Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Country First
Whenever we do an editorial chastising America for not living up to its potential, there are complaints. Complaints that I blame America first. Which is silly - I'm not "blaming" America in any particular order. I'm simply of the belief that nothing gets better until you see the problem for what it really is. Republicans have become the party of red, white and blue rose colored glasses. By drowning out criticism with USA! USA!, they prevent this country from healing itself where it needs healing, and that is the opposite of Country First. For those who disapproved of Friday's editorial about Europe and America, here are two others of similar ilk to choke on :)
Friday, October 10, 2008
Religulous
Hey all, if you haven't seen "Religulous" yet, would you do me a favor and go this weekend? I swear not for me, I am honestly not interested in ever making a movie again - I'm like Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon, "I'm too old for this shit." But this one I would like to do well so America gets it that there's a lot of people who at least would like this to be a subject we can talk about and debate. And, its a hoot! I've gotten so many e mails and texts from people who say "I just saw your movie, and at the end everyone applauded. " Something must be going on here, how many times do you see that in movies these days?
Thank you!
Thank you!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Republicans, stop calling Obama elitist
Because the real reason you don't like him is that he's smarter than you.
Sept. 5, 2008 New Rule: Republicans need to stop saying Barack Obama is an elitist, or looks down on rural people, and just admit you don't like him because of something he can't help, something that's a result of the way he was born. Admit it, you're not voting for him because he's smarter than you.
In her acceptance speech, Gov. Sarah Palin accused Obama of using his run for the White House as a "journey of personal discovery" -- this from the lady who just spent 10 minutes of her speech introducing her family -- Track, Trig, Bristol, Piper -- for a minute there I thought she was calling in an airstrike.
Karl Rove described Obama as "the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini, and making snide comments about everyone who passes by." Unlike George Bush, who's the guy at the country club who makes snide comments, and then passes out. Now this characterization, of course, was something Mr. Rove just completely pulled out of his bulbous, gelatinous ass, but remember this is America, a land where people believe anything they hear. One of McCain's ads casts Obama as "the one," implying he thinks he's the Messiah. Good, maybe he can raise McCain from the dead.
It doesn't matter to Karl Rove that his country club characterization is fictitious, it's the role that Obama must play if the party of plutocrats is going to win over the little guy. Over and over at this convention we heard about the new put-upon victim in our society, the person in America, like Sarah Palin, who's constantly mocked because they're from a ... small town! Governor Yup Yup's got 'em all riled up about being disrespected.
Barack Obama can't help it if he's a magna cum laude Harvard grad and you're a Wal-Mart shopper who resurfaces driveways with your brother-in-law. Americans are so narcissistic that our candidates have to be just like us. That's why George Bush is president. And that's where the McCain camp gets its campaign strategy: Paint Obama as cocky and arrogant and wait for America to vote him off, like the black guy in every reality show. A black president? Half of Pennsylvania isn't ready for black quarterbacks. Forget Obama, they think Will Smith needs to be taken down a peg.
And finally: As for "country first," you know who's putting country first? I am, by supporting Obama, because a victory this fall for the McCain-Mooseburger ticket would make my job in the next four years very, very easy.
Sept. 5, 2008 New Rule: Republicans need to stop saying Barack Obama is an elitist, or looks down on rural people, and just admit you don't like him because of something he can't help, something that's a result of the way he was born. Admit it, you're not voting for him because he's smarter than you.
In her acceptance speech, Gov. Sarah Palin accused Obama of using his run for the White House as a "journey of personal discovery" -- this from the lady who just spent 10 minutes of her speech introducing her family -- Track, Trig, Bristol, Piper -- for a minute there I thought she was calling in an airstrike.
Karl Rove described Obama as "the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini, and making snide comments about everyone who passes by." Unlike George Bush, who's the guy at the country club who makes snide comments, and then passes out. Now this characterization, of course, was something Mr. Rove just completely pulled out of his bulbous, gelatinous ass, but remember this is America, a land where people believe anything they hear. One of McCain's ads casts Obama as "the one," implying he thinks he's the Messiah. Good, maybe he can raise McCain from the dead.
It doesn't matter to Karl Rove that his country club characterization is fictitious, it's the role that Obama must play if the party of plutocrats is going to win over the little guy. Over and over at this convention we heard about the new put-upon victim in our society, the person in America, like Sarah Palin, who's constantly mocked because they're from a ... small town! Governor Yup Yup's got 'em all riled up about being disrespected.
Barack Obama can't help it if he's a magna cum laude Harvard grad and you're a Wal-Mart shopper who resurfaces driveways with your brother-in-law. Americans are so narcissistic that our candidates have to be just like us. That's why George Bush is president. And that's where the McCain camp gets its campaign strategy: Paint Obama as cocky and arrogant and wait for America to vote him off, like the black guy in every reality show. A black president? Half of Pennsylvania isn't ready for black quarterbacks. Forget Obama, they think Will Smith needs to be taken down a peg.
And finally: As for "country first," you know who's putting country first? I am, by supporting Obama, because a victory this fall for the McCain-Mooseburger ticket would make my job in the next four years very, very easy.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Defeating Evil
On Friday night's Real Time, Craig Ferguson was not following an analogy I made, and he's an exceptionally bright guy, so maybe it was me and here's agood place to expatiate, unless that's what makes you go blind.
