I've been on the "really right" before...about when I was at ya'all's age.
Then I got involved in policy.
And I have to say that the letter of the law...and the spirit...are two DRAMATICALLY different things in America.
One relies on the rule of law, that is to say--ENFORCEMENT--to have any effect.
The other relies on the social contract.
And when you try to GAUGE the impact of letter versus spirit, it makes for fuzzy policy--but there it is. Congress is more concerned with the ends than the means, as legislators, and they are NOT beholden to the American public except at election time--polls prove it...so it should not surprise you that policy follows. TARP was passed at over 300 to 1 against, according to the polls. But then, who pays Congress? The Tea Partiers swept in based on those votes...and yet...where are they when it comes to stopping the budget insanity? They've already been co-opted. Hell, the ONLY glimmer of hope coming out of Washington lately is that Glass-Steagall may be re-enacted and hold banks accountable.
A Democrat sponsored that bill, btw, with only 2 republicans adding their names to the 10 Dems that did. Why that bill is not being debated and winning BROAD bipartisan support is because of bank lobbyists. See above.
The "Patriot Act" is no different than TARP, as a matter of policy. It's bad.
But until you have enough idle hands or hungry people willing to ACT because of those bad policies, you're just preaching to the choir.
The lazy, feckless, slightly disgruntled but unwilling to do anything about it--choir.
Go back to your American Idol and Monday Night Football. There's nothing to see in DC.
Turn the lights off on your way out, America.
J
Tue May 31, 2011 6:16 pm
