I’ve been wanting to use this classic post (I Hate Your Politics) for years, but never really had the opportunity. Well… I do now. And what I’m writing here isn’t directed at any individual politician – it’s directed at us. I’m highlighting the section on liberals, but you should really read the whole thing, because he nails conservatives and libertarians perfectly.
So, let’s take a look, shall we…
Liberals: The stupidest and weakest members of the political triumvirate, they allowed conservatives to turn their name into a slur against them, exposing them as the political equivalent of the kid who lets the school bully pummel him with his own fists (Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself. Stop hitting yourself). Liberals champion the poor and the weak but do it in such condescendingly bureaucratic ways that the po’ illedumacated Cleti would rather eat their own shotguns than associate with the likes of them. Famously humorless and dour, probably because for a really good liberal, everything is political, and you just can’t joke about things like that.
Defensive and peevish even when they’re right. Under the impression that people in politics should play fair, which is probably why they get screwed as often as they do (nb: 2000 Presidential election). Feel guilty about the freedoms their political positions allow them, which is frankly idiotic. Liberals are politically able to have all sorts of freaky mammal sex but typically don’t; good liberal foreplay is a permission slip and three layers of impermeable barriers. The only vaguely liberal person we know of who seemed to enjoy sex in the last 30 years is Clinton, and look what he got out of it.
Fractious and have no sense of loyalty; will publicly tear out the intestines of those closest to them at the most politically inopportune times. The attention spans of poultry; easily distracted from large, useful goals by pointless minutiae. Not only can’t see the forest for the trees, can’t see the trees for the pine needles. Deserve every bad thing that happens to them because they just can’t get their act together. Too bad those they presume to stand for get royally screwed as well
Sound familiar? And, yes, I wince when I read this, but he has a point. Actually, he has several points. Liberals/Progressives don’t lose because of their ideas. We lose because we throw in the towel at the first loss. We start out strong, but can’t go the distance. It’s not that we don’t have the will… we don’t have the stamina. And we take every political defeat personally. Which is naive and foolish and exactly the formula for getting nothing done. It also is a great way to absolve ourselves of any responsibility. Health Care takes a massive hit? Well, let’s not keep fighting. Let’s just turn our backs on everything we’ve been fighting for, opine that all politicians are the same (Really? Really?) and walk away with our fantasy of next time. Talk about a vicious cycle.
Actually, it’s a losing cycle, but we do excel at the purity purge. Maybe Conservatives have taken a page out of our playbook?
I also know we don’t behave this way in our personal life. I know that if our kid doesn’t get a good grade in math we don’t say “Forget about math, just walk away, it’s all rigged. You failed, so it’s over” We tell them to keep trying. We also don’t demand that our loved ones agree with us 100% of the time.
So this defeatist attitude when it comes to Health Care is really p*ssing me off. Seriously, that’s it? You’re done? Obama and the Democrats suck, and what’s the point? Not exactly the type of person I’d want next to me in a foxhole.
I want Health Care Reform today as much as I wanted it a year ago. I plan to fight for what I want, and keep on fighting. I am signing onto the long haul and accept that there will be setbacks. What I refuse to do is go down the familiar path of all or nothing. Been there, done that. It hasn’t gotten us anywhere. In the nineties we lost the health care battle and walked away. We can’t afford to do that again. So instead of looking at this latest battle as a defeat, I’ll be looking for what I can take from it and build on. And it isn’t as if insurance companies are going to get their act together and things are going to be honky-dory from now on.
There are many battles ahead. The question is: do we have the stamina to fight them? Or, is it just easier to wash our hands of all of it and remain pure-ly ineffective?