I was trying to make a point about something that's been bugging me lately,which is the way the Afgan war has become the good, smart war that nobody questions - sure, the Republicans were stupid to go into Iraq, THEIR war, but Obama's idea to add troops and have a surge in Afghanistan, that nobody questions. Can't we at least have a debate about this? I know in America wehave to have SOME war going, you can't say you're against war, that makes you a wimp. But on the campaign trail, Obama used to say he didn't want tojust end the Iraq war, he wanted to change the mindset that got us into such a war - that's the kind of thing that made me really like him.
But at the convention, it was "Obama wants to send two more brigades to Afghanistan! Hurrah!" Yes, Afghanistan is where Al Queada really is, but we're not going to beable to kill all of them, and new ones are being born every minute,especially every time we bomb civilians. And bin Laden is in Pakistan, and we're not going to invade Pakistan to get him, so what's the plan? And theanalogy I was making was with gangs in America. In the analogy, they're the terrorists. Of course the gangs in L.A. would like to rampage through Malibu, just as Al Quadea would like to knock down more of our buildings,but Malibu takes measures to ensure they wouldn't be successful if they tried it. No one feels the need to send the Malibu police into South Centraland arrest or kill every gang member; that would be impossible. As is the idea that we can kill or capture every "terrorist." And it is possible tobring gang members into society, and terrorists, too.
But this is a country where millions cheered when Rick Warren asked McCain what to do about evil, and he said "Defeat it."
You could wipe out evil by the end of your first term, Senator, or would it take two?
I was trying to make a point about something that's been bugging me lately,which is the way the Afgan war has become the good, smart war that nobody questions - sure, the Republicans were stupid to go into Iraq, THEIR war, but Obama's idea to add troops and have a surge in Afghanistan, that nobody questions. Can't we at least have a debate about this? I know in America wehave to have SOME war going, you can't say you're against war, that makes you a wimp. But on the campaign trail, Obama used to say he didn't want tojust end the Iraq war, he wanted to change the mindset that got us into such a war - that's the kind of thing that made me really like him.
But at the convention, it was "Obama wants to send two more brigades to Afghanistan! Hurrah!" Yes, Afghanistan is where Al Queada really is, but we're not going to beable to kill all of them, and new ones are being born every minute,especially every time we bomb civilians. And bin Laden is in Pakistan, and we're not going to invade Pakistan to get him, so what's the plan? And theanalogy I was making was with gangs in America. In the analogy, they're the terrorists. Of course the gangs in L.A. would like to rampage through Malibu, just as Al Quadea would like to knock down more of our buildings,but Malibu takes measures to ensure they wouldn't be successful if they tried it. No one feels the need to send the Malibu police into South Centraland arrest or kill every gang member; that would be impossible. As is the idea that we can kill or capture every "terrorist." And it is possible tobring gang members into society, and terrorists, too.
But this is a country where millions cheered when Rick Warren asked McCain what to do about evil, and he said "Defeat it."
You could wipe out evil by the end of your first term, Senator, or would it take two?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
DNC
Monday of this week I spent in Denver for the opening day of the Democratic convention, and it was both exhilarating and depressing. It brought to my mind all the ambivalence I’ve had about the Democratic Party my whole adult life. My parents were staunch, true-blue, Kennedy loving Democrats, and I love that about them. I loved walking among the crowd and knowing, wow, all these people, and all day long I’m not going to run into anyone who disagrees with me on the basics. Maybe it’s even deeper than that, its tribal. I could never bring myself to call myself a Democrat (I’m an Independent) because their party is so tepid in either their belief or in the follow through on so many issues that should be Democratic, I feel no one really is expressing what my platform would be if I was king. Democratic politicians don’t talk about shrinking the military budget, ending corporate welfare, ending the drug war, etc.
But as a tribe, I know when I’m with my own. Their hearts are just more in the right place according to how I was raised. And I wish the party and the country were the more decent party and country they were in my parent’s heyday, and I could fully embrace my tribes as they did. But things are different.
In one of my favorite movies, “In the Line of Fire” Clint Eastwood as the Secret Service agent who 30 years earlier had failed to protect JFK and is now slipping protecting the current president, is at one point confronted about the day in Dallas when his and Kennedy’s lives intertwined forever – and he says “I was different! He was different! The whole country was different…” and then something really cool I can’t quite remember, but somebody should look it up.
But as a tribe, I know when I’m with my own. Their hearts are just more in the right place according to how I was raised. And I wish the party and the country were the more decent party and country they were in my parent’s heyday, and I could fully embrace my tribes as they did. But things are different.
In one of my favorite movies, “In the Line of Fire” Clint Eastwood as the Secret Service agent who 30 years earlier had failed to protect JFK and is now slipping protecting the current president, is at one point confronted about the day in Dallas when his and Kennedy’s lives intertwined forever – and he says “I was different! He was different! The whole country was different…” and then something really cool I can’t quite remember, but somebody should look it up.
Olympics
I guess I should be nicer about the Olympics, but they just strike me as countries spending so much money and time and human sacrifice for bragging rights to what? We beat you in gym class. Right, so that means we’re a better country. Here’s how we approached the last go round in 2004.
George Carlin
George Carlin was an inspiration to me when I was a kid thinking about becoming a comedian, and he remained one till the day he died. He had incredible timing, but not in death – he was about to receive the Mark Twain award at the Kennedy Center Honors, and still will, and I’m honored to be one of the comedians inducting him. Here’s something from the last time I saw him.
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