Saturday, May 3, 2014
I confess that if a person were to attempt to pigeonhole me into a certain political persuasion I would fall on the decidedly left side of the political spectrum. Does that mean I am a Leftist? I do not consider myself that. Does that mean I am a liberal? You could call me that. But I have a fundamental issue with the political discourse in this country in which so many issues are assessed within a dualistic frame of reference in which something is either Left or Right, liberal or conservative and so on. I find these labels as limiting as many other labels out there. By pigeonholing ourselves or others I believe we do an immense disservice to ourselves and others. I would prefer to cultivate a more open mindset.
Having divulged my political leanings I can say that does not mean I do not enjoy a good lambasting of people whose views and behavior I personally find odious every now and then. Yesterday evening I found myself feeling a bit bored until I came across a recent publicizes pronouncement of House Speaker John Boehner. Anyone who knows me well will know I find the man's professed beliefs and actions within the context of his position to be repugnant. It's hard for me to not view him as a mouthpiece for all that I think is wrong in this nation. But I try to keep an open mind nonetheless.
As a lighthearted touch I thought I would offer a bit of creative writing I did last night. I took Boehner's recent announcement regarding his intent to form a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi in 2012 as a template and then rewrote it. I suppose you could say I am fighting fire with fire. I do not believe in the 'eye for an eye' mentality that Gandhi is noted to have decried. I do, however, believe in speaking truth to power when the power I am addressing seems hell bent on maintaining its control even it means some unjustly suffer. And that is what I believe the GOP and the political Right does all too well. Though there are certainly some exceptions I believe many on the political Right in this nation view the world through a lens of entitlement that they cannot even see. Such is one result of privilege.
If you lean to the political Right you may find my creative flourish a bit tasteless. That is your right to feel scandalized. Anyhow, I used Boehner's words as a template to also make fun of the tendency of political persons to use 'talking points'. As I read Boehner's statement I could not help but wonder if he even wrote a single word of what he said. Did a speechwriter craft the entire piece? Do they have a Microsoft Word document in an office with a template specially designed for use when the political Right wants to denounce their political opponents? I wouldn't be surprised if they had something of the sort. Why? I believe the Right has a certain deficit of creativity. This is one issue I have with the Right and its behavior here in America recently. In my opinion they have virtually no innovative ideas to offer to address pressing policy concerns. Instead they want to stand firm and offer the same policy 'solutions' that are anything but solutions. Now it's time to get off my soapbox. Boehner's supposedly original statement follows. Thereafter follows my rewrite where I turn the tables. Boehner's statement is taken directly from the Speaker's website.
WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is announcing today that he intends for the House to vote to create a new select committeeto investigate the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans. He released the following statement:
“Americans learned this week that the Obama Administration is so intent on obstructing the truth about Benghazi that it is even willing to defy subpoenas issued by the standing committees of the People's House. These revelations compel the House to take every possible action to ensure the American people have the truth about the terrorist attack on our consulate that killed four of our countrymen. In light of these new developments, the House will vote to establish a new select committee to investigate the attack, provide the necessary accountability, and ensure justice is finally served.
“The administration's withholding of documents – emails showing greater White House involvement in misleading the American people – is a flagrant violation of trust and undermines the basic principles of oversight upon which our system of government is built. And it forces us to ask the question, what else about Benghazi is the Obama administration still hiding from the American people?
“The House committees that have been investigating this attack have done extraordinary work, using their subpoena power, holding dozens of hearings, and conducting hundreds of interviews. Without this work we would not know much that we do today. But it’s clear that questions remain, and the administration still does not respect the authority of Congress to provide proper oversight. This dismissiveness and evasion requires us to elevate the investigation to a new level. I intend for this select committee to have robust authority, and I will expect it to work quickly to get answers for the American people and the families of the victims.
“Four Americans died at the hands of terrorists nearly 20 months ago, and we are still missing answers, accountability, and justice. It’s time that change.”
Here is my spoof of Boehner's words as expressed in an unsolicited rebuttal from a homeless veteran living in the DC area named John Isa Alienated. Let's listen to Mr. Alienated's rebuttal:
“Americans learned this week that the GOP is so intent on continuing to score political points by smearing the Office of the President in the hope of making decisive gains in the upcoming 2014 midterm elections (so they can continue to serve their corporate overlords who bankroll their time in Congress in which they do very little to serve the American people) that they will continue to focus on the deaths of four Americans in the autumn of 2012 in Benghazi to the exclusion of very pressing and long term domestic problems such as joblessness, suicide among American military service members, the continued high cost of healthcare, the stagnation of wages and gun violence."
"The GOP's use of its playbook of tiresome and predictable distraction tactics continues. Remember the autumn of 2013 when the GOP was willing to risk the full faith and credit of the United States and use it is a bargaining chip in their Machiavellian and delusion quest to gut the Affordable Care Act? The GOP is so committed to avoiding fulfilling its obligation to address the needs and concerns of all Americans that it is willing to defy the essence of common sense by choosing the path of obstruction at all costs and yet ironically simultaneously call such obstruction 'governance'."
