Sunday, October 04, 2009
Politicizing
On CNN this morning, John King is interviewing Gen Jones about our activities in Afghanistan. King never once asked the ONLY QUESTION THAT MATTERS: "How does this make the American people safer?" When will any journalist have the guts to ask that question?
At one point King noted that Manchurian Candidate McCain has accused Jones of "playing politics" and "politicizing strategy". Jones firmly denied the charge, saying "Strategy does not belong to any political party."
Well, that's the whole goddamn problem, isn't it? If neither party is allowed to change our strategy, then why in the holy fuck should we bother to vote?
I'm ferociously tired of politicians accusing each other of politicizing a subject. You're a politician, politicizing is your damn job.
No other occupation does this. Doctors don't accuse each other of medicalizing diseases, though perhaps they should sometimes. Teachers don't accuse each other of educationalizing the curriculum, though perhaps they should sometimes.
If politicizing is forbidden, then no subject is discussable, no strategy can be changed, no law can be eliminated or modified. We will simply careen down the road toward total devastation, without steering or brakes. Which in fact we have been doing since 1973, with precisely two major exceptions.**
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** The two exceptions, the two times when a leader dared to steer us out of a skid: 1. Reagan's decision to answer Soviet subversion and sabotage with some subversion and sabotage of our own. Previous admins had answered the USSR only by increasing our stock of missiles that would never be used. 2. Newt & Bill's welfare reform. Previous (and later!) admins couldn't imagine anything except permanent increases in the welfare class.
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Update Monday: CNN's Rick Sanchez, bless him, is asking the basic question about our Afghan activities. Everyone else just debates the details while assuming the war is needed for some never-stated and never-defined reason.
... Well, I guess the reason is easily defined. If you're a Republican, we need to keep the Afghan war going because The Lord Almighty George Bush, the Most Magnificent President In History, the Most Masterful And Intelligent President Than Whom No Greater Can Be Conceived, said so. If you're a Democrat, we need to keep the Afghan war going because Lord Almighty Barack Obama, the Most Magnificent President In History, the Masterful And Intelligent President Than Whom No Greater Can Be Conceived, said so. ¶ 6:12 AM
At one point King noted that Manchurian Candidate McCain has accused Jones of "playing politics" and "politicizing strategy". Jones firmly denied the charge, saying "Strategy does not belong to any political party."
Well, that's the whole goddamn problem, isn't it? If neither party is allowed to change our strategy, then why in the holy fuck should we bother to vote?
I'm ferociously tired of politicians accusing each other of politicizing a subject. You're a politician, politicizing is your damn job.
No other occupation does this. Doctors don't accuse each other of medicalizing diseases, though perhaps they should sometimes. Teachers don't accuse each other of educationalizing the curriculum, though perhaps they should sometimes.
If politicizing is forbidden, then no subject is discussable, no strategy can be changed, no law can be eliminated or modified. We will simply careen down the road toward total devastation, without steering or brakes. Which in fact we have been doing since 1973, with precisely two major exceptions.**
= = = = =
** The two exceptions, the two times when a leader dared to steer us out of a skid: 1. Reagan's decision to answer Soviet subversion and sabotage with some subversion and sabotage of our own. Previous admins had answered the USSR only by increasing our stock of missiles that would never be used. 2. Newt & Bill's welfare reform. Previous (and later!) admins couldn't imagine anything except permanent increases in the welfare class.
= = = = =
Update Monday: CNN's Rick Sanchez, bless him, is asking the basic question about our Afghan activities. Everyone else just debates the details while assuming the war is needed for some never-stated and never-defined reason.
... Well, I guess the reason is easily defined. If you're a Republican, we need to keep the Afghan war going because The Lord Almighty George Bush, the Most Magnificent President In History, the Most Masterful And Intelligent President Than Whom No Greater Can Be Conceived, said so. If you're a Democrat, we need to keep the Afghan war going because Lord Almighty Barack Obama, the Most Magnificent President In History, the Masterful And Intelligent President Than Whom No Greater Can Be Conceived, said so. ¶ 6:12 AM
