You there — I don’t know what to call you, because if I call you anything, you’ll change the conversation to how unfair it all is and how put upon you all are by the people who really should be standing by your side, arm in arm, your inferior but ever loyal allies who just haven’t been beaten enough to understand how loyal they must be to you, to keep things from getting, well, you know, really rotten and stuff.
But, uh, you, President Obama, you, Barney Frank, even you, Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. You, on the blogs, for whom life is all about being in a big tent except for all those snarkers demoralizing you, you know, and elections, and stuff.
Yeah, you there. You know who you are. Because it’s so unfair, and life is putting upon you, and you’re just, you know, working for the good of all us ungrateful bastards, left and right, I won’t unduly burden your delicate psyche’s by calling you a name. But, you know who you are.
I might call you lily livered centrists, I might call you appeasers, or I might, as I said to my dad, being one of you all, in a burst, tonight, you who stand for standing still. And that’s the most accurate thing of all. You, who think that it works to play both ends against the middle, to say, well, yeah, you might not get your civil rights for a hundred years, but, you know, maybe you agree with me and still want to breath clean air, right, and that’s why you should be united with me, but, you know, with me leading, and you following, despite the fact that I don’t lead much of anywhere, except to nice laws and continuing decay?
And, really, when I burst out to my dad, “You who are ok with standing still,” it was the most accurate thing of all. It was unfair, he said.
You. You who call people unrealistic, say they’re dirty fucking hippies, want a pony, and are ungrateful. It’s time for a little backtalk.
You. You’re lazy. Arrogant. And shooting right wing fish in a barrel. But, when it comes to debating the left, it’s all so unfair. We just want a pony. And, why are you being criticized? It’s not like you’re not trying your best, after all — well, being lazy and shooting Christine O’Donnel over and over again, as if she’s not already dead — but, really trying your best, right?
Most of all, you just don’t listen, and that, I think, is your greatest weakness. You listen, of course, to what you want to listen to — I mean, your world is a political world, so of course, you listen to the Rand Pauls of the world. Or you’ll listen to Christine O’Donnell. Not to really listen, and think about causes, or the idea of perhaps WHY the far right is so nasty and so crazy and to do some analysis — but just to see a weakness. Because, you are all one big tent, right?
Even I, I am in your big tent, to be lectured to, whined at, told I’m whining and betraying. Because, that’s what you’re used to. Listening, not for hearing, but for sensing political weakness. And I’m in your big tent — EVEN IF I DON’T WANT TO BE. Even if I consider myself different and not part of your tribe. Because all that exists is you, the sensible middle, and the wackadoodle far right. It is your world. No colors, no rainbow, and for heaven’s sake, no shades of gray. So, it’s not like you’re kicking me out of the big tent — don’t have that delusion. You wouldn’t have it any other way!
So, if I don’t talk about how I want to get rid of the minimum wage, and if I don’t talk about how I want children to work, or to dismantle Social Security — you just can’t process. You can’t process ME. I don’t exist in your world. I am just a disgruntled member of your tribe. To be laughed at, and at election time, browbeaten.
So, attacking Republicans, but not just any Republicans, crazy insane world Republicans. But never the left — because that would be very hard, and the left — it just doesn’t exist, except when it’s convenient to exist! But not when it comes time to talk to them. Attacking Republicans. It’s what you’re good at. Laziness. Shooting right wing monkey craziness in a barrel, that wouldn’t even be there, or discussed, but that it’s so good for you — not to mention the Republicans and the corporate media — them, too, but you, also.
So anyway, politically, pretty much, my dad is one of you. It’s not like he’s rich, but, you know, he is set. He has his medical care, he has his Social Security, his Medicare, and, you know, for him, life is pretty much steady state. He’s not gonna be eating canape’s, but, he can wake up tomorrow not really worrying if he’ll be out on the street — know what I mean?
“So,” my dad said tonight, as I picked him up for bowling, “Obama’s really been making great speeches lately! He’s going to unite the Democratic base and he’s, he’s gonna…”
“Uh, I wouldn’t know, Dad, I don’t care and haven’t been listening”.
“Hmph.”
(Conversation end).
