I'm gonna see if I can stop doing this for a while, try ignorance on for size. This stuff is just getting too depressing, and depression is something of which I have plenty already.
For one thing, I'm finding it more difficult to decide what I think about President Obama. I've said from the beginning that he's anything but a far-left liberal, and that's most certainly true. In fact, other than his shocking desire to allow gay people to have civil rights equal to the rest of us, and to find a way for those who can't afford health care to be able to do so, finally, you'd think teabaggers would absolutely love the guy. He's more of a capitalist than Henry Ford. And the latest, regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership, ought to delight corporatists like a golden parachute, assuming the coverage is accurate. I have no problem with our president being a pragmatist, but I'd like a thorough explanation of reasons, rather than what has appeared to be unnecessary secrecy.
Nor does his retention of Bush-era spying speak of the "Alinskyite" (whatever that is) that the right wing likes to call him. So, regarding President Obama, there's an insane amount of hatred for him, and an unprecedented and concerted effort to block everything he does, no matter how reasonable, every person he nominates, no matter how qualified; and yet he keeps doing things that liberals find abhorrent. I still like him; still think he's doing what he sees as best for the country, takes his job seriously, and that he's not at all ideological. All those, to me, are good things, at least in theory. But who knows, anymore?
Meanwhile, the crazy on the right is so deep and wide, their attempts to turn us into a mindless theocracy so profound, their disregard for all people non-white, non-male, non-christian, non-heterosexual, non-wealthy so undisguised, their appeal to the basest among us so successful, that it's a source of constant sadness, frustration, and pessimism. Not to mention their steadfast, selfish, short-sighted and destructive refusal to address the most important and future-threatening issues facing us. Climate change, health care, income inequality, education, paying for infrastructure and research. In that regard, I'll always be a proud liberal. There's simply no question of which party is willing to face such things, effectively or otherwise, but realistically.
I'm fairly sure I'll not be able to turn off my curiosity, nor my compulsive reading on all things political. But I'd like to see if I can stay away from this blog long enough to decide if it's a good thing or bad, for me, personally. It'd be a start. And maybe I can stop thinking about all this stuff altogether, and concentrate on upcoming grandfatherhood, or exercise, or something fun. Maybe, if I were to succeed in being totally ignorant, I could join the ranks of the majority of my fellow Americans and just be outraged without really knowing why, but secure in the knowledge that outrage means I'm better than all those "other" people.
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