I'm a Thoughtfulicanocrat

I know that a lot of the things that I say here are far more left than right. The whole truth is that I have major issues with both wings, but only the right wing has had its way, so this country in policies and politics has been run hard to the right on the issues of taxation and foreign policy. Meanwhile, though the popularity of entitlement programs (mostly Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid) has prevented the right from actually ending or severely reducing them, as it repeatedly squawks about, their noise has prevented the left, even when in power from actually fixing them. Even now, the public wants health care reform (and a public option) but despite a real public mandate and large majorities of the party that supposedly represents that viewpoint, the "reform" that is likely to come will not be even remotely functional.

I've harped on this before, but it is the disparity between the utility of conservative and liberal politicians that astounds me and makes me very nervous for the future. When in power, conservatives take an our way or the highway approach to legislating. When out they successfully drive conversations toward bipartisanship. Supposedly liberal lawmakers go along with both (particularly in the Senate). It is only a small subset, but in a body where only a few votes makes a huge difference, it doesn't take many assholes to produce a pile of shit.

Because of that I spend more time complaining from a progressive viewpoint. I want real balance and we do not have it in the government or in media. Progressives have Olberman, Ed, and to a lesser extent Rachel and NPR and lesser still Matthews. Conservatives have the whole of Fox news and about 90% of talk radio. I do believe that that disparity is causal when it comes to politician behavior. When we went to war in Iraq, there was no real opposition presented by the media. When it comes to discussions on global warming or other science issues, we get more discussions with politicians than with scientists (particularly from the right, as the science is often overwhelmingly one way).

Thoughtfulness is a vice in the media because nuance is too hard to sell. When one party is very successful at driving away from conversation and to talking points and simple responses to complex questions in a society with an ever shrinking attention span, then the result is excessive media attention and a driving out of thoughtful people from their own party, and from politics in general. Ann Coulter said once that she enjoys debating stupid people, but the only person who can really enjoy such a debate must him or herself be devoid of a thoughtful intellect.

It is not possible to win an debate against an idiot or a liar.