House of Eratosthenes

This catchphrase is flying thickly and swiftly through the air lately, which is understandable and one is tempted to associate it with sensible moderation, wisdom and maybe trace amounts of the courage to speak out. But, something funny: It’s 45 days before the election. That doesn’t gel. It’s like getting sick of a Rocky movie right before the final bout.

I’ve lost faith in the honesty behind this complaint. I keep thinking — this is not the making of a decision every day, or even every week; it is the exchange of ideas in advance of making the decision only once. So you say you’re sick of politics; well, you aren’t sick of making the decision, what you’re sick of is weighing the pros and cons. That and maybe having your teevee schedule interrupted. Being reminded that something is happening, that life is not static. That, some time ago, you did indeed emerge from your mother’s womb and life involves a bit more than bobbing around in a sac of warm amniotic fluid.

I think these are liberals talking. They’re putting on a good show of trying their very best to make up their minds between the two candidates, being concerned centrist/moderate types; but, I think these are people who voted Obama/Biden in ’08 and they’re gonna vote that way in ’12. They’re “sick of politics” because they’ve gotten wind of the realization that their decisions stink on ice, and there’s no way they can polish the turd.

Apathetic liberals And I’m lacking the hard data I can use to prove it, but I have the distinct impression that these are people who have gotten “sick of politics” before. And, in the months since then, have been anything but sick-of-politics; have gotten a real charge out of boring the ever luvin’ snot out of the friends, family and co-workers about how terrible it is that Ann Romney’s blouse cost so much money. These are people who have invested their emotions, their excitement, their energy adrenaline and ego in an argument which they now realize they cannot win. They are “sick of politics” because they have a renewed awareness, now, that they have painted themselves into a corner. They are wishing the election was today because every one of the 45 days ahead makes it less likely that their guy can win. And they don’t want that. They want Romney to lose…they want it all over…but most of all, they wish to stop being reminded that they have what is needed to make mistakes. They fastened their whole outlook to the Obama presidency and it’s turned sour, which is a constant reminder that they are fallible.

I made this observation on Facebook, an experience which shocked me in terms of the number of likes that came flying in, and how swiftly. Seems I’m not the only one who’s been noticing.

A lot of these people are not Judeo-Christian, which makes them very proud of course. But, maybe there’s a connection between their secularism and their extreme discomfort with staring down their own imperfections, eyeball-to-eyeball. The parable about The Fall of Adam is an important part of this religion, perhaps the most defining part; it says that mankind is flawed. It is a corruption of blood, we are all descended from him and so we are all tainted. There’s something healthy about that: “Yes, you’re broken, now are ya over it yet?” And so our task becomes one not of seeking perfection, but rather of seeking continual improvement.

One might say that’s a relaxation of the goal, and a higher goal is always better. It’s a case of the perfect becoming the enemy of the good. Whatever else might be said about it, the pious sinner who strives for this continual improvement, knows exactly what to do with his own sin: Get a do-over, if the situation permits it, and in any case resolve to do better from that point forward. In other words — learn. The mere mortal who aspires toward perfection, on the other hand, doesn’t have the first clue. All he can do is deny, deny and deny some more, and then when denial is no longer possible his whole world is up-ended.

Others, from what I’m noticing, are sports fans. I myself am not one and oh, I find that to be so rich…words cannot describe. Do these people have any idea how tedious their favorite time of the year is, for those who are not into it? I cannot even begin to fathom these people. I really can’t. I mean, what…you only want to pay attention to things that have absolutely no impact on you whatsoever, directly or indirectly? Unless you make a bet with somebody? While the politicians decide where the rest of your money goes.

Or — what else? The teevee thing? Can’t wait for it to go back to American Idol, Amazing Race and feminine hygiene product commercials?

Fine. Tune out, drop out, go get stoned somewhere. But…why do people who don’t pay attention, so eager to browbeat everybody else into not paying attention?

Yep, let’s take a break from politics. I need to reload.
Kinda’ like-
Return civility to speach
Let’s have an ADULT “conversation”
A bi-partisan commison investigation
Let’s um…negotiate, bring a current copy of YOUR portfolio assets/liabilities.

Yep, the de facto liberal party can’t do anything, because of the financial mess they were left to “work” with.
What is the status of that financial mess slated to be if “left behind” on Jan 1, 2012?
How about the projections of the mess “left behind” on Jan 1, 2014, or 2016?
It’s for the children, like Julia.
- CaptDMO | 09/22/2012 @ 08:24
Poop,
“…left behind on Jan 1, 2013…”, AND 2015, 2017, etc.
Math is HARD.
- CaptDMO | 09/22/2012 @ 08:28
It ain’t just the Lefties. I’m semi-sick o’ politics, too… or perhaps it’s a case of bein’ sick o’ the same old shit, different day. The Never-Ending Campaign has a lot to do with the disaffection with politics… we’ve been at this for well over a year now, longer if you’re the sort who really pays attention. The lead up to the primaries, the primaries themselves, the dozen or so GOP debates, the conventions, and now the inanity of the Gotcha! Of The Day… you have to be semi-masochistic to actually ENJOY this shit.

I prefer the British way of elections: the Prime Minister goes to the Queen, requests permission to dissolve Parliament and call elections, receives the ceremonial “proceed,” followed by 30 days of campaigning, the election, the installation of a new government and/or Prime Minister, and it’s ALL over and done with… in no more than 30 days. This is NOT to say I (a) want our government replaced by a parliamentary system or (b) I want to go live in the UK coz I like their system better. I’m just sayin’, and don’t EVEN do the (b) thang.
- bpenni | 09/22/2012 @ 09:28
I don’t think anybody ENJOYS this shit, and you’re certainly not alone in saying you’re ready for it to submerge for another…whatever. And conservatives, by their very nature, are not political junkies. When we participate in the process, we do so out of necessity because the other side is already participating, so we have to counterbalance, make our voices heard, in order for our efforts outside of politics to have the effect we desire out of them there…and we do so out of protest. The political class has proven over and over again that it cannot simply be left alone and trusted to do what is right. The inflation boondoggle alone proves that left to their own devices, they’ll just spend and spend some more, causing an enormous bubble followed by a collapse, making our savings worthless. Then one party will blame the other party and the other party will blame back again. Meanwhile this work-outsidea-politics has been made worthless.

Putting it shorter, quoting Pericles: “Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.”

I guess where I’m coming from is: If your desire to pay attention has been scrubbed so clean, that not even vestigial traces of “I gots ta watch the train wreck ’cause you can’t look away from a train wreck” remain…then at that point, you’ve lost the action/consequence connection. That’s just as bad as joining the other side. Heck, it’s the same thing. That’s how they get to be the way they are, by believing that everything that happens in life just sorta…happens. Nothing causes anything except when it’s time to blame something on George Bush.
- mkfreeberg | 09/22/2012 @ 09:50
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On Needing to Take a Break From PoliticsSaturday, September 22nd, 2012

On Needing to Take a Break From Politics
Saturday, September 22nd, 2012