A Country Divided
I don’t know about everyone else but it is only February and I am starting to get a little politiced out. With nine months left until the 2008 Presidential Election we on the Democratic side a black man and a crazy lady. On the Republican side we have an old man who apparently has to move both his arms at the same time in order to stay alive, a Walker Texas Ranger fanatic and a man who’s only supporters are 20 something’s who probably don’t even bother getting off their butts to vote. I honestly at one time thought the Ron Paul Revolution was a band.
Now the reason I may be so burned out on politics already could be how divided everyone is. Before I thought the two party system was a little whack but now it is more than ever. I live in Arizona which I believe is still a primarily Republican state. Back when I was 18 and filling out the form to register to vote I decided to choose Democrat as my party. Now at the time I did not really now what each party stood for. Honestly, I picked Democrat because at the time Clinton was in office and I thought, "Hey, I like what he’s doing." As a Democrat, however, I am afraid to speak my mind or even mention I am a registered Democrat. It is hard to when you work with people who use the word liberal as if it is a swear word. Republicans hate Democrats, Democrats hate Republicans. In the mean time this country is going down the tubes.
This year I actually watched a good part of the President’s State of the Union Address. I thought I would check out what state of denial he was in. In watching the speech I started to realize how much of a tool everyone in Congress is to their party. I seriously thought I heard hooting from the Republicans. Was I watching Arsenio Hall Show? I was waiting for them to start pumping their fists in the air. The division of this country was quite clear during his speech. It was quite evident in when only half of Congress would stand to applaud while everyone else sat. All the while he pushes for the party walls to come down and for everyone to work together except he’s the biggest party tool of them all.
Each party hates each other so much that nothing will pass except maybe bills pushed by lobbyists. Congress may be made of up two parties bickering but they all seem to be tools of lobbyists. While bills about stem cell research and child health care get shot down, bills backed by the Motion Picture Association of America pass. Lobbyists manage get what ever they want slipped into bills. The latest, requiring colleges and universities to put in place anti-piracy measures or possibly lose federal funding. All because they are losing so much money to piracy. Perhaps, the MPAA could stop throwing your money into making crap movies and maybe people will pay to watch them. Which brings me to the realization that Congress doesn’t make laws, big business makes laws. Until Senators and Congressmen stop slipping in little revisions for a little kick back, we are doomed.
Whoever wins this election will have their work cut out for them. We were once a country who’s currency was the standard for international trade. Now we are becoming the laughing stock of the world. The person who takes over as President of the United States come January 2009 will have a lot on their plate.