Scorched Earth Politics
Being remote, I rely nearly entirely on the web for news, commentary, and a vibe for what's going on in the world (well, and the International Herald Tribune) ... but mostly the web. Because I absolutely despise getting newsprint on my hands. (Really true.) It's worth it when there's a really good crossword, but otherwise... the web works just fine.
But here's the obvious - to anyone who's ever BEEN on the web - caution: there's so much OUT there that it can become instant information overload. So I have to pick and choose a few reliable sources to filter for me, rather than spending hours upon hours reading random crap.
My faves are a diverse left-right-generally irritated with both mix of folks, and they tend to focus on int'l & political affairs (can't quite shake that IR degree, tho I've never put it to any real use!): Thomas Friedman, The New Republic, Virginia Postrel, The Weekly Standard, Glenn Reynolds, Oxblog, and of course, for gossip, humor and general irreverence: The Onion, Drudge, Jon Stewart, Wonkette. Rounding out the list for the Right, though, with what is typically a common-sensical calling out of government specifically, and the US in general, is the brilliant-though-conservative writer Peggy Noonan. One of the great speechwriters of all time, her writing is always lyrical (though her inability to see the failings of Pres. Bush on similar issues is (ahem) a tiny bit of a blindspot. Or maybe she's just smart enough to not bite the hand that feeds her.)Her latest column - Conceit of Government: Why are our politicians so full of themselves? -- takes some well deserved shots at the darlings-of-the-day on both sides, Frist and Obama, and bemoans the high-mindedness of government officials in general. If I can see anything clearly from this distance, it is that Washington truly does live in its own little self-important bubble, and the epidemic sweeping the town is this individual aggrandizement coupled with the apparently requisite lack of introspection and self-awareness. As Peggy asks very clearly, 'What's wrong with them?'
The founding fathers did not anticipate what would happen to their smartly-conceived checks-and-balances system when it was inflated to a seam-popping point with the influence of so much special interest money. With current government being such a mess - on BOTH sides - I tend to subscribe to the scorched earth philosophy. Let's throw 'em all out and start from scratch. Who's with me?
But here's the obvious - to anyone who's ever BEEN on the web - caution: there's so much OUT there that it can become instant information overload. So I have to pick and choose a few reliable sources to filter for me, rather than spending hours upon hours reading random crap.
My faves are a diverse left-right-generally irritated with both mix of folks, and they tend to focus on int'l & political affairs (can't quite shake that IR degree, tho I've never put it to any real use!): Thomas Friedman, The New Republic, Virginia Postrel, The Weekly Standard, Glenn Reynolds, Oxblog, and of course, for gossip, humor and general irreverence: The Onion, Drudge, Jon Stewart, Wonkette. Rounding out the list for the Right, though, with what is typically a common-sensical calling out of government specifically, and the US in general, is the brilliant-though-conservative writer Peggy Noonan. One of the great speechwriters of all time, her writing is always lyrical (though her inability to see the failings of Pres. Bush on similar issues is (ahem) a tiny bit of a blindspot. Or maybe she's just smart enough to not bite the hand that feeds her.)Her latest column - Conceit of Government: Why are our politicians so full of themselves? -- takes some well deserved shots at the darlings-of-the-day on both sides, Frist and Obama, and bemoans the high-mindedness of government officials in general. If I can see anything clearly from this distance, it is that Washington truly does live in its own little self-important bubble, and the epidemic sweeping the town is this individual aggrandizement coupled with the apparently requisite lack of introspection and self-awareness. As Peggy asks very clearly, 'What's wrong with them?'
The founding fathers did not anticipate what would happen to their smartly-conceived checks-and-balances system when it was inflated to a seam-popping point with the influence of so much special interest money. With current government being such a mess - on BOTH sides - I tend to subscribe to the scorched earth philosophy. Let's throw 'em all out and start from scratch. Who's with me?
posted by Viaggiatore | 7/03/2005
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home