Below is a conversation between a torn liberal's brain and his heart. Barack Obama has led this nation for barely over 2 months, and yet already I can feel inside me the pull of my heart strings filled with rage, sadness, worry, and increasing anger fighting against my brain that is pressing logic, patience and understanding, with the way things are going. Below is a metaphor of the conflict felt within, probably, many liberals, who have become disenchanted with the system's solutions to the problems facing us.
Heart: What the fucking hell. The world is in fucking crisis, the banks have imploded, American doesn't make fuck all, and now we're stuck with Tim Geithner and Larry Summers, two fuckers who were probably responsible for the situation we got in, to lead us out of this. Fuck this.
Brain: Calm the hell down. Number one, you voted for Obama, so you can't complain that he brought in who he did to run the Treasury department. Second, you wouldn't be complaining so much if Obama's appointments for the Under Secretary and Deputy Secretary positions were put in place, instead of being blocked by Republicans and having to drop out from financial impropriety. Third, it's been only 2 months, don't you think you should cut Obama some slack, he's barely been on the job, give his plan a chance to work.
Heart: Fuck that shit. Krugman has been blasting this plan as stupid as all get out for the last four weeks, and after the Bush Administration, I've always counted on Krugman to report the more-likely truth, when the Government wants to bullshit. And speaking of the Republicans, Republicans and the Corporatist Dems (spits loudly) are going to try to fucking steam roll Obama if he doesn't get a better message machine rolling soon, Geithner screams 'Fucking Tool' whenever he speaks.
Brain: Ok, ok, I'll give you props for the 'tool' comment, as you so nailed it. But really, he's intelligent, he knows the system and he's the best probably we can get, look how the Republicans have blocked Franken, do you think they wouldn't try to shut down the government rather then have a liberal like Stiglitz run the Treasury Department? Now look, how much do you really know about economics, sure sure, plenty of smart and intelligent people are making their theories of what could happen with the current plan well-known and it has you frustrated, understandably, Really though, it's all estimations. This has never happened before, nobody has a solution that's fool proof to work or definitely will fail that can be proved from past history, it's all new territory. The world has gotten too global, America's banks are connected all over the world, and touch all corners, we don't make as many manufactured goods, expecting a 'New Deal' like plan for government consumption won't work, America just doesn't produce anything anymore.
Heart: Ok you're right, I'm just mad because I don't know anything about complicated Credit Derivatives, and being so out of the know is frustrating. But since you reminded me, now I'm fucking angry about the fucking Republicans. Fuck Bipartisanship. Why is Obama even trying to give these fuckers a chance, half of them are bat-shit insane, and the other-half are fucking dumb as hell, and would make better support beams then congressmen and women. Oh and one more thing, Evan Fucking Bayh. Fuck him. Obama winning Indiana is almost not even worth it knowing that a fucktard like him is their representative. Thank god for David Letterman, he always makes me know that good people are plentiful in Indiana. I mean...can we just move Bayh to the Leiberman party already?
Brain: Again, Evan Bayh, total sell-out douchebag who couldn't hold a candle to his father's work in the Senate, but still, would you rather have a Repbulican? Don't you remember how it was having a George Allen being your senator versus Jim Webb, be thankful he's OUR douchebag versus being the Republican's douchebag. Second, I didn't see you donating money to Bayh's primary opponents back in the day, so stop your bitching, put up or shut up. Most importantly, is he our Vice-President, nope! So thank goodness for small favors. As for the Republicans, admit it, as much as you hate their antics, deep down, you secretly love it. You said it in 2006 and in 2008, the more the Republicans be who they are, the more they will lose at the voting booths. You even said in 2004, that even if Kerry lost, Bush would screw up so bad, that it would be the best thing for the Democrats ever, and the Iraq War wouldn't be plopped in our lap as 'OUR' disaster. So look, yeah it sucks that they are going insane and being run by Rush Limbaugh, but deep down inside you, it Rocks, because it only furthers their implosion among the sane and the knowledgeable.
