Restless City Nights

We’ll the people have spoken and as John McCain noted in his concession speech, “they have spoken overwhelmingly”. Still, as I guess we’ve come to expect in this day and age, the hating continues. I find it absolutely remarkable that while the campaigns were going people often said they wanted someone who was bi-partisan and would “reach across the aisle”. But now that it’s over those same people seem to be reverting to partisan politics as usual. I understand your guy lost, Republicans- but can’t you just stop for a second and say “well, we didn’t win- but let’s make the most of it. Let’s stay on this guy and make sure he does his job. Let’s do our part to help turn this country around.”? I’m sure there are some of you out there who might take this approach and you are indeed true Americans putting your own self-interests aside to work for the common good of all alongside those whom you may not agree with.

The McCain campaign was about change and getting America on the right path. If you truly believed in that spirit then you have no business assailing, slandering or otherwise being negative towards the president elect. Do you think that negativity is going to help build a strong, united America? I’ve heard everything from “Obama bought those votes” (absolutely absurd. How deep would his pockets have to be to pay off several million people?) to “The country is doomed now” (equally preposterous- There was so little difference between the two candidates in the primaries that they could have run on the same ticket).

When I talk to republicans about why they think Obama is going to make a bad president the responses usually pertain to his lack of executive experience (duly noted. but that’s why he’s going to have to have a really strong Cabinet- as long as he has the necessary info he is able to make an intelligent, informed decision as much as McCain and far more so than Bush), his different stance on religion-based issues(these are irrelevant. The government has no say in what religion does and vice versa. Besides, if McCain were elected he wouldn’t overturn Roe V. Wade or outlaw gay marriage. Bush has been there for 8 years and hasn’t done either one- there are just more important issues at hand) and his supposed Socialist programs (which, if you have even a meager understanding of how a Socialist system works you would see that he is far from Socialist).

So what’s the big deal? Why can’t we just say “good game” and move along? It’s this nagging negative attitude that has kept America from progressing as rapidly as other countries. We could accomplish so much more if people would put aside petty grievances. I also feel that it is not the constituency’s fault that this attitude seems to prevail. I think a lot of these talking heads like Rush Limbaugh, Bill O’Reily, etc. are the source and cause of such dispositions. Day in and day out they nit pick every detail and sit back and criticize. If they are so great and so perfectly correct about everything, then why don’t they RUN FOR PRESIDENT?!?!? They don’t because they are just commentators. The world isn’t really like they say it is and doesn’t work the way they say it does.

All that having been said, I think the system is still broken. I am willing to give Obama and the Democrats the chance to prove me wrong. I would love nothing more than to see the US returned to a state of strong financial standing and have it and it’s policies be held in high regard by other nations of the world. I think some things that need to be done will be done. Whether or not they are done well will be a key factor. I personally think that Americans, being unwilling and unable to change the government in its current state and the government not willing to let Americans change it, must rise up and wipe the slate clean and begin anew. This is not a call for violent revolution. Just the opposite. The constitution states that our government is run by the people. If we, the people, have had so many complaints for so long- why have things stayed the same? Why do we allow bureaucrats to block the way and slow the process of the change we demand?

I’ll concede that on average most Americans do not know enough to capably judge what should be done when it comes to running the country. We are not well enough educated, we are highly susceptible to misinformation and we generally fail to consider the long term effects of anything we do (which is why we find ourselves in a failing economy, in a failing war and a stagnant republic). Despite these facts, I feel that there are enough capable citizens and enough outlets for proper education that this could easily be changed should the public be willing to accept this change (that is to say, they must be willing to educate themselves).

Sadly, America has become the land of distractions where the individual has become more important than the whole and self is usually set before others. People would rather watch a shitty sit-com than discuss intellectual matters or engage each other in challenging conversation. Our minds have been corrupted by laziness and greed and our ears have been shut to the pleas of the needy. America, once the land of the free and home of the brave has become the land of the wanton and home of the greedy. Neither republican nor democrat will change this.