Louis CK, the well-known comedian has recently developed a skit which is fast becoming viral, called “Of course....but maybe.” He uses some rather twisted examples, like peanuts. “Of course,” his schtick goes. “Peanut allergies are potentially lethal and we should make sure that children who are sensitive should be protected. Peanuts should be kept out of all public places, airplanes, schools etc. etc.”
“Of course we have to protect our children...but maybe if we didn’t do that, peanut allergies would be non-existent in a generation.”
A rather dark image, but like all good humor, with a kernel of truth.
In looking at the current political situation I have some similar thoughts.
“Of course our politicians are in congress to represent their constituents, to do what they believe is right and just. That’s what a democracy is after all, an imperfect way to bring different ideas together in smaller referendums. Naturally a congress of 435 representatives should be able to come to a consensus and compromise on issues.”
“But maybe....maybe each and every one of them is out for their own personal gain...more power...more prestige...more money. And even if they spout platitudes about wanting what’s right for the country, ultimately they really want what’s right for them.
I don’t deny the fact that part of them truly believes their doing right....”But maybe.”
Actually, I think, most politicians start out somewhere back in their past with an ideology, but it doesn’t take long before the game of politics overwhelms the philosophy and back room deals become more important than votes. Unfortunately, politics conforms to a variation on the ‘Peter’ principle (incompetency rises) that I will call for lack of a better term...the ‘Paul’ principle. Sneakiness, dishonesty and hubris rise to the top. That doesn’t mean that all the most influential politicians are necessarily the worst people....”but maybe.”
In the midst of this crisis, four American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan and due to the government shutdown, their death benefits weren’t payed. Outrageous! The media went nuts and congress voted unanimously (one of the few times, unless they’re voting to give themselves a raise or go into recess) to reinstate death benefits. “Of course” the media was reporting on just one of the most egregious wrongs among many personal tragedies caused by the government shut-down. “Of course” it was shameful and all they wanted to do was shed light on why the shut-down was so devastating.
”But maybe”.... they really didn’t care so much about the deaths of those young people as much as they did about the story and subsequent firestorm they could inflame. Their righteous indignation, interviewing loved ones just days after their sons and daughters and husbands and wives were killed couldn’t have anything to do with their desire to sway the debate and get congress off their collective asses, could it? “And maybe” ...they really just wanted to bump their ratings and get more air time.
President Obama has told congress and the American people that you can’t run government by holding the process hostage to a small minority of fanatics. You can’t turn around after negotiating through normal political channels and say “I don’t like the results.” You can’t just throw a temper tantrum when you don’t get your way and filibuster or threaten to blow up the whole system just because you, representing a measly small percentage of the entire country, don’t like something. Of course, I obviously agree. And “Of course” President Obama is thinking of the country and of the future, where this type of crisis could occur every six months and if it’s not affordable care, then next time it might be abortion and even...heaven forbid...in a future with a republican president it could even be gun control demanded by a democratic minority. Government should be elected not taken hostage and threatened with annihilation.
“But maybe”....president Obama is more interested in his legacy than in actually protecting the legislative process. And maybe, playing brinksmanship with the world economy at stake is more about getting his way because he’s just not a good enough politician (or bad from the ‘Paul’ principle perspective) to bring people together.
The republican party has been criticized by liberal media and democrats for many things in the past decade. We invaded Iraq for reasons that were manufactured, costing thousands of American deaths and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives and over 2 trillion dollars. The economy was in billion dollar surplus territory when Bush took over and was on the verge of calamitous collapse when he left. “Of course our leaders were patriotic men who truly believed that Sadam Hussein was evil, bad for his people and
needed to be “removed” to make the middle east a safer place.”
“But maybe...these men were part of the so-called “military industrial complex” with personal agendas of increased influence, power and money. After all Dick Cheney had been Chairman and CEO of Halliburtan, the parent company of KBR which was the number one recipient of over $138 billion dollars in taxpayer money given to private contractors in that war. And the other architects of war were subsequently promoted to even more powerful positions, (Paul Wolfowitz promoted to head of the world bank, Stephen Hadley promoted to national security advisor, Stephen Luti promoted to special assistant to the president etc. etc)
“And maybe they were just trying to distract the country from their failure in preventing 9/11.”
And now the republican tea party is demanding that if democrats want them to pass a budget and raise the debt ceiling they’re just going to have to dismantle a law the republicans don’t like. It doesn’t matter that a small minority is forcing an issue that is having devastating effects on people all over the country and soon potentially all over the globe. “Of course....it’s the principle of the matter. Affordable care is another entitlement and is shoving us down the road to socialism. And even if the American people can’t see that, these republicans can and they’ll save us, like it or not.”
They’re the new McCarthys...the new overseers of unamerican activities.
“And just maybe....they think that president Obama is slowly getting too many positive results in the economic recovery. Just maybe they’re not happy that wall street is booming, the housing market is recovering and people are going back to work. Just maybe they can’t stand that the first black president of our country, who they claimed was not an American and should go back to Kenya, is digging us out of a hole dug for us by the white royalty of American politics (success due in large part to the Paul principle.) Just maybe they want the economy to tank so that in one year they can point out how useless Obama was. Just maybe they are so Machiavellian that nothing else matters but their power.”
“of course....but maybe.”
