Thursday, November 05, 2015

Sound, Fury, and No Good Answers

This rant has been building in me for some time. There are a lot of words below about the current sorry state of what passes as public discourse in America. Some of them profane. Many of them angry. Feel free to change the channel. Dave's podcast updates will resume soon.

I love my daughters. Deeply, unconditionally, irrationally love them. Takes my breath away, sometimes, to watch them do the things they love. They're smart, funny, talented, kind-hearted, and thoughtful.

My daughters are frequently incredible assholes to me, my wife, and each other. They're stubborn, hyper-competitive, by turns lazy and indifferent, and they piss me off on a regular basis.

These two descriptions are not mutually exclusive. It's possible to love and honor something with your full being while recognizing that it has flaws and might be improved.

In America today, however, there's no percentage in nuance. There's no political gain in perspective. You either love it, or you should leave it.

Case in point, a Facebook post that my mother shared on her feed recently. Mom's a reasonable, stoic New England type, and I'm quite sure her intent was to share the story, which is quite compelling, and not the political afterthought. I thought it was great, too, right up until the final two sentences. It's posted in its (long) entirety below:

I confess that those final lines, likely just a throwaway thought, angered me. I think it's the certainty with which the author employs them that raised my ire. You presume to judge my patriotism, or that of anyone else, based upon a willingness to pass along your story? With all due respect, go fuck yourself. You call me and others less than American because we're not reflexively genuflecting at the altar of 'God Bless Our Troops'?

My father, who readers of this blog know is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, raised me to honor military service in the same way he raised me to think for myself, and pushed me to be willing to defend my beliefs. In the years before he passed, we had some donnybrooks on a wide range of topics: politics, legalization of drugs, the Iraq War, among others. Frankly, I think that at least half of those arguments were him just pushing my buttons to see if he could get me wound up. He could. And I think he loved both the debate and the fact that I was eager to have it.

I can say with some certainty that he'd be really uncomfortable with the notion that our military is infallible and any criticism of it reflects some anti-American strain. Military leaders make mistakes, and so do troops on the ground. Drones strike civilian targets. Innocent people die, or get displaced. War, and the projection of force by any country, has deadly, ugly, tragic consequences.

Our military operates in our name, and reports to a civilian Commander-in-Chief in recognition of the fact that it is subservient to us. When it's wrong, it's not unpatriotic to ask for better. Rather, it's an act of patriotism to want the people that represent us held to the highest standards of behavior and performance.

The military isn't the only institution that's become a litmus test for patriotism. It's possible to believe that law enforcement officers in this nation have an incredibly difficult and dangerous job made more complex each day by emerging technology, the proliferation of weapons, and an ever-changing and watchful society. It also possible to wish that fewer Americans, especially those of color, were killed by law enforcement officers. A thoughtful person can hold both of these things to be true, and not demonize the police in so doing.

In a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference in Chicago last week, President Obama himself made the same point, saying, “We’ve got to resist the false trap that says either there should be no accountability for police, or that every police officer is suspect, no matter what they do. Neither of these things can be right.”

Just a week prior, Obama offered his thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement, saying, "I think the reason the organizers [of the movement] used the phrase “black lives matter” was not because they were suggesting that nobody else’s lives mattered. Rather, what they were suggesting was there is a specific problem that is happening in African American communities that is not happening in other communities. And that is a legitimate issue that we’ve got to address."

Since it was Obama that made those objectively fair statements, half the country immediately thinks they're wrong. Had it been Ben Carson, a different half would. And therein lies the seemingly intractable problem.

Too many of us can't think for ourselves. We want to be told what to believe, because the world is a complicated motherfucking place, and we want certainty. And anything that dents our sense of certainty is obviously, objectively, wrong.

I've had more than one pointed argument with good friends over the past few years - decent, honest, smart people - about President Obama. Any time I offer facts about the things that have been accomplished during this administration, I'm met with invective about 'hating America' or some such nonsense. Facts don't matter. Feelings do.

And that's a terrible fucking way to run a country.

Presidential candidate Jim Webb's son James took to the editorial page of the Washington Post several weeks ago to defend a comment his father made in a debate. The essential Jim Fallows published a back and forth between people deriding the younger Webb and those supporting him. That exchange is interesting, but the most salient point to me was made by a 20-something self-professed liberal, who said,

"We love America, but not the gay on the other side of the aisle. We love America, but not the guy in my own party who wants to compromise and win more voters than merely the core base at which we throw red meat political rhetoric. We love America, but not the liberal intellectual elites. We love America, but not the rural rednecks who think homosexuality and abortion are sins."

This implicates all of us. I'm no more exempt from that disdain for the other than those people who say Obama hates America. And for the life of me, I don't know how we change it.

38 comments:

Marls said...

Nice post Robert.

There are a lot of things in play that have brought us to this spot of an America in transition. This has happened before but never in an era of social media and instant information access. I still think most people are reasonable at heart but current environment of blogs, tweets, and a media who present every issue as point/counterpoint (no matter how ridiculous the counterpoint is) gives legitimacy to all kinds of myopic viewpoints.

Priz said...

well said

Clarence said...

Nicely penned, buddy, as always.

There's a reserved seat on the bus to Hell for you if you dress your kid like that. You can try to offend the gay community with hateful words, but a red and orange ensemble? That is going too far.

TR said...

The biggest surprise of that letter you posted is that it came from a senior citizen yet did not have any "Fwd: FW: FW: FW: Fwd: RE: FWD:..." clutter at the top.

rob said...

well, it was a facebook post, but sure

zman said...

Politics has slowly morphed into sports. People seem to blindly root for their favorite team/party regardless of what they do or how they perform.

rob said...

man, that's fucking perfect

Clarence said...

Even if it's Danny Snyder in control. Ugh.

Geoff said...

If you set aside the jingoism/racism, there's really two problems here: Distrust and a need to realign the two parties. People don't trust politicians or the media any more. They feel like everyone is lying to them ad they also feel like everyone else is somehow getting a better deal than they are, while I'm here getting screwed like some schmuck. So they're scared, and that fear manifests itself as anger.

And then there's the need to realign. Everyone who supports Ted Cruz and Elizabeth Warren--you all are now a party because you practically believe all the same things. Everyone else, you're on the other team.

Also--this tweet is so fucking perfect:

John Whitehouse
‏@existentialfish
donald trump vs ben carson perfectly shows the nuanced differences between a youtube comments section and a chain email to your grandfather

rob said...

that's a pretty big set aside, though

Geoff said...

Agreed. It really says something that as a lifelong republican, there were 7 people on the last GOP debate stage that I would not vote for under any circumstances.

Geoff said...

Actually, make that 6.

zman said...

I wish I was here getting screwed like a schmuck or otherwise. I'm just making crackers.

zman said...

I also find it remarkable that guys like Lindsey Graham and George Pataki aren't getting any traction. They have real, relevant experience.

zman said...

Let me guess: Trump, Carson, Fiorina, Cruz, Huckabee ... Paul? There were only 10 people on stage, and I assume Bush, Rubio, and Christie would get your vote. That leaves Paul (who might be insane) and Kasich (who might be stupid). I say stupid > insane, so Kasich gets your nod.

Geoff said...

Yeah, Lindsay Graham is steeped in foreign policy experience and Pataki was a two term gov of one of our largest states, but it does say something that their respective admiration societies in their home states could all meet comfortably inside of a phone booth with room to spare.

Geoff said...

Zman--nailed it, first try. I'd be a little reluctant voting for Kasich or Bush, for different reasons. I'm ready to get behind Rubio because he has bar far best chance to win, but would love it if Christie took off. Just hard to see it happening. It will come down to Trump, Cruz and Rubio...

T.J. said...

Ah yes, The Pataki Memorial Phone Booth, one of Albany's most popular landmarks.

zman said...

Wasn't Pataki three terms? I feel like he was governor forever. If he could win that many elections then someone in NY must like him.

Cruz is really really creepy. The way he talks, the way he moves, and of course the shit he says, I just can't believe people look at him and say "That's the guy I want leading the free world."

Rubio could get it done despite the fact that he has ears like a jackrabbit.

Geoff said...

Cruz is by far the most nefarious, cynical candidate. I'm pretty confident that Trump and Carson actually believe all the bat-shit crazy things they say. Cruz will privately admit that its all a show, and he knows he's selling snake-oil (a colleague was recently present at a private big donor event at which he made such an admission). He tells you with a straight-face that if Mitch McConnell and John Boehner would have just fought harder, we would've repealed Obamacare, and people accept it as gospel. And he knows he's lying. He's an awful, awful human being. The worst person in all of politics. If he pulled off the mask and he was Satan himself, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. We are all dumber for having been exposed to him. I award him no points, and my God have mercy on our souls.

TR said...

I missed quite a flurry of activity in my hour of nautilus!

I find it troubling that people need the beacon of a political party to let them know the group-think they should manifest. Go be a pro-life liberal. Or a conservative who thinks taxing the rich is not an awful idea. As a brilliant man once said, wear what you dig.

I would vote for Hilary over Ben Carson. But as an NJ resident, my vote wouldn't matter b/c the state leans so far left...even when Gov Christie's not standing near the Delaware River!

Thanks. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to ip your waitresses.

rob said...

foo fighters made good on playing a concert for those italians that got together to play 'learn to fly'. dave grohl's the best.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/05/arts/foo-fighters-recruited-by-viral-video-play-unplanned-concert-in-italy.html?_r=0

mr kq said...

And that's exactly why I'm an uninformed independent TR. But I can tell you random trivia shit like who was the last QB to win the Heisman prior to Testicle Verdy in 86. Pint of Sculpin for name and year. No Googles.

Clarence said...

Plunkett?

Clarence said...

I just looked. I'm wrong

TR said...

Steve Spurrier?

rob said...

the trick in the question is that is really isn't that many years prior to 1986.

mr kq said...

Negative Ghost Rider. Or Rob.

rob said...

1984 isn't close to 1986?

zman said...

Flutie?

Clarence said...

Z wins

rob said...

mr kq is trying to figure out how his pat sullivan trivia answer just blew up in his face.

zman said...

Once Rob said 1984 it was clear. Hail Flutie.

mr kq said...

Agreed, it should have read prior to Doug Flute in 84. My fault. Although I've been drinking with Marls at HH. So there's that.

Danimal said...

You are looking LIVE from Chile's Fort Lauderdale Airport!
Quite the productive day here at GTB. Congratulations. And nice post Robbie.

Despite the evidence that suggests otherwise, I am still certain that Trump falls. And Carly rises in his place (not as certain on that one). And Carson falls too.

On Cruz - the first time I ever saw him on screen which was a Youtube vid, I thought it was either a joke or a movie trailer of some sort promo'ing a movie about a Jim Jones type fella who fits Geoff's description pretty well. And then I found out he was a real person. And then thought, "it's okay....he'll fade into oblivion." I hope I fare better on my other predictions.

I heard an entertaining Trump/golf biz story - there have been many over the years - a couple of weeks ago first hand from a couple of guys that were "dealing" with him. His douchery is unmatched. There is no one on this green earth remotely close to having his ego...More on that in a sec....

Danimal said...

or in another post - gotta skedaddle. missing you guys.

Danimal said...

a movie trailer promo'ing a movie...go figure. smell ya later. ferreal this time.

rob said...

you gotta go find the chris stapleton/justin timberlake video from the cma's last night. incredible. the audience of professional entertainers is blown completely away, just shaking their heads in awe.