can be brought to justice, than anyone who seems equally as immune and deserving can.  Terrorists, dictators, arms dealers, oil tycoons, bank CEOs, you name it!  I've said it before: It's an exciting time to be alive!

My Christmas Wish List this year contains one item: the remote control that Adam Sandler's character had in that AWFUL film, "Click."  If only I could fast forward to the peaceful ousting of George W. Bush, and the beginning of the ever-hopeful presidency of The Barack.  If only such a thing existed.  Oh well, I guess I'll just have to wince my way through the next two months.

Let's do something about this.  I say we do what we can to pressure President-Elect Obama and Congress into fast-tracking an indictment of George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and all their cronies involved in the decisions made on the issue of torture and the likes.  This country needs closure on the disastrous past eight years.  Otherwise, what was it all for?

Sources: 

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/11/13/torture_commission/?source=newsletter

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism

My God, It's True!

It is true that this country is indeed what I thought it was.  Lord, God Almighty, I can be proud to be an American!  I truly can look on my waving flag with a sense of pride and dignity, and no longer with cynicism and embarrassment.

Last night was quite the emotional night for me, as it was obviously for many other people in this country.  The reason for this, although details can't be put into words, is that America finally in my lifetime has lived up to its name and reputation.  Up until last night, it was only an empty mission statement that America was the land of opportunity, and some lingering memory that it was a beacon of light in the world.  I feel that it was once a beacon of light, but not in my lifetime and certainly not during my adulthood.  Now parents from all walks of life can finally say without feeling as though they are lying to their children, "Honey, you can be anything that you want to be."

Another reason for my newfound pride, is that I woke up to a different country this morning.  People were more polite, the sun shone brighter, colors in the autumn sky were more vibrant.  I had woken up to America the Ballsy.  America the Pragmatic.  America the Progressive.  America the Principled.  I could go on like this for hours.  The point is that I finally feel at one with my society.  It tend to hold myself to a very high standard, and in turn expect others to reciprocate...unreasonable, yes I know.  But, I guess what I mean is that I don't have to feel like such a freak anymore simply because I have ideals.

And so I come full circle back to my first sentence: it is true that I can feel proud of a country willing to throw out all the rules and do what it truly believes is best for its own well-being.  I guess I didn't trust my country enough to believe that maybe it was idealistic, too.  I've been wrong before, and I hope I continue to be surprised.

Make Daddy Proud, USA!

Today is Election Day!  FINALLY!  It is a sort of dual emotion I am feeling right now.  One of complete excitement and anticipation, and another of melancholy.  I'm not sure what I can talk about now that this behemoth election that has consumed my thought in the last 4 months or so is finally coming to a close.  It came at not a moment too soon, though.  I was starting to think I was losing it.  I have gained hectares of peace of mind simply by knowing this monstrosity is over.  So all I have to say in this uncharacteristically short-winded post is:

GO OUT THERE AND MAKE ME PROUD, 'MERICA!

(Otherwise, I'm not sure if I have much use for you anymore.)

Fox the Hound, OR Angry Middle-Aged WASP News

*sigh* Fox News - 

Unless you've been living with your head buried in the sand for the last 10 years or so, you've heard of it, and I would guess that with most of you the very name conjures up some intense emotion.  People will go to great lengths to either defend to the death, or fervently lambast, the news giant that once proclaimed itself "America's most-watched cable news channel."  Well, the same would apply to me, I would say.  I love the freedom of choice with which God blesses us all - and I choose to lambast.

A relatively small part of the media juggernaut NewsCorp owned and run by Australian-born mogul Rupert Murdoch, Fox News seems to be quite the point of contention among news-junkies and the politically minded.  For many, Fox News has an extreme conservative bias.  For example, during the buildup to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, all of the newspapers owned by Murdoch - as well as Fox News - favored the folly.  Also, I cannot turn on Fox News without hearing some derision against either the Democrats, Hollywood, or "Barack Obama and his liberal allies."  However, Fox News and Murdoch himself have perpetually denied the allegations of conservative bias - or any bias at all, for that matter.  (They call that covering one's ass.)  For others, Fox News is the only channel that is FREE from bias, and the others all have a liberal bias.  Fox's slogan, "Fair and Balanced," is obviously aimed at distinguishing itself from all the others.

