A little sincerity is a dangerous thing, and a great deal of it is absolutely fatal. -Oscar Wilde

Sunday, February 7, 2010

out and about in Squirrel Hill and a tea party hangover

I would call this brilliant timing.

it's all about marketing

And here is the street where I park Jeepzilla.

Marlborough

And poor Jeepzilla looks pretty much settled in for a long winter's nap. Not moving anytime soon.

jeepzilla

So we're about as snowed in as you can get around these parts with this once-in-15-years storm. Good times, as I really needed to get to the library this weekend and... not happening. No vehicle, no/ extremely limited public transportation, and, right, libraries all closed. So here I am, indulging in something that I know isn't good for me: Sunday morning news programs. And of course, they're giving a disproportionate share of attention to the tea party types.

I picked on the left last time, so it's time for the right. Why do conservatives prefer to listen to idiots like Sarah Palin? I hate the rampant anti-intellectualism she represents. She wanted to create foreign policy without a basic grasp of geography, to remold the Supreme Court without the ability to name a single court decision when asked (didn't we ALL learn about Brown v. Board of Education, Miranda v. Arizona, hell, Roe v. Wade?). Her hypocritical faux-folksy shtick pits straw man "professors" against "real Americans," as if intelligence and education precludes one from being a real American-- and are unfit to have any input into policymaking. Glad to know that I'm not a real American. But studying at an elite institution, possessing advanced degrees doesn't magically exempt anyone from paying mortgages, arranging childcare, or buying groceries and gasoline. Either that or they forgot to show me the free grocery secret handshake at graduation.

On top of the ridiculous presupposition that intelligent Americans aren't real Americans, where does this leave intelligent, articulate, educated conservatives? Take George Will, for example. Is he not a real American, or do his political leanings allow him to be grandfathered into the club? Why can't conservatives embrace this kind of figurehead instead?

I see the Republicans falling into the same trap that the Democrats did about 6 years ago-- attacking, but not offering tangible, reasonable alternatives. I'm still waiting to see a reasonable Republican health plan rather than abstract suggestions like "allow people to buy insurance across state lines." Minor adjustments to the health insurance market are not going to fix a fundamentally flawed delivery and payment system. Anyway, I'll be truly shocked if any kind of health care reform is passed. I wonder where that's going to leave us in about 15-20 years, when the boomers are in long term care and swelling Medicaid and Medicare.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yeah! I can't stand the fact that conservatism seems to be taking a turn toward anti intellectual. I like Sarah Palin, but only inasmuch as so many ultra-libs hate her. I think that I fall under the "Mad as Heck" Party that so many people are getting into. I may not agree with all the Tea Partiers, but I definitely share their frustration and disallusionment.

I'd really like to see what you'd come up with for a proposal. While the insurance across state lines seems like a good idea, it doesn't seem like a sustainable solution. I'd also like to see insurance decoupled from employment. Maybe I can call my folks dependants and add them to my insurance? I just don't see a good fix, but I am guessing that you have something in your pocket that I could agree with.

-Klari