Politics as Sport

Saddam had weapons of mass destruction when Bill Clinton occupied the Oval Office (and he apparently occupied a tad more than just the office).
Saddam never had weapons of mass destruction when George Bush occupies the Oval Office.

John Kerry voted for the $87 billion, before he voted against it.

Ted Kennedy preaches morality from the floor of the US Senate.
Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.

The Bush administration not only promotes torture, they revel in it.
Extraordinary Rendition, the program of carting off uncooperative prisoners to third world countries was initiated under the Clinton administration.

Saddam was a threat to the stability of the Middle East (talk about your oxymoronic phrases).
Saddam kept the trains running on time.

John Kerry ran for the Presidency in 2004 loudly claiming the inexcusably high unemployment rate was proof that Bush was incompetent as the President.
Unemployment rates were higher when Bill Clinton ran for re-election in 1996 on a platform that included low unemployment rates.

If it sounds like I'm picking on democrats, its because I am. I'll pick on the republicans later, there's plenty of material there too.

What can we learn from the above statements? Well, obviously, it's that politicians lie. But that's a forgone conclusion. Look deeper, what's there? It's that facts mean nothing. Proof means nothing. Evidence means nothing. Nothing means anything, when it comes to politicians. That's because, at its core, at its basest level, politics in America isn't about issues. It ain't about truth. It isn't even about what's best for America and humanity. (And let me state for the record, I believe America's existence and growth benefits all of humanity. Not always, but comparing the state of western society to the third world, hell, even the first world - France leaps to mind - there can be no doubt that the wealth America generates benefits all people, through the inventions and medical and scientific breakthroughs that would not be possible without America's wealth.) Politics is all about the fight.

My editor (that's right, I have an editor - do you?) once compared the state of partisan politics in modern America to that of the Yankees and the Red Sox. It's really irrelevant which ball team you root for, you choose one for what ever reason, and they are the team, and every one else sucks. Why? Well, it's sports, and that's how sports work. Pick a team, watch the game, yell, cheer, boo, get drunk, and in general, have a great time. But that's sports, it's not politics.

Politics is all about the fight. It's deceptively cloaked in the appearance that the politicians and parties we support, are up-right citizens of good standing who care only for the well being of the poor and downtrodden (or if they are your enemy, only care about the rich and well off). But how can anyone with even a semblance of a brain cell (I grew up in the 1970's, I know there are a few out there with nothing left) buy into this kind of misinformation?

How could a reasonable, rational, adult believe that Saddam didn't have WMDs, when the Reagan/Bush administrations either gave them to him, sold them to him, or at the very least, looked the other way while Saddam got them on his own, now believe, that since a Republican is in the White House, that it never happened? How does one so easily loose touch with reality? Think about that. When Saddam was using WMDs on his fellow Iraqis, they existed and it was the Republican's fault. Now that a Republican President pointed that out, they never existed. How can that be reconciled?

Easy, the fight. We're good, you're bad. We rule, you drool. We're awesome, you suck.

Looking back, I believe the flippant remark from my editor was spot on right. Politics is nothing more than one team cheering for their own people, while the other team cheers for their own. You know where that takes you? It gives you elected leaders who are no better than Terrell Owens. Ask the residents of Brooklyn what they think of the Los Angles (Trolley) Dodgers. Ask the footballs fans in Los Angles what they think of the St. Louis Rams. Are there really any Cardinals in Phoenix besides on the playing field?

It gives you the type of politicians that we currently refer to as leaders. Wake up and smell the coffee people. Pay attention.