I can easily say that, from my point of view, Fox News is the MOST biased mainstream news source in the United States that consistently claims to be otherwise.  What frightens me, however, is that people buy it.  Intelligent, rational, compassionate people.  Many members of my own family - maybe even most of them - fall into this category.  These are wonderful people, whom I am blessed to call my relatives.  But I hate to see them fall for such a blatant hoax.  I cannot even begin to understand why so many people believe this to be a legitimate news source.  Not only that, but Fox News has successfully brainwashed people into believing that the OTHER GUYS are the biased ones, usually angrily and adamantly.  I've even heard CNN referred to as the Clinton News Network!  Now that's just funny.

I will say that I actually believe there to be some worth to Fox News yet - if only to figure out where in the hell conservatives are coming from.  As a good friend of mine pointed out to me, tolerance is about striving to understand those who are different from yourself.  Well, I guess then that Fox News is a great place for me to start doing some research.  The channel is also pretty hilarious.  I think it's a shame that "The O'Reilly Factor" and "Hannity & Colmes" lost the Best Comedy Emmy to "30 Rock" four years in a row!

There is another side to this coin, however.  This is where it gets tricky.  Murdoch was reported to have hosted a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton during the 2008 Democratic Primaries.  He also has said in an interview, in regards to his New York Post's endorsement of Barack Obama, that he did have something to do with the endorsement.  "He is a rock star," he said.  "It's fantastic.  I love what he's saying about education.  I don't think he will win Florida...but he will win in Ohio and the election.  I am anxious to meet him.  I want to see if he will walk the walk."  Well, that's confusing.  Also, many of the media outlets under the umbrella of NewsCorp. are very progressively-minded - dare I say liberal - companies.  These include Fox Broadcasting Company and all its subsidiaries, 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight Pictures, FX, National Geographic and its myriad subsidiaries, and much more.  Oh, what a tangled web we weave.

Perhaps the other side of the coin is a little something we in the media call RATINGS (yes, I realize I just lumped myself in with the media, haha).  I don't think that this factor is considered enough.  Is it possible that Fox News is just tailoring to its own niche in news, and gets consistently high ratings by perpetuating the farce?  Is it possible that the farce is continued simply to get a rise out of people both from the left and the right?  Maybe so, because it doesn't seem to me like Rupert Murdoch necessarily has a personal conservative bias.  His politics seem to be quite the opposite.  Maybe he is an amoralist with no agenda except getting more dough in his pocket, playing both sides against each other and laughing the entire time.  Whoa, that's quite the accusation, Ryan.

If people actually held cold concrete proof of Fox News's bias in their hands, I would like to believe they would flee from Farce News very quickly.  But, I don't think that's the case.  I could be wrong, but for these people ignorance is bliss, and they'd much rather have a news network that tells them what they want to hear, and what they already believe to be true.    Any news source who tells them otherwise...has a liberal bias.  I mean, who wants their whole construct of reality to be turned on its head?  Not me.  I certainly don't desire growth or progress...none is needed.

At this point in the 'blog, I hope that you (the audience) know when I'm laying on a thick schmear of sarcasm.  Remember: I report, you decide...but if you disagree with me, you are Anti-American.  :)

Hypotheticalculus

There have been a few questions - mostly political and philosophical - surfing around in my head recently.  These questions are purely hypothetical - designed to make one think.  Some of them are as enigmatic as, "What is the meaning of life?" or "Does God have feet?".  In no way do I know the answers, or presume to know the answers.  If I hint at an answer, please discount it and come up with your own.  I accept hate-email as well.  :)  As always, thanks for reading.

1) Why is it that, by and large, those who are more educated, more experienced in living around those who are different than themselves, and/or more well-traveled, tend to lean more to the left politically?

2) Is it possible to create a culture of 100% tolerance of one another?  To clarify my meaning, I have noticed that many liberals talk about tolerance, but are utterly intolerant of conservatives.  In my opinion, this is a hypocritical double standard.

3) What is meant by the adage, "if you are young and conservative you are heartless, and if you are old and liberal you are brainless"?  Why is this saying so widely used?

4) Is there a point when it's deemed acceptable to sacrifice ones ideals for practicality?  For example, does an ideal such as altruism have to be at the disposal of one's own well-being?

5) Why is it that many Americans defend democracy at all costs as the absolute "best form of government"?  (This question can also apply to such "American" values as capitalism and the free market economy)

Real brain-busters, right?  Well, you're answers are as good as any gem I can come up with.  Good luck, and may the best contestant win...er, this isn't a contest.