Our National Discourse

"Angry, Concerned Citizens" Force Closure Of Recount Efforts In
Florida's Dade County During 2000 Presidential Elections (UPI)



Occasionally, it's difficult to believe that Our National Discourse is dominated by a media filled with shallow entertainment masquerading as "news", whose sole purpose appears to be triggering the always-simmering pool of inchoate rage just beneath the surface of some 23% of the population of the United States -- to prod and goad them into a mouth-foaming frenzy.


Not, like, aware a human face can do stuff like this.

Or, perhaps, it's because this layer of the American Fun Cake™ likes to jus' get rully, rully mad, you know? Because, you know like, life is like rully unfair? And you jus' gotta get rully, rully mad? 'Cause you're, you know; like, just rully, you know -- mad ??.

And the networks and distributors coddle and promote entertainment "personalities" who taunt others suffering with diseases that will slowly, eventually kill them; or self-righteous sociopaths; adulterers, religious whack jobs and Nutters who "create" the "news"...

...images of Reality Show geeks, talentless pop singers who all sound the same; unfaithful Jerry Springer transsexual trailer hos; angry overweight Dr. Phil married couples; and greedy whoresons like Little Bernie Madoff... all of it pumped out 24X7 on American TeeVee, and the Intertubes, in order to keep people lost in the shrubbery maze of America's Public Vomatorium; where the world is presented as a progression of images of lives of wealth and exclusivity and sexuality which the Jackasses watching believe, somehow, they can attain. With Fear Of The Osama™ and his crew of kill-for-god psychopaths thrown in for extra-special Summer fun.

If serious issues aren't treated seriously, then the solution you get will reflect your stupidity and incoherence. So, if you enjoy being at the mercy of powerful industries, how good for you. If you enjoy being made angry for reasons you really can't explain, manipulated by politicians for partisan ends, this is a wonderful time for you. If you can't wait to reduce issues of life and death and quality of life to an incoherent shouting match, this will be so much fun for you.

When Rushbo and BillyBoy telly you to, get rully, rully, like, mad; Poppa lost his job at the Vibrator factory, and momma can't get the good panty hose any more, 'cause the economy went bust and it's the fault of Leftists and Dirty Hippies and jesus will punish them and I don't like that they put an illegal alien in the white house and WHARRRRLLGARRBLLL...



Children engage in play with the full force of their imaginations -- and the shock of disappointment is amazing when Reality suddenly enters the game; you can almost touch it. And Reality is what's waiting behind the screaming, adolescent shadow-play of the past few weeks: After all the fun chanting and slogans; the chances to behave like angry adolescents and engage in inappropriate and socially unacceptable behavior with no repercussions -- the buzz-words, the threats, carrying of weapons and acting out... the issues of life and death and quality of care are still in the room no matter how much the kiddies like their playtime.

And that playtime is nothing but wasted time. It takes the focus of discussion away from Reality, and forces attention on things that have nothing to do with health care or climate change or energy policy. Inarticulate Liberal-bashing, spouting idiocy and acting like schoolyard bullies isn't the behavior of passionate advocates in a civil society. It's the behavior of the ignorant and easily led.

Even a ten-year-old wouldn't swallow crap about Them putting a chip in our heads, or creating "death panels" to force euthanasia on helpless old women and children with health disabilities. And comparing anyone with nazis, whatever their political views, is utterly wrong. The nazis were a political phenomenon, specific to a time and place, and referring to 'Teabaggers' as nazis, or the President as Hitler, is an insult to the memory of anyone who died at the hands of the nazis between 1924 and 1945.

[A German court just convicted an actual nazi on Monday, in Munich (go read about what he was responsible for here; it has nothing to do with health care). He was 90; fortunately, there aren't many actual nazis left.]

Let's get real: The issues our country faces are serious. If we refuse to treat problems with the rationality and seriousness they deserve; if all you bring to the table is obfuscation, lies and partisan-manipulated anger, it only benefits certain parties grunting at the feeding trough. But not you; not us.


The Future Of 'Murrika: Live Free Or Dye, Ya Hippes.
Usually In A Different Context, I Thank God I'm A Dodgers Fan.

But, in our inchoate, Believe-It-Or-Leave-It kinda way (shudder), our health care and economic systems are (cough) uh, still way better than (um, thinking really hard) any alternatives? Right?

Only if you believe the status quo works. Only if you believe that the acquisition of material goods is the true measure of the health and enlightenment in a society. If you don't agree with those statements, then all of us should be talking about real and rational solutions. The rest is peabrained, bottomfeeding, incoherent bullshit. And every month and year that goes by without solutions is one in which someone else benefits -- not you; and not Us.

But, I'm just a dog, and nobody listens to me.


(Mongo, upset by the raised noise, and lowered civility, level)