This post, of course, is to be taken with pretty much a salt lake's worth of salt. Any reader who will take these words as gospel, or inspiration, or brilliant words, should therefore be brought to the town square where they will be summarily smacked upside the head for being a dumbass. ;)
That said...
A Rant for Those Not Getting It
So the wingnuts have pretty much considered me a commie liberal socialist. I live in that Den of Iniquity, that Sodom and Gommorah, the city of San Francisco. I've held books on Marxism in my hands before. I've thumbed through Mein Kampf at my local bookstore, just to see what it's about. I'm pro-choice. I'm pro-gay marriage. I voted for Clinton, Gore, Kerry, and Obama. I believe that there are more important things in this country than the Almighty Dollar. Or the Almighty, for that matter.
I believe that most rich people JUST. DON'T. GET IT., and that most of them pretty much follow Pulp's description of rich people in "Common People" to the letter, which is a sad truth. Good for you that you have all this money, and that you've earned it, either through hard work, trust funds, or being incredibly brilliant in the market. Good for you. Sure, you don't owe anyone anything, I understand that. But you're as bad as the meth user defacating on Market Street if you believe that you don't want any of your taxes--or in this case, a stimulus--to go towards someone else for a change to save lives and minds because, god forbid, you earned it, why should you give it away? You just don't get that it easily could have been you living in that car, eating cold ramen you stole from 7-11, slowly growing more ill because you don't have the insurance or the money to get that infection looked at. But hey, it's not you, and you lucked out, so why should you worry? And why should you take care of your fellow man, when he should be helping himself, and he's shit outta luck if he doesn't know any better? I believe that you are nothing but selfish and uninformed. But hey--if you're a philanthropist, or someone who helps at a soup kitchen, or builds houses for Habitat for Humanity? If you don't mind that the stimulus will help others, and you might need to tighten your belt like the rest of us in the process? Then my impression of you is changed.
I believe that government should NOT be run as a business, PERIOD. It is NOT the same thing. It is something completely, utterly different. They are two completely different philosophies, and should be treated as such. Reagan and both Bushes may have thought they were running it as a business, finding all sorts of ways to make extra money that supposedly should have "trickled down" to everyone else in the process and they seemed to prove my point. Business is about making a profit off of selling or buying goods. Government is not. Government is about reigning, hopefully benevolently, over a country, taking responsibility for it, and ensuring that its people are well taken care of. Business is not (although that could be considered "good business practice", such as Hoshin Planning--but it is not the basis for making a profit off of selling goods.). Running a country, or even a state for that matter, as a business is only asking for trouble. There's more--a LOT more--to running a state or a country than trying to make money off of or for it.
I believe the only revolution this country needs right now (yes, Mr. Hannity, this is for you) is a positive cultural and intellectual one. For too long, we've been living in a country that's too wrapped up in surface emotions, capitalism, entertainment and general Oooh-Shiny-ness. We're too distracted by the constant influx of soundbites, dittoheads and flashy objects than the more important things that, if we actually slowed down, unplugged, looked outside the window, listened instead of heard, loved instead of lusted, embraced instead of skimmed over, thought before we reacted, we might have a vastly different culture. Sure, it's hippie-like wishful thinking, but you know? Add a bit of selflessness and intelligence, perhaps it might work.
I was brought up a Roman Catholic, but I don't think of myself as lapsed. I believe in spiritualism, that there are more important things out there in the universe than what the other person on this Earth believes or which deity is in charge. I can't prove there's a God, or an Allah, or a Buddha, or what have you, and I don't think I need to prove it. Just the fact that there is a spirit out there that ties every single living thing together is good enough for me. Which means, basically, that prosletyzing will do you no good, and will only serve to piss me off. Please, don't tell me what to believe, I'm perfectly happy and safe where I am.
I believe that the Democrats in the last century and this one have tried to be the party of listening to their constituents as well as their enemies. And I don't mean that as enemies = Republicans. I mean enemies = those in other countries who might harbor ideas to do us harm. It's called a parley, people. Look it up. On the same token, I believe that the Republicans have become a party of "LA-LA-LA-LA-LA-I'M-NOT-LISTENING" and "That's not fair, I'm taking my ball and going home!" and it's the main reason why this country isn't taking the party seriously. But--and this is a big one--when said Republicans are saying things such as "I hope the President fails" or wishes they were back in a supposed time "when someone said something bad about the military, he'd get shot" or saying "those aren't jobs, that's just work" or a senator from a state whose most famous city was nearly decimated four years ago by a hurricane goes on national television to say why he won't take government monetary help, or other soundbites that makes one wonder just where their loyalties truly lie, then yes, that's exactly why we're taking that party seriously with looks of WTF?!?? on our faces. Let me tell you--we're concerned not only for our safety, but for your well-being. We're absolutely gobsmacked that you honestly believe these things.
So, Republicans:
If that makes me a Socialist, a Communist, an Anarchist, a raving leftwing lunatic, a constituent whose vote should be discounted, or "the T-word", then I'm afraid I'll have to say you're completely, utterly, wholly WRONG. It's not often I as a Democrat will speak ill of others, including Republicans. But this is where I get to call you complete idiots for not even trying to figure out who and what I am.
If anything, I'm human, and am hopefully wishing you are too.