Problem for the Democrats

Editor's note: I could never get this one to flow. I have some ideas here, but I also have some very contradictory feeling on the subject. I think it comes here in my inability to "get it right."

Okay, this is a little like last decade’s news, I think 10 books about this have been written about this already. I’ve rediscovered the central problem with the Democrats. Let me set it up. I’m at work, working my ass off. This is generally unusual for me, but that’s the way it’s been lately. The TV is on, my subordinate, Snackwell, is surfing the Internet, watching the news, avoiding the tasks I’ve delegated to him, and generally pissing me off. I hope he isn’t reading!

In the news, Snackwell finds two articles of note. In the first, a student refuses to follow a teacher’s instructions, then a policeman’s instructions. The policeman grabs the 6 foot 1 inch, 275 pound student, the student punches the policeman. The policeman tasers the student. The end. Snackwell was indignant. He seemed to think the policeman didn’t have any right to touch the student. What? I think we should have tasered him (the student or Snackwell, whichever) twice.

Okay, next up, our hero was outraged by the Exxon Mobile’s record profits (39.5 BILLION). Fair enough, I’m outraged as well, but for different reasons. Smart business strategy would be to keep oil and gas prices even. Large swings in price remind us all of great risks over consumption of oil bring, and record profits almost beg changes in national policy. However, Snackwell was just pissed off about price gouging. This is valid complaint insofar as the market is not really very efficient (economics speak for properly self-adjusting). I could go on and on here, so let me get to the point.

I asked our newest political activist point blank, “Are you conservative Republican or a liberal Democrat?” I’m pretty well known to be quasi-liberal in my workplace, but he quickly distanced himself from any Democratic affiliation. What? Let me be clear, the oil companies are making record profits because Republican’s think it good for America. This is the Republican way! Crime and punishment are the Republican way! Can you be a Republican and be upset about students being tasered and record profits at Exxon?

So fellow Americans, this is problem. Our real-life example and member of the electorate is a Republican. He was offended at the idea of being a liberal. To further examine his demographics, he is a junior NCO, married with two kids. I doubt he owns stock. Yet, somehow this is the classic voter for the Republican Party. The last 6 years just might have been the best ever for the top 10% income earners in the history of our country. I am not exaggerating. Tax breaks for the super wealthy and obvious increases in income inequality. As our economy has recovered from the DotCom bubble, the economy has not raised all boat equally. The rich have benefited enormously from Bush Administration tax cuts and other policy decision, but what benefit have the so-called social conservatives received?

This was what all those books I mentioned in the first paragraph are all about. The Democrats would be very likely to enact laws and policies that would directly aid our real-life voter. Thanks to incredible message management, this voter quite literally goes directly against his own economic well-being to “vote Republican.” Our voter in this example would be likely to benefit from the Democrats welfare programs, union support, and belief in fair trade (not free trade).

In the end, it is precisely this voter and the millions just like him that make the elections close. We’re almost better off to have him. After all, about 70% of us would decide the remaining 30% of the rich folks could just cover all our heart’s desires. This would likely cause serious economic problems and more invasive, big government. We already a have enough government. On the other hand, Democrats need this guy’s vote. I happy to have competing ideas, but I need the right side to win!

24/7 News Cycle

I have been telling you our 24 hour news cycle is completely out of control. This week has to be a turning point. John Stewart did a great job covering the astronaut story on the Daily Show tonight. Their headline was, “Accomplished women in Tragic Local Story”. As I’ve said, this is NOT news. Stewart and his writers totally get it. There is important news going on in the world. Can we somehow tune the 24/7 news cycle out? Can we turn it off?

As usual, I’m guilty of watching that which I deplore. When I checked my email this afternoon, I saw the headlines about Anna Nicole Smith. I immediately told S4 (spouse of four), and we proceeded to watch the coverage for an hour.

Watching the buffoons drool all over this story would be funny were the story not tragic. Those of you who know her, enjoy S4’s scathing wit. It was in full effect today. First, S4 met Rita Cosby, reporter from MSNBC. Rita has a strange voice for news TV personality. In short she sounds like a man. S4 asks, “Why is she on my TV?” Is this the best they could do? Is there a shortage? Look, I’m sure she is a nice Man-lady, but how did she get that job?