Heart: Doesn't make it any better. I'm so sick of how the Democrats are IN power but are fucking caving everywhere on everything. Obama selling gays in our military down the river. Pelosi being possibly implicated in the torture memos. Max Baucus trying to impede single-payer advocates from even having a voice. Plenty of Democrats selling the unions down the river on EFCA. Jane Harman being implicated in a tit-for-tat deal with the Bush Administration. Chris Dodd and others getting special 'Congressman/Senator' deals for themselves. The only thing that doesn't make me want to becoming a screaming Green Party activist is that they nominated Cynthia McKinney as their presidential candidate which doesn't inspire me with much confidence. The Democratic Party is full of self-interested hacks...ughh.
Brain: Either you're in it to win it, or the Republicans can take over again. And in their extreme state, do you really want THAT in charge of the levers of power. If you want to see change, you're going to have to change the politicians. Follow Roosevelt's advice. The Democratic Party agrees with you, now make them do what they think. It's hard, but you have to do it, you gotta join the local Democrats chapter, support progressive candidates with money AND time, and make sure your issues are heard. Progress trickles up and down. Sometimes its a vast swift change (a la the Supreme Court) or it's slow building progress (like the Union Movement during the late 1800s/ early 1900s).
Heart: And speaking of Unions, can you fucking believe how the 'centrist' Democrats are willing to fuck over the Unions. I mean the unions fucking BUILT the Democratic Party, if anyone can be thanked for their tireless and constant work in keeping the Democratic Party together, it is the unions that have supported us, year in and year out. And people like Blanche Lincoln can act like they can fuck over the Unions who I'm sure she will still ask for money from. What the hell does it mean to be a Democrat if you don't support organized labor. I thought the whole point of the Democratic Party was to support the ability of the underclasses to get a peice of the pie for themselves. No wonder I've become so disenchanted with the Democrats, they've whored themselves out to Big Business, and remind never to support any Democrats from Arkansas for President or any position touching the economic system in the future. If they ever get into power, they might try to make our government a subsidiary of Wal-Mart.
Brain: Just keep saying it to yourself, Senator Mike Huckabee, SENATOR MIKE HUCKABEE (shudders). Listen you are represented by Jim Webb and Mark Warner who are big supporters of the Union Coal Workers here in Virginia, who you don't even support as you're against coal production, so where are your Union Bonafides. I mean you weren't in the teacher's union last year in Virginia because you found it ineffective and the dues too expensive, so where were your convictions last year? Hunh? And yes, I agree with you the Bill Clinton and many Democrats of the New Democratic variety of driven the Democratic Party too far to the economic right that has made the Democratic Party indistinguishable from the Republicans on some issues. Your job is to not let that happen with your representatives, so get to work!
Heart: To be honest, I'm fairly happy with my representatives their either left of center or liberals, but still. Fuck....I'm just really dissapointed, it seems like hacks and lightweights are abundant in the Party, I'm just hoping you're right there Brain.
Brain: Don't worry, I understand that it is hard to have such high expectations when they first are broken, it happens, and just so you know, I hope you're wrong Heart, I really do. Let me just leave you with an anecdote, think back to Bill Clinton and Al Gore and how they were in the late 1990s, they were nowhere near the brand of liberal that Barack Obama is, and we now have both chambers of Congress, and a new Supreme Court Justice who will be as liberal as we want, and even Gay Marriage is becoming legal in state after state. The torturous policies of the Bush Administration are out there for all to see, and most importantly the environmental issues that really drive you the most are being worked on thoroughly. Things aren't that bad, you're just used to focusing on all the bad because of Bush, try to let some good things that have happened join in with the bad and take a not so negative look. But never ever ever, let them off the hook for anything they do that deservedly needs your criticism. I'm the optimist, you're the pessimist, let's join forces and see how this administration works ok. Hope I assuaged some of your concerns, g'night Heart