What in hell? - Post a comment

OK, so, in certain areas I'm kind of full of myself. I can be humble a lot of the time, and I try to give praise where praise is due, but when it comes to some areas - science, public policy, and the like - I've still got some ego going on. I am super brilliant and how can anyone else understand this like I do, etc. It's a dreadful habit, and I try to fight it whenever I can.

Naturally, this is not a mindset that lends itself to happiness or enlightenment in a country as politically polarized as the USA. We don't just disagree, we FUCKING KNOW BETTER, YOU UNAMERICAN ASSHOLES. This is not easy for me! I'm here trying to fight my "I am smarter than you about this" tendency, by looking for balance, assuming that the other side is based on reasonable assumptions, and doing everything I can to find fairness in their viewpoint. With that in mind...

Thanks a million, town-hell protesters. Really. Thank you so goddamn much for making this impossible.

I spend all this effort trying to see that the other side is real people, not just strawmen, and the Right's new plan is to MAKE EVERYONE ON THEIR SIDE A FUCKING STRAWMAN. Thanks guys. Now for the next twenty years, I'm going to try telling myself "no, no, they just disagree with me, but they're still informed and reasonable people," and then I'll remember "Oh wait, tens of thousands of them got all unhinged and chanted complete falsehoods and joked about killing senators and blocked vital reform based on made-up horseshit that one time," and that'll be it. I'll never be able to get around thinking that I'm smarter than you guys, because jesus, you guys are fucking idiots.

Does writing this help the debate? Of course not. But then, there's not really a debate on this, is there? I mean, there is a debate to be had on Obama's health reform plans, but this sure as shit ain't it. This is thuggery, a proud public demonstration of exceptional ignorance. There's no exchange of ideas here, just "Ugly American" syndrome at its worst. So if that's how we're going to do things, well, fine. You guys can keep getting up in arms about fabricated nonsense, and I'll sit here at my desk feeling smarter than you, because there's really no choice. I can't argue with a position that contains no facts, so what's left? If you don't want me thinking I'm better than you, don't be a public asshole.

Maybe reform will still pass, and shockingly, none of the crap you're afraid of will come to pass. I don't expect an apology, but your children will thank us. Or, more likely, reform won't pass, and America will be incrementally weaker and stupider, and the world will shake its head a little more and ask, "This bunch of screaming yahoos is the leader of the free world? Really?" In a country where education and critical thought are not given priority, the loudest guy wins. Until we can get our heads out of our collective asses, and stop celebrating ignorance and mediocrity, facts will never triumph over fear- and hate-mongering. If we want to be a strong country, we have to do more than just shout "America America America." We have to do better than to repeat "greatest country on Earth" and ignore the fact that, in a lot of areas, other countries are doing a hell of a lot better than us.

We're a nation of immigrants. We import people from around the world, and you know what? Those damn Mexicans sneaking over the border, they believe in the American Dream a lot more than you do. So does Europe. We accepted people from their countries, and became stronger for it. Why is it so hard to accept ideas from those countries as well? Why does every wave of immigrants settle, and two generations later become entitled pricks who can't stand outsiders? And let's be honest, that is what this is about. Obama can't be President, because he's secretly a Kenyan. We can't reform health care, because that's the way they do things in scary France. We can't stand anyone who disagrees with us, or doesn't look like us, because we're Real Americans, and what the fuck right does anyone else have to tell us what to do? Hell, it's not just foreign countries.. compare "Red" and "Blue" states, and across the board you'll find that Blue states have lower divorce rates, lower teen pregnancy rates, lower infant mortality, longer lifespan, lower obesity rates.. but of course we're not Real Americans, because Taxes Elitism Heartland.

Look, I don't need people to agree with me. As long as what you're saying makes sense, I'm happy. If your assumptions are different from mine, that's great. All I ask is that you use some goddamn sense. If your argument is based on lies, then I'm not going to listen to it. If your method of debate is to shout loud and say nothing, I'm not going to respect you. You don't need to be a debate team captain. You just need to use your fucking head. If you can't explain from Point A to Point B, then nobody should listen to you. If you don't know what words mean, don't shout them in public. This fucked-up wreck-the-game movement by Republicans, the misinformed led by the disingenuous... well, OK, maybe you're not all complete shitheels. But you are saying and doing exactly what a complete shitheel would say and do.

Current Location: Fort Victoria
Current Mood: annoyed