"How embarrassing was yesterday’s GOP performance? ... Unfortunately, all of this has led to a great deal of commentary that is deeply unfair to middle-schoolers and clowns, who are actually held to a much higher standard of conduct."
Actually, it is at once much simpler and much more impactful than that. How many of us could behave like …
"How embarrassing was yesterday’s GOP performance? ... Unfortunately, all of this has led to a great deal of commentary that is deeply unfair to middle-schoolers and clowns, who are actually held to a much higher standard of conduct."
Actually, it is at once much simpler and much more impactful than that. How many of us could behave like that in our workplace and keep our jobs? How many of our family members and friends would defend us when we are so obviously out of line in our behavior? And how many of us would feel a sense of shame -- and express it -- if we so clearly abused our position of power, authority, and influence among those who look up to us for leadership and setting good examples to emulate?
This behavior happens not because it is necessary or appropriate or defensible. It happens because we allow it. And empower it. As we allow our standards of decency to decline among those we choose to elect, we get the inevitable result: a politician class untethered to the daily reality of those who pay their salary, pension, and benefits. We're accountable; they are not. We must play by conventional rules; they make up their own as they go. We see and recognize limits and modify our behavior accordingly. They increasingly try to outdo each other for more face time, more mic time, and more fame and fortune, under the premise that all visibility is good visibility in the end as long as it helps to garner more name and face recognition before the next election cycle.
Our shared society has been in decline for at least several decades now, as civility, decency, common sense, and compromise increasingly become unwanted old guy relics of the 20th century. As long as gravity continues to work downward, the inevitable result is a reality show-like and, now apparently, WWF-inspired replacement that rewards the outrageous in our midst (see: Boebert, L.) and empowers the most crude, destructive, and deplorable (glad to say it out loud) influences among us (see: Inmate No. P01135809) over those who are decent, just, and caring at heart (but, but, but .. he's OLD! Had to say that out loud too.).
In life we get what we settle for more than what we want or need. Politics in the United States has become the latest and, if not greatest, at least most notorious form of that as we find that, like gravity, choices and consequences too is an inviolable law of nature. Garbage in, garbage out. No one who is honest about it can be surprised at the outcome, with the promise of still worse to come. Enjoy your stay in the, ahem, Greatest Country on Earth.
Excellent observations. I feel like the social compact has been inverted since Trumpism engulfed our culture. Never mind politics; this is a dark moment (there’s vestigial optimism - the word “moment”) for our culture. I’m still spiking my morning coffee, which started in November 2016. I stopped when Biden won . . . then Trumpism refused to die!
As always, excellent. That last paragraph..... "In life we get what we settle for more than what we want or need." I don't know if that's an old saying or if you just came up with it, but it deserves to be included in some collection of '101 greatest quotes' or something!
The only thing I can add to your excellent observations is that one of the excuses trotted out to justify their ridiculous behavior is that Congress has been in session for so long: a whole 10 weeks for one chamber so far! The pressure has gotten to them ... FFS. That isn't even a full term at the last college where I taught.
They should try working a retail job for 10 weeks, full-time. If people making minimum wage with no benefits have to behave at their lousy jobs, so should our government representatives.
Yeah, the pressure cooker argument. I snort-laughed when I heard that. How many here have to/had to deal with that sort of thing in their own daily lives in the workplace, on a pretty regular or constant basis? ... ... ... I see lots of hands. They get no extra credit for having to handle normal adult responsibilities.
Yeah I kinda laugh at that too. On the other hand, things have been nasty between the various factions of the Republican Party in the House, things behind the scenes. That doesn't explain the Senate thing though. That's just arrested development.
I remember seeing a news report years ago about a fight in the South Korean legislature and just laughed at that. Not so funny now. I didn't realize the current crop of the GOP saw the same thing and thought "Oh, this is how to govern."
Yeah, I've heard about that instance, and I know that there are more examples. The more recent ones were generally from other countries. It's just disappointing to me that this is occurring in the now times in our government. What we seem to be lacking in the GOP is the striving to be better, even if they miss the mark. I think that they accepted that striving is for losers.
"How embarrassing was yesterday’s GOP performance? ... Unfortunately, all of this has led to a great deal of commentary that is deeply unfair to middle-schoolers and clowns, who are actually held to a much higher standard of conduct."