"Do not delude yourself that the GOP actually cares about you unless you are a corporation, a wealthy, entitled snob or a person so incredibly fearful of the diversity of humanity that said person ponders all compelling social policy issues only through the lens of fear and paranoia. Governance by obstruction risks the viability of the current economic recovery and thus the standing of America in the world at large over the long term. This blatant disregard for the ideals of America the GOP professes to support compel every American citizen to take the radical action of...thinking for themselves and actually dispassionately addressing our pressing issues to determine who is actually loyal to the ideals the United States was founded upon as promulgated in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights."
“The GOP's move in the direction of becoming the coddler of corporations, wealthy people and the highly paranoid is a flagrant violation of trust and undermines the basic principle of democracy in which each and every American citizen is supposedly understood as fundamentally equal. And it forces us to ask the question: 'What else about its policy emphases and distorted priorities is the GOP still hiding from the American people?'
“It’s clear that many questions remain as to why so many Americans actually believe the GOP serves their interests and needs. It's also clear we need a real overhaul of what we Americans consider an informed, reliable and thought provoking media when a media source such as Fox News..." <Mr. Alienated keels over laughing so hard that he can barely breathe normally> "oh, excuse me, I'm so sorry, I laugh every time I hear people call what they see on that station news. Where was I? Oh yes, if millions of Americans can actually consider Fox News an authoritative source I believe it can be safely said that 'Houston, we have a real problem!' The dismissiveness and evasion of responsibility the GOP continues to practice while it simultaneously equates its actions with governance requires us to elevate our entire brains to the level of thoughtful curiosity. In other words, we Americans need to launch a thoughtful investigation as to how a nation supposedly as glorious as ours cannot address fundamental issues such as the safety and prosperity of our own citizens. When six year old children can honestly ask their parents if their schools will be safe enough so they do not have reason to fear being gunned down by a highly alienated and armed young man then I think it's time we actually ask the question 'What the f*** is going on?'."
“Many Americans, including many children, go hungry and fear for the stability of their local communities due to the actions of the collection of buffoons known as the GOP. We are still missing accountability and justice. It’s time that change.”And now back to speaking as myself:
Dear Speaker Boehner,
Thank you for making me laugh heartily on a Friday. You would be a successful comedian. Your hyperbole never fails to make me want to laugh...when I don't feel the urge to vomit.
Sincerely,
One of many disgusted American citizens
I confess that if a person were to attempt to pigeonhole me into a certain political persuasion I would fall on the decidedly left side of the political spectrum. Does that mean I am a Leftist? I do not consider myself that. Does that mean I am a liberal? You could call me that. But I have a fundamental issue with the political discourse in this country in which so many issues are assessed within a dualistic frame of reference in which something is either Left or Right, liberal or conservative and so on. I find these labels as limiting as many other labels out there. By pigeonholing ourselves or others I believe we do an immense disservice to ourselves and others. I would prefer to cultivate a more open mindset.
Having divulged my political leanings I can say that does not mean I do not enjoy a good lambasting of people whose views and behavior I personally find odious every now and then. Yesterday evening I found myself feeling a bit bored until I came across a recent publicizes pronouncement of House Speaker John Boehner. Anyone who knows me well will know I find the man's professed beliefs and actions within the context of his position to be repugnant. It's hard for me to not view him as a mouthpiece for all that I think is wrong in this nation. But I try to keep an open mind nonetheless.
As a lighthearted touch I thought I would offer a bit of creative writing I did last night. I took Boehner's recent announcement regarding his intent to form a committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi in 2012 as a template and then rewrote it. I suppose you could say I am fighting fire with fire. I do not believe in the 'eye for an eye' mentality that Gandhi is noted to have decried. I do, however, believe in speaking truth to power when the power I am addressing seems hell bent on maintaining its control even it means some unjustly suffer. And that is what I believe the GOP and the political Right does all too well. Though there are certainly some exceptions I believe many on the political Right in this nation view the world through a lens of entitlement that they cannot even see. Such is one result of privilege.
If you lean to the political Right you may find my creative flourish a bit tasteless. That is your right to feel scandalized. Anyhow, I used Boehner's words as a template to also make fun of the tendency of political persons to use 'talking points'. As I read Boehner's statement I could not help but wonder if he even wrote a single word of what he said. Did a speechwriter craft the entire piece? Do they have a Microsoft Word document in an office with a template specially designed for use when the political Right wants to denounce their political opponents? I wouldn't be surprised if they had something of the sort. Why? I believe the Right has a certain deficit of creativity. This is one issue I have with the Right and its behavior here in America recently. In my opinion they have virtually no innovative ideas to offer to address pressing policy concerns. Instead they want to stand firm and offer the same policy 'solutions' that are anything but solutions. Now it's time to get off my soapbox. Boehner's supposedly original statement follows. Thereafter follows my rewrite where I turn the tables. Boehner's statement is taken directly from the Speaker's website.
