I just can't watch
I tried flipping on the Republican convention twice. Once was some Christian singer (Have you ever noticed Christian Rock uses the word "I" more than any other music,) and once was a Reagan tribute (I guess he was the last popular Republican President.)
I've tried, but I just can't seem to watch.
I've tried, but I just can't seem to watch.
posted by mikevotes at
9:13 PM
10 Comments:
sad days for democracy...a major political party so obviously taken over by flat-earth theocrats. Our traditional media has failed us -- never to redeem themselves...
By
Anonymous, at 9:45 PM
That's why I'm not watching. I don't feel the need to experience the sort of frustration you obviously are.
By
mikevotes, at 9:48 PM
I'm too partisan to watch as well. I simply cannot watch Bush give a speech. It literally makes me feel queazy.
Actually, it's not the partisan, issues oriented stuff that bothers me. It's the bald faced lies, dirt-ball nastiness, utter shamelessness, and near complete lack of anything resembling decency of character I just can't stand. Politics aside, these people represent a character my parents worked so hard to keep their kids from becoming. May Dad would come back from the grave and kick my ass if I turned out like one of these scoundrels.
By
-epm, at 9:54 PM
True, but from their side, they're not lying, the Dems are.
Admittedly the Republicans push it harder, but it's generally just a matter of perspective.
By
mikevotes, at 9:57 PM
The real action was outside the Convention tonight. 4000 trying to tear down the security fence after a Rage Against the Machine concert was shut down.
3/4 of the downtown area sealed off, and groups as small as 3 gassed and subjected to concussion grenades.
Freeway exits to downtown St. Paul sealed off.
National goddamn Guard.
I live here.
This was like a military occupation. And for what?
Sad day for democracy, indeed.
By
Todd Dugdale , at 10:31 PM
"True, but from their side, they're not lying, the Dems are."
The operatives know they're lying. The cult drinkers in the audience who would vote for a plagiarist child rapist, as long as he was against abortion and claimed to know Jesus... they're a different story. I'm talking about McCain, Schmidt, Bounds, Lieberman, Graham, Bush, etc. These folks know they're just makin' shit up to get elected and to smear the other guy.
God help us if they win.
And Todd, it's like the twilight zone... I just want to stick my head in the sand like the media, but I cant.
By
-epm, at 11:36 PM
I think what Mikevotes means is that the Republican base people, (nearly half the country, apparently) believe, fervently and in their heart of hearts, in the stiffnecked delusions that the Neocon government and complicit Neocon press have been promoting for the last 8 years.
They do think that Iraq is somehow responsible for our various problems, and that our military is smacking some sense into that darn Al Qaeda, and that once that victory happens, everything will be all right again.
By
Anonymous, at 12:20 AM
Todd, I never know what to say about that stuff. Th police do have a job to do, but it's gotten to the point where they come in dressed like stormtroopers just twitching for a fight. They're to the "retaliate first" point.
And the pre-event infiltration/spying on groups is really wrong as are the mass arrests.
On the other hand, there are some people, a very small percentage, who do come to these things for some widow breaking violence.
The police have way too tight of a hairtrigger, and the mass arrests are wrong, but there are people who come in looking for trouble, so I never know.
The problem is that you've got 99+% of the protesters doing it right, and they're getting caught up in all this crap.
.....
EPM, Definitely. They're lying. But, in a much kinder way than you state it, those are overlookable lies.
You have to understand that this version of Republicanism is a fusion of religion and politics. Certainty is an item of faith.
Certainty is now an issue in Republican politics. Being certain is more important than being true.
It's a characteristic of their party, probably a remnant of the "culture war" that a sense of being "right" is part of their ideology.
Do you know what I mean?
....
Anon, not so much about specific foreign policy items, but about the leaders they lift up.
A lesser political version of papal infallibility.
By
mikevotes, at 7:22 AM
On the other hand, there are some people, a very small percentage, who do come to these things for some window breaking violence.
Put it on the scales.
Replacement cost of a half-dozen broken windows against our civil rights.
Glass is more important than our freedom to assemble and freedom of expression. We must call in the National Guard to protect our precious glass.
I'm bitter, but imagine if it was downtown Houston instead of downtown St. Paul.
By
Todd Dugdale , at 8:57 AM
I agree. And the cops at these things do come in way over amped with completely the wrong stance.
Generally speaking, in this new era, the police are the first ones to ad stress to these situations by overenforcing tiny things, forcing the protesters into tighter spaces than logic would dictate, and arresting on minor charges.
We had the GOP convention here in '92, but that was before the Seattle WTO, before this new era.
I tend to agree with you and support the protest side in most of these things, but it would be denying reality to say that there aren't some wanting some anarchy among the vast mass of peaceful protesters.
That was one of the great things about those massive anti-Iraq war protests in 2003. They were absolutely giant, all around the world, and without any notable violence.
By
mikevotes, at 11:13 AM
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