Monday, October 12, 2009

I'm Not A Team Player

WARNING: May contain unhinged rant.

OK, can we call it quits with the "team politics" bullshit now? I'm sick of it.

You know what I'm talking about. People who treat politics as if you're part of some "team," and if anyone on your team does ANYTHING you have to defend them and if anyone on the other team does ANYTHING you have to criticize them. Oh, and if someone criticizes someone on your team? They're the fucking devil.

Look, Obama didn't deserve the Nobel Prize based on his past accomplishments. Let's face it - he doesn't have that many "past accomplishments." Getting new equitable rules for equal-pay lawsuits is something, but it ain't worth the Nobel. Escalating the war in Afghanistan and continuing policies of indefinite extralegal detention sure as hell shouldn't be winning anyone a "Peace" prize. (Then again, launching terrorist intifadas shouldn't be winning people peace prizes, but Arafat got one anyway, so there ya go.) The Nobel committee gave Obama the prize in order to encourage him to pursue peace, which is cool and I understand that, but criticism of the prize is valid. Most liberals may not agree with the criticism, and that's cool too, but that doesn't make critics like the fucking Taliban and Hamas.

Oh, and on gay rights? Sorry, Obama, but you're chickenshit. There, I said it. You're completely chickenshit. You too, Sen. Reid and Speaker Pelosi. Chickenshit, all of you. I want "don't ask, don't tell" repealed and I want it done yesterday. Of course, the White House thinks I'm just part of some "internet fringe" for saying that. How dare you criticize the President, Jeff! You're a liberal, Jeff! You don't understand, Jeff! Bullshit. I can count. And 75% ain't "fringe". Three in four Americans want DADT out. According to Rep. Baldwin (D-WI), 89% think LGBT people shouldn't be discriminated against in the workplace. Hell, even 57% of Americans support legal recognition for gay couples! You think that's "fringe"? That the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and DADT repeal have to wait because of the "challenges of governing a closely divided country?" Bullshit. You're chicken, and I'm calling you out on it, and if you don't like it go suck on a lemon. If you don't believe in gay rights, you shoulda said so during the campaign.

Guess what? There's more than one proper way to be liberal. The DNC isn't some square-dance caller telling us all what liberals are supposed to think. I'm going to think my fellow liberals are wrong a fairly good chunk of the time. And guess what? I'm gonna say so. And you know what else? A lot of the time, when I do say so, I'll be agreeing with a few conservatives. It's called "mature political dialogue," people. Chances are, even you, Mr. Anonymous White House Official, have disagreements with Obama and Pelosi and Reid sometimes. It's okay.

This whole thing is getting out of hand. You're either a Socialist Health-Care Rationer or you Want People To Die Quickly. You're either a Terrorist Sympathizer or a Child-Killing Warmonger. This is Karl Rove bullshit. I expect it out of the Republicans. I expected better out of the Democrats. Guess the Democratic leadership thinks they should be out there playing a game of political football against the Republicans. Fine, get out there and beat each other up. The rest of us are going to just hope someone actually starts acting like an adult around here.

OK, I'm done.

4 comments:

Mike said...

"I expected better out of the Democrats."

There's your problem. Now you know why I'm an avid non-partisan. We have room for plenty more if you want to join up.

Unknown said...

Well said.

Trillian42 said...

Bravo! Extremely well stated!

And ooh - I'm "fringe" now? I feel so daring and edgy! And here I didn't think it was possible for a college-educated married homemaker to be edgy. The things you learn on the internet. :D

Anonymous said...

Jeff, you seem to be a reasonable chap, even for a leftist loon. As a Conservative kook, I have to take exception to one statement in particular you made.

"I expect it out of the Republicans. I expected better out of the Democrats."

As you may well be aware, I wrote an article entitled Democrat Base Just Doesn't Understand, where I obviously lambasted the Democrats on their perceptions of things. But in that same article, I lambasted the GOP power-brokers with linkage and statistics.

The GOP is not nearly as knee-jerk partisan as you have (possibly accidentally) conveyed. And Conservatives are not exactly pleased with the GOP, either.

While there are points in your article I believe you are most emphatically wrong, those points we will likely never agree on. But I do hope you take the time to consider my above point. NY-23 is a perfect example of my point in action.

Yes, I am a right-wing firebrand, and yes, I have written some caustic articles. But I believe I have evidence to back up my statements I made in honesty. That does not discount differences of opinion (where I'm right and you're wrong) regarding deciphering meanings and intentions and suchlike of historical information. But I honestly believe I have not thrown anything out willy-nilly.

(Note: there are parts of the above specifically meant for playful jabs.)