Thursday, February 23, 2006

The Ends Against The Middle

The other day I was sitting with a group of young people in Los Angeles at a rally for a 'progressive' cause. A certain anti-war celebrity was there. I'm not going to use his name because it would only be self serving. But the rally itself was the interesting part. A self proclaimed "Guerilla advertising" campaign. The Left baffles me even as much as the Right does. They have a talent, nay even a penchant for acting like 9 year old boys. They sat watching a 40+ year old man in chuck taylors and a zip up hoodie talk about the right way to lie to the police to not only keep yourself out of jail but also "the cause". All this to hang some posters on a wall or two, when we know that in this country you can't be persecuted by the government for your ideas. Not unless you choose to express your ideas with paint and glue on someone else's property. A group of young passionate activists sitting around talking about a postering campaign as if it were a subversive anti government cell. The Weather Underground, bombing a research lab late one night. But there's no bomb, no conscription to fight. Tonight they meet in the shadows of the $100 a seat Hollywood opening to speak of clandestine advertising campaigns for a political play that may, yes it might, try oh try it will tonight, change the mind of one or two people on a war that freed 26 million Iraqi's from a vicious and evil dictator. Maybe our reasons for going into this was are unfair and unevenly applied. Perhaps they are economically motivated. But we sit in basements and cry wolf as loud as we can about a democratically elected 'tyrant' who engaged us in a war where less people have died per capita than would here in the states from disease and accidents. Inflationary crying isn't the answer. Blind adherence to the administration isn't the answer either. Most importantly neither is anyone's utopian idea of 100 percent agreement in anything. But what's fair to suggest is that far more people are trying to do what they believe is best for individuals and the nation than any one side would have you believe. Far less people are trying to rape and pillage the whole world than either party would have you believe. And no one should find them-selves overreacting to some pseudo-catastrophe and not pause to remember a few critical facts.

Some 50,000 Americans died at the Battle of Gettysburg in only three days. 54,000 in WWI and some 291,000 in WWII. The Korean war lost 33,000 and the Vietnam war 47,000. So if you think that America has reached its low... If you think that it's never been worse... If you think for a second that a visceral hatred of another group of American's is the answer; my thought for you is: GROW UP. These are not the subjects for adolescent attention seeking tactics. Not the subjects for instant judgement with no historical research. Stop acting like a 9 year old having a tantrum. Figure out a way to seek the agreement of the majority, the people, America. Or you will die, to an equally baffling yet similarly American opposition. Find a candidate, find an idea. No one follows "the opposition" party blindly to the death; not when Johnny comes marching home again, and you can still buy a late' a day for 4 dollars.

No comments: