Me, well, I'm a bit of a skeptic. I understand that hope isn't action, and I'm not about to drop President Obama just because of...well, we'll get to that.
But his message of hope? Well, it's not over, but it's hurting. Then again, hope isn't a solution; it's a motivator. Here's an example:
You have a chance at winning the lottery!
Did you catch that? Hope! There's a chance! Never mind that the chance is pretty damn low, and that it almost certainly won't happen, there's a chance!
So, I understand the message- hope is by no means a guarantee, but it's easier to work from that vantage point than it is through one of cynicism. However, as we've been reminded repeatedly, change doesn't come easy. Especially not with the bad comedy we currently have in our Congress. It's a little circus sideshow known as the United States Senate.
A little recap, since having a memory that goes past the week prior is a goddamned superpower in this day and age: the 2000's were a bad, bad horror movie. We all know 9/11 was the worst attack ever. We know the two wars, because we're still fighting them.
What you may not remember, or even know about, was that the 2000's were an unholy era of greed, corporate malfeasance, and other general shenanigans that destroyed our middle class. You probably remember Enron, but I doubt most would remember the names Global Crossing, Adelphia, MCI/Worldcom, Tyco, and HP when thinking about the 00's. These are all companies where the bottom fell out due to anything from bad practices to flat-out incompetence to their CEOs just plain being moneywhores with a death fear of failure and a marked indifference towards the welfare of their workers.
I know. These companies are not intrinsically connected. I'm not even sure if they were on the Dow Jones together.
But speaking of the DJIA and not necessarily connected, we then had our lovely friends on Wall Street suddenly shit the bed when the housing market plummeted to its death. It did so because banks were lending to people that they really should've been honest with and just said "I'm afraid we are unable to extend a loan to you at this time." Instead of this approach, they decided to become a really shiny, mostly crime/gun free Moneytree and lend to people who they knew were risky.
The question, then is simple: Where the hell were the authorities? Why weren't laws written to stop any of this?
While there's plenty of blame to be laid out in individual agencies over this nonsense, let's get back to the Senate.
The 2000-2006 version of Congress was pretty much a failure factory, producing lots of legislation that was useless- that is, if it was a good day. On their bad days, and there were plenty, it was completely and utterly harmful. Stuff like: Let's have two wars and not figure out how to pay for them. Yep, they suspended PAYGO.
Amongst the other ideas, the Republican majority decided one day that we really didn't need the Glass-Steagall act anymore. Upon further review, I agree: We might need something a bit stronger. Unfortunately, the removed it, and, well, you figure out what happens when a dam is suddenly removed.
So here we are. Out of the 2000's, but in worse shape. We're recovering, sure, and I'm glad that we've gotten most of the TARP money back and that our President seems committed to recovering the rest.
But what is being done to prevent this from merely repeating? Glass-Steagall is still gone. Wall Street's just as volatile as ever.
One side of Congress is, I'm happy to say, doing what it's supposed to do with its majority. Health Care passed the house. So did Student Loan Reform. So did a lot of things, all very important. I'd wager they'll be ahead of the pack on repealing DADT, the dumbest policy the military's had since they decided to accept people who made the "point away from face" warning necessary on bazookas.
Strike that. It's dumber.
But the Senate has become an terror unto itself, a body of government constipated by a Republican party who doesn't feel like working and a Democratic party afraid of...what, exactly?
Well, that's a little too simple. Unfortunately, with the Republican party deciding that every year is now an election year, and their agenda is strictly "kill the Democratic Supermajority" (not literally, though sometimes I wonder), there's no way in hell they're going to do anything where there's a hint that a Democrat might get credit for it.
Example: Judd Gregg wants to start a Budget task force. Obama gets behind the bill to do so. Gregg suddenly doesn't want to start one, leading Obama to sign one in via Executive Order.
The Democrats aren't exactly prizes, either. First, we have my senator (not by choice, I moved here), Harry Reid. Also known as "the guy who doesn't do shit". A Senate Majority Leader who isn't exactly leading the Senate's majority. I can't believe this chumpstain used to be a boxer. He must've fought meatsack-like hobos with flabby arms, such that they could only throw 6 punches before they'd be winded. Even then, if it's anything like today, he would've just stood there and let them hit him.
Because today's Senate is not functional. Almost everything requires 60 votes thanks to a filibuster. I'd get further into it, but suffice to say, it's not unlike trying to ask the officer really nicely if he could just tear up those parking tickets and take the boot off of your tire.
