We come to this time of year and usually think of traditional things we are thankful. We can be thankful for our health, thankful for a job in this economy, and thankful for having family and friends in our life. I will be traveling for the holiday, so this will be my last entry until we get back at the end of the week on Sunday. I thought I would share a list of things I am thankful for in politics and allow everyone else to do the same.
A return of deliberations in politics
I must say I have not agreed with everything Barack Obama has done. I would like to see all of the prisoners out of Guantanemo, I'd like to see a stronger public option in health care, and I'd like to see our troops out of Afghanistan and Iraq. Naturally, he does not have complete or even most of the say over all of these issues, but he has influence over all of them and sometimes he hasn't exerted enough influence.
However, every step of the way you could tell that he had thought a lot about his decision. It's funny to watch the birthers and teabaggers foam at the mouth when he spends time making a decision. Suddenly, he's dithering. They are so used to the "shoot first and ask questions later" method of governing that they can't get away from it. They want their president to make quick and impulsive decisions even if it costs the nation.
Birthers and Teabaggers
Yes, it may seem weird to be thankful for these folks, but they do provide us with months of material we wouldn't have had otherwise. Plus, it's not as if they are hindering the process anyway. The Republicans in Congress haven't voted for anything anyway, so it isn't as if they are unduly influencing them. If anything, the birthers and teabaggers (often one in the same) are doing their part to make sure there are fewer Republicans to deal with. That's never a bad thing.
Included in this group is the whole collection of talking heads we see on Fox News and in the general public. Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity, and Sarah Palin are unadulterated liars, but they are entertaining doing it. They splice video and photos from past events into the present. They make up facts and they go along and say things that make you scratch your head. Look at it this way, they are keeping folks like Media Matters employed because of the huge need for fact checkers and researchers. If everyone told the truth all the time there would be no need for fact checkers.
May you live in interesting times
Apparently, there is Chinese proverb/curse that says, "may you live in interesting times." Of course, that can be a blessing or a curse. We have two wars, a monumental fight on health care reform, and the first African American president in history. We have quite literally seen the best and worst in people come out over the past year. It's something we can all look back on and marvel at in five to ten years. Some of us in the younger crowd don't know what it was like to grow up in the 1960s. The same will be true of the 2000s.
Something I remember from studying the 1960s and 1970s is that ordinary citizens felt like they had an effect on the events that unfolded. We are having that same effect. Yes, the birthers and teabaggers are also out their in the trenches. It will be interesting to see how it all transpires. I suppose we can all hope the next year is just as interesting and eventful as this year has been. Until then, I say thanks.
Thank you for reminding me Des. I would also like to thank eljefebob for allowing me the space to utter my babblings about five times a week. I also want to thank those that regularly comment on my babblings. Those that do always offer very thoughtful responses. Reading the blogs and responses on this site give me hope for a better tomorrow.
I want to thank Eljefe for starting this site and giving us a place to get away from the craziness at that place which shall not be mentioned.
And I want to thank all who read and comment daily, those who were here from the start and those who have come on board since. We’re just getting started and I look for the rest of 2009 and 2010 to hold great things in store for The Daily Hurricane. I may be prejudiced, but I think we have a group of bloggers who are just as good as, if not better than, anybody else out there. It’s just a matter of time before that word gets around.