November 8, 2002

12:34 AM

GOP Wins Big on Tuesday I had a gut feeling the day before the election that something like what happened Tuesday was going to happen. I had thought a couple months ago (and even last week) that the Democrats would have a big year, but the leadership of the party has completely abdicated leadership! I have been complaining to folksover the past couple of years that the the Democratic Party's leadership was not following the right direction. This election was the result. It's obvious that the Democratic Party offers no realistic alternative to the Republicans. It is moribund. The Democratic apparatus consists of the decaying remains of New Deal coalition fossils, cynical wishy-washy GOP-lite politico opportunists, and Greenish weenies who hate America. It's not simply that the Democrats got crushed in these last elections that has me mad; I can take losing (I'm a Philadelphia sports fan, for heaven's sake). I'll generally stick with something I like or believe in through thick and thin even if I disagree with a lot of what happens with it (i.e., I'm still a Catholic). It's just sad that the best prominent Democrat is John fucking McCain. There are alternatives to the policies of George Bush and the conservative Republicans with the philosophical and potential political underpinnings to win elections and enact good policy. However, the national Democrats have have chosen to take the easy path: generally going along with the Republicans and playing political games. At this point, I'm certainly no Democrat. I might still be registered Democrat so I can vote in the primaries, etc., but aside from some social issues (that the Party is afraid to fight for, generally), there's nothing in the Party for me. In fact, WHAT IS in the Party? I'm sure as hell not a Republican or a Libertarian, etc.; I see no reason to let powerful, monied people and institutions do what they want as they see fit without any real responsibility to the society which allows them to exist, and use the governmental apparatus to aggrandize themselves and crush those who dare to oppose them. Unchecked, no matter how good it looks and sounds on the surface, current Republican economic orthodoxy will ultimately lead to a new hereditary aristocracy. Nor do I see why injustices should persist just because things have always been done that way and/or certain self-proclaimed mouthpieces for God proclaim that the Will of God manifests itself in the way America works right now. I'm certainly not a "Green." I love America and believe that it generally works. I do believe that individuals should not be shackled in pursuing "life liberty and the pursuit of happiness" by tradition and the social order for their own sake. However, the primary reason a government exists is to preserve an orderly, predictable environment where folks can generally go about their business. Overthrowing institutions and the social order willy-nilly where they might serve a purpose would abdicate that primary responsibility. While conditions can be improved, every injustice cannot be rectified all at once. Sometimes to do so causes more harm than good. (This is the essence of a chaotic system like a society.) Further, while I implied that the current Republican approach -- there is no real Democratic approach -- is unstable and unrealistic in the long term, America's economic system generally works. It certainly works better than trying to micro-manage the economy from the top, at least when the pollyannish preachers of finance above all else and lasseiz faire no matter what the cost or results aren't in complete control. So I'm not really in favor of any of the alternatives that are presenting themselves in politics right now. The thing is, with the threat of terrorism, the global international order in transition, and some systemic economic problems lurking, a realistic (electable) alternative to the current government's policies is sorely needed. If one does not arise, I fear the United States might go down a path none of us now voting would approve of -- and it would greatly affect our lives, even if we don't normally pay attention to politics.
posted by JKevinKing (3 comments total)

Have you ever seen this site before? There are like 17 things wrong with this post that are going to be shredded here before it gets whined about in Metatalk. All this is doing is wearing out Matt's delete finger and hastening the demise of Metafilter.
posted by thirteen at 12:38 AM on November 8, 2002

good grief.
posted by muckster at 12:39 AM on November 8, 2002

...
posted by yonderboy at 12:39 AM on November 8, 2002