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rejectomorphWhen writing tonight, I found myself veering off into the thickets of politics- not my usual stomping grounds. I'd much rather read political commentary by people more organized than myself. My style tends to be a bit too discursive for such purposes, and my thought lacks that degree of organization which is essential to cogent discussion of complex issues of power and its distribution (which is essentially what politics is.) True, the vast majority of what passes for political commentary is no more than rhetorical posturing, and with a bit of patience I could probably come up with something superior to the nonsense (masquerading as wisdom) that is published daily in our most popular newspapers and magazines, or spouted form radios and television sets in such abundance that, were it actual manure rather than the metaphorical variety, it would surely fertilize all the fields of the entire planet for years to come.
But the fact is that I don't have such patience. Every word I wring out when I approach that subject is like a pint of blood. In its honest form, political writing requires both terseness and directness, which are utterly foreign to my temperament. In its dishonest form, also known as propaganda, it requires cleverness, which I find pleasure only in observing, not in displaying, unless it is turned to merely playful use, or to the occasional bit of enjoyably vicious mockery. Indeed, the thing I find most infuriating about politics is that, like the human species itself, it is at least twice as clever as it is smart. This is why, after producing a few paragraphs which I then realized were a mere rant, of a quality which the likes of William Safire could easily equal, I abandoned the project. I was irritated into starting it by things I read in the paper. I was irritated into abandoning it by remembering who I'm not. I have more than a few strong opinions about the best way to arrange things, and considerable knowledge of the way the world works, and I'd like to put them in writing, but most of the time I can't do it without becoming as annoyed with myself as I am with those popular pundits with whom the world is afflicted.
So, I am destined not to be very congenial for the next few months, the atmosphere of daily life being doomed to pollution of the worst kind by the vile and slanderous season that is now upon us. I will probably take refuge in my usual bits of pastoral word jewelry, excursions into nostalgia, and the occasional attempt at humor. If the political fit again takes me, I will most likely not post it. But, damn, if Kerry spouts crackpot economic nonsense about the inherent evils of budget deficits, or Bush trots out crackpot economic nonsense about the "ownership society," I'm going to have a hard time keeping quiet.
But the fact is that I don't have such patience. Every word I wring out when I approach that subject is like a pint of blood. In its honest form, political writing requires both terseness and directness, which are utterly foreign to my temperament. In its dishonest form, also known as propaganda, it requires cleverness, which I find pleasure only in observing, not in displaying, unless it is turned to merely playful use, or to the occasional bit of enjoyably vicious mockery. Indeed, the thing I find most infuriating about politics is that, like the human species itself, it is at least twice as clever as it is smart. This is why, after producing a few paragraphs which I then realized were a mere rant, of a quality which the likes of William Safire could easily equal, I abandoned the project. I was irritated into starting it by things I read in the paper. I was irritated into abandoning it by remembering who I'm not. I have more than a few strong opinions about the best way to arrange things, and considerable knowledge of the way the world works, and I'd like to put them in writing, but most of the time I can't do it without becoming as annoyed with myself as I am with those popular pundits with whom the world is afflicted.
So, I am destined not to be very congenial for the next few months, the atmosphere of daily life being doomed to pollution of the worst kind by the vile and slanderous season that is now upon us. I will probably take refuge in my usual bits of pastoral word jewelry, excursions into nostalgia, and the occasional attempt at humor. If the political fit again takes me, I will most likely not post it. But, damn, if Kerry spouts crackpot economic nonsense about the inherent evils of budget deficits, or Bush trots out crackpot economic nonsense about the "ownership society," I'm going to have a hard time keeping quiet.
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It's going to be a tough fall...
Date: 2004-08-17 07:29 am (UTC)Most politicians are annoying because they are required to perform for us. Few are allowed to be themselves, and it's assumed that our reaction to them on a personal level is all-important. Some people just decide they like someone and assign whatever qualities they admire to that person. Anti-intellectuals who mistrust those who have learned more than they have prefer Bush because his speech patterns and simplistic phrases signal to them that he's "one of them," or at least not one of the opposite group. This works even though he was raised with every possible advantage, and learned nothing from any of them, except how to take advantage. It works, despite the fact that his only jobs have been arranged by family, his "successes" bought by family, and his profits come from our crises.
I am more comfortable with Kerry because at least he can put a sentence together, and I've some idea what he said or meant, even if he's limited in a campaign to safer topics than would convey real meaning. He's taken the opportunity to learn about the world, its leaders, its history. I think I'd like him much better as president than as candidate. The sheer boredome and repetition of campaigning doesn't make anyone look great, unless you really don't pay much attention and see only a little of it.
One thing I don't understand at all: how anyone would be swayed by political ads. We will be bombarded by these monstrous concoctions up until the election, and I think all it can accomplish is to infuriate people enough to stay home! I pride myself on not actually seeing them, not watching TV, hitting the mute button when I do, and one appears. They are so false in tone, so insulting to our intelligence, and such a complete waste of time and money! The few people who care only about some "hot button" topic may be confirmed in their already-held opinion, but otherwise, who could possibly be watching them?