(WARNING: rant ahead). Yep, that's right. We and everyone else in this country - left, right and center, have the crap government we deserve. Why? Because we've lost the Revolutionary Spirit and have become lazy.
I thought I had no more rage and disbelief of our politicians' incompetence left after we gave $700 billion to the very reckless financial institutions that brought our country to its economic knees due to their unabated and unregulated greed. Silly me. Little did I know the minimally effective healthcare reform process would be just around the corner. No sooner did I settle down from that disappointment, when my ire was refreshed anew as the Republicans held extension of unemployment benefits hostage unless tax cuts for the top 2% earning Americans were extended. If that wasn't cynical and galling enough, the feckless Dems weren't able to negotiate benefits extensions for those unemployed beyond 90 weeks - arguably the ones who needed it most. And just when I (and I'm sure a lot of other people) thought it couldn't get worse, we get this turd of a deficit ceiling compromise we'll be trying to wash the stink off of for years to come. On something that shouldn't even have been a debate. On something Democrats and Republicans alike should have screamed non-stop at the top of their lungs was a red herring distracting us from the real immediate problem which is the economy and jobs. On something that could have been avoided and lots of people foresaw coming down the road when a debt ceiling raise wasn't included in the aforementioned Bush tax extension/welfare benefits extension process.
For me, this latest debt ceiling turd sandwich is the last straw...until the next time.
What do I mean? Well, seems like a lot of people - left, right and center, share my outrage. Certainly everyone here at DKos does. But beyond writing some rants (including this one) or diaries that assign blame or try to keep moral high and urge us to work at getting better politicians elected, what are we doing? We'll all continue to do "stuff" that keeps us busy and makes us feel like we're making a difference, but we've been doing this for a while and not much seems to have really changed. I guarantee you a Next Time is just around the corner, and one after that, and so on.
Has anyone considered the recent changes that have been taking place in the Middle East during the Arab Spring? I have and here's what I think: a) good for them; b) this is what we should be doing and what a lazy group of people we Americans have become, and c) how ironic the Middle East can serve as inspiration for demanding a better democratic process and how to achieve massive political gains in a hurry.
With all the outrage in the U.S. across all degrees of the political spectrum, why haven't Americans taken to the streets in massive numbers to peacefully protest how badly we're getting FUCKED?!?! The polls tell us a good majority think our politicians are focusing on the wrong issues. Even when they have "solved" a supposed problem, their solution has invariably been a way the majority of Americans don't agree with. Just because no one is happy with the debt ceiling and similar important solutions being crafted in Congress doesn't mean the compromises required to get there have exercised Solomonic wisdom and resulted in good outcomes. Here's the Truth we all know: Our Congress and White House generally are not representing the will of the people.
And yet we just continue along like busy ants and take it up the rump, earnestly doing the same basic stuff year after year, hoping the next election will be the one to get newer and better politicians elected.
It's like the Somme; everyone's in the trenches, we gain a few yards today, they gain it back tomorrow. Nothing really changes but a lot of people get hurt.
Why? Because when you get right down to it, Americans have gotten complacent and lazy. I'm as guilty as the next, maybe more so because I really believe we need to take to the streets and I still haven't done anything about it. I've channeled my outrage into some volunteer work, phone calls, irate letters, occasional donation - just like most of you.
In my defense, I'm somewhat skeptical of what rallies accomplish, maybe because I've never taken part in a rally large enough to put the fear of God into anyone such that it changed their behavior or viewpoints. But I'd sure love to be part of a big one that did.
Here's something I'd go for: the President told us a while back we'd have to make him do stuff we want, so why don't we demand the Community Organizer in Chief organize a series of rallies across the U.S. in favor of the progressive agenda items we and the majority of Americans support? We set the agenda, he publicly calls for the rallies, we organize them, he shows up to each one in support, the media covers them and maybe we can finally show Washington we're mad as hell and not going to take it any more. That message doesn't seem to be sinking in with tweets, e-mails, sternly worded letters and phone calls from constituents.
Until I see a civil protest get organized that shows the promise of a critical mass that could truly shake things up and scare politicians into genuine change, I'll be here grinding my teeth with each new outrage, hoping I get inspired enough to get off my butt and actually hit the streets.
In the meantime, I and everyone else has the Government we deserve.