broken windows
This article on a new Rudy Guliani-bashing (Guliani Time) documentary begs the question: How many of our our politicians are civilized?
It's a very good read, because it doesn't do the sort character assassination usually associated with politics, but is still, unusually personal. Here's an excerpt that has little to do with the rest of the article:
Now, to me, the word civilized has always conjured up a certain urbane coolness. Being civilized is a condition, not a destiny; it's no more endemic to a people than fanaticism or terrorism. As a state of self-imposed and self-policed grace on the part of the very lucky, it is both very artificial and very fragile. A total freedom from hysteria might be another way of putting it.
I have to agree with the author's definition of civilized, sipping coffee and typing on a laptop, nothing -absolutely nothing- could make me realize just how fragile my reality really is, yet, how fast could hysteria creep in? I don't want to guess, but I'm sure surprising me and making me act uncivilized wouldn't take a lot.
Now that I've beat that point to death, are politicans any better at handling hysteria? Let me re-phrase that, are politicians capable of merely not causing hysteria, given their positions in society? When they can't even seem to respect empirical facts, which is the main point of the article...
Combine broken windows , with straussian politics (A stretch, and repulsive in it's own right, but I'm sticking to it), and throw in some policy doo-doo (not my words, but I will gladly lift them) with occasional Orwellian naming, and not only do you start to understand why there are movies like Thank You for Smoking, and why satire can't compete with our obscene reality, but also explain the reason why I find conservative ideology genuinely repulsive. While liberalism may not be much better (fat chance), at least it isn't blatantly disregarding of reality, and well, repulsive.
Devang wasted time at 12:42 PM
2 Comments:
Rudy Guliani has been visiting Iowa. I couldn't imagine him getting a Republican nomination. He likes the word civilized.
George Bush has a heart attack and dies.
Obviously, he goes to Hell, where the Devil is waiting for him.
"I'm not sure what to do," says the Devil. "you're on my list,
but I have
no room for you. But since you definitely have to stay here, I am going to
have to let someone else go.
"I've got three folks here who weren't quite as bad as you. I'll let one
of them go, but you'll have to take their place. I'll even let you decide
who leaves." George thought that sounded pretty good, so he agreed.
The Devil opened the first room. In it was Richard Nixon and a large pool
of water. He kept diving in and climbing out, over and over.
Such was his fate in Hell.
"No!" George shouted. "I don't think so. I am not a good swimmer,
And I
don't think I could do that all day long".
The Devil led him to the next room. In it was Tony Blair with a sledge
hammer and a room full of rocks. All he did was swing the hammer, over and
over, time after time.
"No! I've got this problem with my shoulder, I would be in constant agony
if all I could do was breaks rocks all day", commented George.
The Devil opened the third door. In it, George saw Bill Clinton Lying on
the floor with his arms staked over his head, and his legs staked in a
spread-eagle pose.
Bent over him was Monica Lewinsky doing what she does best.
George Bush looked at this in disbelief for a while and finally said,
"Yeah, I can handle this."
The Devil smiled and said "Ok, Monica, you're free to go!"
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