A friend emailed me to ask if I had been watching the Democratic Party convention in Denver -- he thought it was high comedy!! I replied that I had decided to pass because I didn't desire to make myself sick, both with too much laughter and too much time screaming in horror at the telly.
I've read a little bit about it online and, folks, that's enough for me!
Political party conventions are such a bore and wholly theatrical. Everything is staged in such a way to deliver a message. This is particularly true of the Democratic Party version!!
Every four years they trot out party luminaries to bang on the podium about so-called liberal issues they really don't care that much about. They whip their faithful into an almost religious frenzy, then spend the rest of the campaign backtracking on almost every glorious promise.
I suppose they feel it must go this way for two reasons. First, they must galvanize their rank-and-file members. They must convince them -- almost beyond rational belief -- that the party honchos really, truly care about those issues that matter most to the lower and middle classes.
Once duped into believing these calculated lies, the faithful run around rabidly badgering their friends and colleagues with the phrase, "We must support the Democrats this year." If you try to point out to them that the chosen candidate is espousing policies and platform planks that contradict the reason for this euphoria, they're so poisoned by the kool-aid, you soon realize their cerebral matter has already turned to mush.
It's like trying to argue with your dog.
Of course, there's another reason for this grand theater -- To tick off the conservatives! As I've written in this space before, the corporate party needs to uphold this masquerade that there are two distinct entities (i.e., political parties) battling for the American soul. So, to undergird this facade, the Dems go out of their way every four years to inflame rank-and-file conservatives.
Mind you, most federal legislation passed with Democratic Party majorities over the last 2 - 3 decades doesn't look altogether different than the ones passed by their GOP counterparts. But that's not the point! No, the point is that conservatives remember the fire-and-brimstone speeches made at the national convention every four years and that's what they'll spend their time blathering about.
So, to ensure that the rank-and-file embrace the concept of adversarial parties, the Dems go out of their way to lace their speeches with references to universal health care, raising the minimum wage, foreign policy based on human rights and other topics sure to anger the "opposition".
I have no interest at all in watching this "dog and pony" show. It actually makes mindless reality programming almost palatable.
I've read a little bit about it online and, folks, that's enough for me!
Political party conventions are such a bore and wholly theatrical. Everything is staged in such a way to deliver a message. This is particularly true of the Democratic Party version!!
Every four years they trot out party luminaries to bang on the podium about so-called liberal issues they really don't care that much about. They whip their faithful into an almost religious frenzy, then spend the rest of the campaign backtracking on almost every glorious promise.
I suppose they feel it must go this way for two reasons. First, they must galvanize their rank-and-file members. They must convince them -- almost beyond rational belief -- that the party honchos really, truly care about those issues that matter most to the lower and middle classes.
Once duped into believing these calculated lies, the faithful run around rabidly badgering their friends and colleagues with the phrase, "We must support the Democrats this year." If you try to point out to them that the chosen candidate is espousing policies and platform planks that contradict the reason for this euphoria, they're so poisoned by the kool-aid, you soon realize their cerebral matter has already turned to mush.
It's like trying to argue with your dog.
Of course, there's another reason for this grand theater -- To tick off the conservatives! As I've written in this space before, the corporate party needs to uphold this masquerade that there are two distinct entities (i.e., political parties) battling for the American soul. So, to undergird this facade, the Dems go out of their way every four years to inflame rank-and-file conservatives.
Mind you, most federal legislation passed with Democratic Party majorities over the last 2 - 3 decades doesn't look altogether different than the ones passed by their GOP counterparts. But that's not the point! No, the point is that conservatives remember the fire-and-brimstone speeches made at the national convention every four years and that's what they'll spend their time blathering about.
So, to ensure that the rank-and-file embrace the concept of adversarial parties, the Dems go out of their way to lace their speeches with references to universal health care, raising the minimum wage, foreign policy based on human rights and other topics sure to anger the "opposition".
I have no interest at all in watching this "dog and pony" show. It actually makes mindless reality programming almost palatable.
Hmmmm, and what breed would Ralph look like?
ReplyDeleteThe five colors blind the eye.
ReplyDeleteThe five tones deafen the ear.
The five flavors dull the taste.
Racing and hunting madden the mind.
Precious things lead one astray.
Therefore the sage is guided by what he feels and not by what he sees.
He lets go of that and chooses this.
Robin,
ReplyDeleteMy guess would be a chihuahua.