WASHINGTON, DC – House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is announcing today that he intends for the House to vote to create a new select committeeto investigate the September 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya that killed four Americans. He released the following statement:
“Americans learned this week that the Obama Administration is so intent on obstructing the truth about Benghazi that it is even willing to defy subpoenas issued by the standing committees of the People's House. These revelations compel the House to take every possible action to ensure the American people have the truth about the terrorist attack on our consulate that killed four of our countrymen. In light of these new developments, the House will vote to establish a new select committee to investigate the attack, provide the necessary accountability, and ensure justice is finally served.
“The administration's withholding of documents – emails showing greater White House involvement in misleading the American people – is a flagrant violation of trust and undermines the basic principles of oversight upon which our system of government is built. And it forces us to ask the question, what else about Benghazi is the Obama administration still hiding from the American people?
“The House committees that have been investigating this attack have done extraordinary work, using their subpoena power, holding dozens of hearings, and conducting hundreds of interviews. Without this work we would not know much that we do today. But it’s clear that questions remain, and the administration still does not respect the authority of Congress to provide proper oversight. This dismissiveness and evasion requires us to elevate the investigation to a new level. I intend for this select committee to have robust authority, and I will expect it to work quickly to get answers for the American people and the families of the victims.
“Four Americans died at the hands of terrorists nearly 20 months ago, and we are still missing answers, accountability, and justice. It’s time that change.”
Here is my spoof of Boehner's words as expressed in an unsolicited rebuttal from a homeless veteran living in the DC area named John Isa Alienated. Let's listen to Mr. Alienated's rebuttal:
“Americans learned this week that the GOP is so intent on continuing to score political points by smearing the Office of the President in the hope of making decisive gains in the upcoming 2014 midterm elections (so they can continue to serve their corporate overlords who bankroll their time in Congress in which they do very little to serve the American people) that they will continue to focus on the deaths of four Americans in the autumn of 2012 in Benghazi to the exclusion of very pressing and long term domestic problems such as joblessness, suicide among American military service members, the continued high cost of healthcare, the stagnation of wages and gun violence."
"The GOP's use of its playbook of tiresome and predictable distraction tactics continues. Remember the autumn of 2013 when the GOP was willing to risk the full faith and credit of the United States and use it is a bargaining chip in their Machiavellian and delusion quest to gut the Affordable Care Act? The GOP is so committed to avoiding fulfilling its obligation to address the needs and concerns of all Americans that it is willing to defy the essence of common sense by choosing the path of obstruction at all costs and yet ironically simultaneously call such obstruction 'governance'."
"Do not delude yourself that the GOP actually cares about you unless you are a corporation, a wealthy, entitled snob or a person so incredibly fearful of the diversity of humanity that said person ponders all compelling social policy issues only through the lens of fear and paranoia. Governance by obstruction risks the viability of the current economic recovery and thus the standing of America in the world at large over the long term. This blatant disregard for the ideals of America the GOP professes to support compel every American citizen to take the radical action of...thinking for themselves and actually dispassionately addressing our pressing issues to determine who is actually loyal to the ideals the United States was founded upon as promulgated in the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights."
“The GOP's move in the direction of becoming the coddler of corporations, wealthy people and the highly paranoid is a flagrant violation of trust and undermines the basic principle of democracy in which each and every American citizen is supposedly understood as fundamentally equal. And it forces us to ask the question: 'What else about its policy emphases and distorted priorities is the GOP still hiding from the American people?'
“It’s clear that many questions remain as to why so many Americans actually believe the GOP serves their interests and needs. It's also clear we need a real overhaul of what we Americans consider an informed, reliable and thought provoking media when a media source such as Fox News..." <Mr. Alienated keels over laughing so hard that he can barely breathe normally> "oh, excuse me, I'm so sorry, I laugh every time I hear people call what they see on that station news. Where was I? Oh yes, if millions of Americans can actually consider Fox News an authoritative source I believe it can be safely said that 'Houston, we have a real problem!' The dismissiveness and evasion of responsibility the GOP continues to practice while it simultaneously equates its actions with governance requires us to elevate our entire brains to the level of thoughtful curiosity. In other words, we Americans need to launch a thoughtful investigation as to how a nation supposedly as glorious as ours cannot address fundamental issues such as the safety and prosperity of our own citizens. When six year old children can honestly ask their parents if their schools will be safe enough so they do not have reason to fear being gunned down by a highly alienated and armed young man then I think it's time we actually ask the question 'What the f*** is going on?'."
“Many Americans, including many children, go hungry and fear for the stability of their local communities due to the actions of the collection of buffoons known as the GOP. We are still missing accountability and justice. It’s time that change.”And now back to speaking as myself:
Dear Speaker Boehner,
Thank you for making me laugh heartily on a Friday. You would be a successful comedian. Your hyperbole never fails to make me want to laugh...when I don't feel the urge to vomit.
Sincerely,
One of many disgusted American citizens
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