Actually, it is at once much simpler and much more impactful than that. How many of us could behave like that in our workplace and keep our jobs? How many of our family members and friends would defend us when we are so obviously out of line in our behavior? And how many of us would feel a sense of shame -- and express it -- if we so clearly abused our position of power, authority, and influence among those who look up to us for leadership and setting good examples to emulate?
This behavior happens not because it is necessary or appropriate or defensible. It happens because we allow it. And empower it. As we allow our standards of decency to decline among those we choose to elect, we get the inevitable result: a politician class untethered to the daily reality of those who pay their salary, pension, and benefits. We're accountable; they are not. We must play by conventional rules; they make up their own as they go. We see and recognize limits and modify our behavior accordingly. They increasingly try to outdo each other for more face time, more mic time, and more fame and fortune, under the premise that all visibility is good visibility in the end as long as it helps to garner more name and face recognition before the next election cycle.
Our shared society has been in decline for at least several decades now, as civility, decency, common sense, and compromise increasingly become unwanted old guy relics of the 20th century. As long as gravity continues to work downward, the inevitable result is a reality show-like and, now apparently, WWF-inspired replacement that rewards the outrageous in our midst (see: Boebert, L.) and empowers the most crude, destructive, and deplorable (glad to say it out loud) influences among us (see: Inmate No. P01135809) over those who are decent, just, and caring at heart (but, but, but .. he's OLD! Had to say that out loud too.).
In life we get what we settle for more than what we want or need. Politics in the United States has become the latest and, if not greatest, at least most notorious form of that as we find that, like gravity, choices and consequences too is an inviolable law of nature. Garbage in, garbage out. No one who is honest about it can be surprised at the outcome, with the promise of still worse to come. Enjoy your stay in the, ahem, Greatest Country on Earth.
Excellent observations. I feel like the social compact has been inverted since Trumpism engulfed our culture. Never mind politics; this is a dark moment (there’s vestigial optimism - the word “moment”) for our culture. I’m still spiking my morning coffee, which started in November 2016. I stopped when Biden won . . . then Trumpism refused to die!
As always, excellent. That last paragraph..... "In life we get what we settle for more than what we want or need." I don't know if that's an old saying or if you just came up with it, but it deserves to be included in some collection of '101 greatest quotes' or something!
I keyed into that “what we settle for” too. It defines too much of my life (beyond politics). I even saved a screenshot of it.
The only thing I can add to your excellent observations is that one of the excuses trotted out to justify their ridiculous behavior is that Congress has been in session for so long: a whole 10 weeks for one chamber so far! The pressure has gotten to them ... FFS. That isn't even a full term at the last college where I taught.
I agree. They are hot house plants. Oh so delicate.
They should try working a retail job for 10 weeks, full-time. If people making minimum wage with no benefits have to behave at their lousy jobs, so should our government representatives.
That is a long time for functional immature tweens.
I'm so glad I'd swallowed my tea before reading this!
Yeah, the pressure cooker argument. I snort-laughed when I heard that. How many here have to/had to deal with that sort of thing in their own daily lives in the workplace, on a pretty regular or constant basis? ... ... ... I see lots of hands. They get no extra credit for having to handle normal adult responsibilities.
Exactly this. Their work year is about 133 days, while the work year of the average American is about 240 days. Ridiculous and shameful.
Yeah I kinda laugh at that too. On the other hand, things have been nasty between the various factions of the Republican Party in the House, things behind the scenes. That doesn't explain the Senate thing though. That's just arrested development.
I remember seeing a news report years ago about a fight in the South Korean legislature and just laughed at that. Not so funny now. I didn't realize the current crop of the GOP saw the same thing and thought "Oh, this is how to govern."
It’s not a totally new scenario; I recall historical narratives about near fatal beating in the chambers, from a member using a cane.
Yeah, I've heard about that instance, and I know that there are more examples. The more recent ones were generally from other countries. It's just disappointing to me that this is occurring in the now times in our government. What we seem to be lacking in the GOP is the striving to be better, even if they miss the mark. I think that they accepted that striving is for losers.
I feel in my soul that it’s unequivocal: Democrats want to help people; Republicans want to hurt people. It’s that simple.