Things That Grow Wearisome Over Time
I've been following the news headlines today, and a trend caught my eye. This morning, the first headlines on Israel's Prime Minister said, "Sharon Breathing On His Own." By mid-morning the headlines said, "Sharon Breathing On His Own And Moving Hand." The latest headlines, mid-afternoon in the Eastern Time Zone (UTC -5) say, "Sharon Breathing, Moving Hand, Leg."
Are they gonna tell us when he pees? Okay, I know he's an important world leader and this is yet another critical time in the Middle East, but can we have a little perspective here? Oh, I forgot that the media are not about perspective.
The Alito hearings in the Senate, which only started three or so hours ago, are already wearisome in their own right. Some Christians are afraid that if he's not confirmed it will be the end of all worthwhile values in America. Some Liberals seem afraid that if he is confirmed it will be the end of personal freedoms as we know them.
Don't you ever want to grab a microphone-wielding reporter with a television camera and say, "Everbody take a breath already!" Like it or not, Alito is going to be confirmed. Senate Democrats have not yet decided that they won't filibuster his nomination (though they haven't publicly announced that yet) because it's a no-win situation for them. And contrary to popular wishes, no Supreme Court Justice, or even all nine together, will radically change America. America is a huge ship with a lot of momentum. It will take a lot of force applied over a goodly period of time to turn the ship of state in any direction very much. Do you realize that for over 175 years of the republic's life the Senate held no confirmation hearings on anyone the President proposed for any office? (Well, maybe a few, but those were politically dead choices anyway.) They voted them up or down or filibustered them as the situation played out in each case. Now we make a Cecil B. DeMille production out of the hearings for the Undersecretary of Toadyism for Tourism as if that position held the key to the continuation of life as we know it.
What's happening in reality is that the lobbying groups, both on the Left and on the Right, use these confirmation shams, er, hearings to raise money for themselves and their projects. They succeed, not by winning anything but simply by playing the game. And the game is getting donations into the coffers and war chests.
It's all corrupt. And what's the worst is that the leaders of these various and nefarious organizations so cynically use the energies of the true believers in the cause to line their own pockets. Everybody take a breath and watch Desperate Housewives.
Are they gonna tell us when he pees? Okay, I know he's an important world leader and this is yet another critical time in the Middle East, but can we have a little perspective here? Oh, I forgot that the media are not about perspective.
The Alito hearings in the Senate, which only started three or so hours ago, are already wearisome in their own right. Some Christians are afraid that if he's not confirmed it will be the end of all worthwhile values in America. Some Liberals seem afraid that if he is confirmed it will be the end of personal freedoms as we know them.
Don't you ever want to grab a microphone-wielding reporter with a television camera and say, "Everbody take a breath already!" Like it or not, Alito is going to be confirmed. Senate Democrats have not yet decided that they won't filibuster his nomination (though they haven't publicly announced that yet) because it's a no-win situation for them. And contrary to popular wishes, no Supreme Court Justice, or even all nine together, will radically change America. America is a huge ship with a lot of momentum. It will take a lot of force applied over a goodly period of time to turn the ship of state in any direction very much. Do you realize that for over 175 years of the republic's life the Senate held no confirmation hearings on anyone the President proposed for any office? (Well, maybe a few, but those were politically dead choices anyway.) They voted them up or down or filibustered them as the situation played out in each case. Now we make a Cecil B. DeMille production out of the hearings for the Undersecretary of Toadyism for Tourism as if that position held the key to the continuation of life as we know it.
What's happening in reality is that the lobbying groups, both on the Left and on the Right, use these confirmation shams, er, hearings to raise money for themselves and their projects. They succeed, not by winning anything but simply by playing the game. And the game is getting donations into the coffers and war chests.
It's all corrupt. And what's the worst is that the leaders of these various and nefarious organizations so cynically use the energies of the true believers in the cause to line their own pockets. Everybody take a breath and watch Desperate Housewives.
posted by Tom | 3:11 PM
1 Comments:
I miss Desperate Housewives!
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