So, since the Republicans are on "Mission: Win Election" and have been for years, and the Democrats have their own share of creeps who are willing to hold their government hostage over state money/their own blowback from lobbyists, it's nigh impossible to get 60 votes. They also just lost their 60th vote thanks to any number of things happening in Massachusetts.
My take on that election, btw: Maybe you should've stayed with the stonger health care package so that most of that's state's residents wouldn't lose quality of available health care if it passed.
If you want to know how bad the filibuster is, right now, it's been done the same amount of times as two decades of previous Congressional sessions. It's so bad that it's being used by Sen. Shelby of Alabama to hold up 70 nominees to the administration. The worst part? It's even holding up ones that aren't political, who, when they do come to a vote, pass nearly unanimously any-damn-way.
Yep, not only does it stop damn near anything from getting in through the Senate, it also cripples the White House.
We're not in a position where we can entertain these people and their lust for politics as a team sport. 45,000 people die every year thanks to our wonderful health care system, and I don't mean malpractice. I mean under-insurance and non-insurance. Yep, 9/11 was horrible, but thanks to the stalling out on Health Care reform, we'll be sure to remember it since we lose people at the same rate as that horrible day, and it won't even take a whole month to get there!
And if you think I'm being unfair, fine- let's dial it back. 61% of bankruptcies in America are caused by medical debt. So if it's not killing people, it's just bringing ruin to their finances and generally doing harm to our country's financial wellbeing.
Our health care system is flat out stupid in this day and age. The only way it can stay privatized and work sufficiently at this rate if we somehow pass the legislative equivalent of placing a gun to the back of the insurance companies' heads. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you how bad an idea it is to tie medical benefits to unemployment with the way the job market is now.
But again, filibuster.
Education? The Student Loan system has always been back-asswards, using banks as a middleman. Reform would change this. Both the government and the students would be helped out immensely if it passed, therefore sparing the student the trouble of worrying about the stock market and revenues dictating a banks ability to lend money it's getting from the government anyway.
Great idea- stalled in the Senate. Filibuster.
Energy? Filibuster, to the extent that EPA's had to muscle up and set ultimatums on what's going to happen based on the non-passing of a bill. All this while we're falling behind the rest of the world in alternative energy.
Now, I know. I love logic. And rationality. And reason. And just flat not being an impractical dork who clings to traditions. And actually wanting things to get better for this country. And demanding action over words.
So, since this is my blog, I'm going to advise the Obama administration (yes, for my edification, I'm pretending they can hear me).
Kill. The. Filibuster.
The only argument I've heard at all against this is that it might piss off the Republicans.
Really?
For one, they're already pissed off, just not at the right people- namely, the guy in the mirror. Oh, and the Democrats, because the Dems killed them in the last election.
They aren't going to work with you. Ever. Their mission is to unseat you and get back into power. Period. And what are they going to do that they aren't already trying to do?
And they seem to end up getting their way anyways when they get a majority. Guess what? At some point, elections matter- for both sides of the ballot. At some point, people are going to have to actually dig deep and learn how to listen and think critically about what's being said and done by their politicians or the country's gonna fail anyways.
Get things done. That alone is going to give you a much broader way to success than anything. Trust me, there'll be a flare-up for maybe a week about the filibuster being done away with and then...nothing. Senatorial procedure is somewhere on the average American's citizen's list of things they care about, probably below "do they still sell Big League Chew?"
Don't worry about having a vocal minority saying they don't want their kids paying for this stuff. Their kids are gonna have to pay for them sitting on their hands for every President except Clinton. If these people were actually fiscal conservatives, they would've crucified Reagan and would spend their days protesting both Bushes instead of making Obama=Hitler signs.
Instead, they lost their damn minds when a President got a blow job and they called for his head. And now, they're doing it to you because you're black, you're a Democrat, because they lost an election. Because in their mind, they still think you're coming for their guns and that you weren't born here, and that you're being fiscally irresponsible because there's little chance of a war with the way you're planning on spending money. These are people who actually believe anything that comes into their email inbox with the words "fwd" on it. I wonder how much money they've blown on eXtenze.
They don't get it, and if they did, they're useless in the fight against it. If you want to include them in the conversation, pass legislation that will benefit them in a pragmatic way. Leave the flag swinging to the people who don't understand complex problems.
Because if you can pass this stuff and somehow, in spite of the challenges, bring about change, you will look all that much better. And maybe we can actually pull this country, kicking and screaming into a position to actually compete with the rest of the world. The alternative? This fails, you fail, and we fall again after the Iran invasion ineveitably blows up in our face.
Surely that's more important than a bone-headed procedure that's been abused to death.
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