In A Pickle

I never intended this blog to be used to communicate my political beliefs, but frankly of late it hasn’t been communicating my pickle beliefs either.  I blame the summer and its many weekends away and other such distractions; as the days grow shorter and the nights are colder, I fully intend to keep warm by pickling whatever crosses my path (in the form of produce, I mean, so no need to run from me, neighborhood pets).  In any event, with yesterday’s election results still echoing in my ears and the detritus of this political war scattered about before all of us, I couldn’t help myself.

I suppose I’m a bit of a masochist; early this morning I couldn’t turn away from NPR’s coverage of the results as I eked my way to downtown Los Angeles from the westside in horribly gridlocked traffic, even as the soundbites of Republicans’ smug victory speeches and thoughts of regressing back into policies that got us into this mess continued to enrage me.  I probably should not have been behind the wheel in such a state, driving under the influence takes on a whole other meaning in this context.  The influence I believe that’s in question here is not necessarily a certain politician–though there are many I could single out–or even a particular party–as both have had a hand in many of the difficulties, I’ll admit–but rather these extreme groups that perpetuate lies and foster peoples’ fears.  Our country in many ways is in dire straits and I think the last thing we need right now is to be lied to.  Another thing we don’t need is a Congress that’s unable to move anything forward, which is what we’ve gained it appears.  The biggest frustration from this election for me is not as much what the left lost, though that is still smarting, but more how the right came to gain it.  Stoking fear has become their greatest political strategy and it worked to elect you know who for two terms and it’s worked again.

Are you satisfied “Tea Party?”  Is this what you had in mind?  I’m so tired of hearing this rallying cry of “take our country back”; I’d like to know just where you think it’s gone.  I’d personally like to take our country back from the Koch Brothers and Karl Rove, etc., but that’s for another post.  Enough with this constant evocation of the “Founding Fathers” and “What would they say if…”  Don’t try to tell me what they would say until you’ve actually paid some attention to what they said.  The Constitution is available for free as an iPhone app, but I’m sure you can also find some documentation on it elsewhere.  Check out your local public library, if it’s still open.  (Speaking of Founding Fathers, many credit Ben Franklin for what has become the American public library system–information for everyone!)

If you take the time to actually look at what’s been accomplished in the last 21 months–as Rachel Maddow did–you’ll see what this Administration and Congress stands for, which is not all that different from what many across this country have been saying they wanted.  And whether or not you watch/like MSNBC or Rachel Maddow, the policies speak for themselves.  In all the rhetoric, in all the debates and mud-slinging, I’d yet to see any plausible or sensible ideas put forth from the other side on how to deal with the myriad problems we’re facing.  And to me it’s clear that undoing what’s in place–as some on the right have been saying they’re fired up and ready to do–is just going to stall progress and put us on a far worse road than even they themselves believe we’re on now.

So my question to this new majority of the House:  What have you actually won, and at what price?  What do you plan to do with your victory?  If it has anything to do with really helping our country, I hope, humbled as you say you are, you intend to listen to and agree to work with your colleagues on the left, despite your differences.  I hope you try to do something that actually benefits the people for whom you’re supposed to be working, rather than the special interests who’ve spent so voraciously to get you there.

2 Comments to “In A Pickle”

  1. Rick Stein 3 November 2010 at 4:55 pm #

    Have you ever tried pickling tea?

  2. Matty Sterenchock 3 November 2010 at 5:20 pm #

    I think you just gave me my next post. Thanks Rick!


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