Then S4 hears someone compare Anna Nicole Smith to … wait for it… Princess Diana! It was difficult to hear what happened next on the TV as we were both busy yelling at the TV. S4 says, “This is why Al Qaeda wants us all to die.” Al Qaeda thinks we worship Paris/Britney/Anna Nicole. In reality, the overwhelming majority of Americans believe in exactly the same God as the Muslims (you could say we have different rules). But Al Qaeda is sitting in front satellite TV, smoking Hookah pipe, probably using Opium, treating women like absolute dirt, and condemning the moral depravity of their enemies in the West. Our coronation of Anna Nicole is their proof.

Look, the media, celebrities and politicians, they are the face of America our enemies see. We put them there. This is the free market, we understand this. Our opponents do not. Al Qaeda sees pictures of Britney Spears cooch and the late Anna Nicole’s tits pushed up around her throat, and they conclude we are all morally bankrupt. Then they see US servicemen killing Muslims. Every time we have an episode like this in our country, we lose. I guess what I’m saying, Al Qaeda hates us not for what we are, but what for they think we are. This is the real war. It is a war of perception, and we are losing. The media shares the blame.

Travel Log

Hey gang! I recently completed a drive from San Antonio and Montgomery, Alabama. I kept it simple and stayed on the I-10 all the way to Mobile, Alabama. I followed I-65 straight into Montgomery. 860 miles. Let’s start with a product review. I bought a MP3 converter a few months ago; this wonderful little toy plugs right into my 1 Gigabyte MP3 player and transmits an FM signal. I then tune the radio to the signal, and have access to hours of music I want to listen to. I listened to NPR most of the day.

I generally enjoy driving; however, the first day was the rain the whole day. I stopped in Biloxi, because I couldn’t take one more mile of driving in the damn rain. Before I can move on to the good stuff, I have to mention Houston and Baton Rouge. I know many of you reading this (HA!) probably haven’t been down this I-10 corridor. Let me describe it. It is very crowded with big semi-trucks and goofy southerners. The southerners don’t seem to understand that, generally, the left lane is for passing. When not passing move to right, please. This sounds cliché to complain about, but seriously, Southerners have a problem with this. I-10 takes you through some interesting places and a couple truly great views. I-10 is almost completely lined with trees the whole way. Some people really love this, but I find it can be a bit monotonous (kind of like Nebraska, but without the trains), and it seriously inhibits your view.

Then there is Houston. I think it might be the 4th or 5th most populous city in our country. You never want to go there. I say this based completely on my experiences driving through it on I-10. Apparently, it has been under construction since the beginning of the Interstate Highway system. This makes me wonder about city management, I mean do people in the city of Houston care that driving through their city is stressful, time-wasting miserable experience. Seriously, does Houston care about their image? Based on five trips through the town on I-10, I never want to go there again.

Before we get to the next insult, we come to Louisiana and 18-mile long bridge over the swamp. Before the bridge, there are some farms next to the highway, but they aren’t quite like the field of sorghum or corn in Minnesota. The “farms” are shallow ponds for raising crawfish! I stopped at the Crawfish House in Breaux Bridge. It was some of the best Jambalaya I’ve had (no, I didn’t have crawfish). Anyway, the 18-mile bridge crosses the Atchafalaya Swamp. It’s miles of cypress/mangrove swamp. It just looks like an adventure waiting to happen. This is not where the Ivory Billed Woodpecker was allegedly found, but you can certainly imagine they could be in a place like that swamp. It is really something to see, 18 miles straight on a bridge over the Atchafalaya.

Next on our trip is Baton Rouge; I’ve heard on the radio that Baton Rouge has grown by more 75,000 people since Hurricane Katrina. Story reported that the infrastructure is ill-equipped for this huge influx of people. I hit Baton Rouge at rush hour; I can attest to accuracy of this story. The roads are clogged full of people. So again, Baton Rouge falls into the same category as Houston. A pain in the ass to drive and over crowded; not good, but at least Baton Rouge isn’t to blame. What is Houston’s excuse?

Anyway, I stopped for the night in Biloxi at a motel right across from the Beau Rivage. When I first arrived, long after dark, Biloxi appeared much as it did last time I was there. The Imperial Palace (my home for 4 months of training at Keesler) was standing strong, open for business. The Beau was beautifully landscaped, and it looked like it always did. It didn’t even look new; it just looked normal. It was full of people with more money than brains as always. A quick drive down Highway 90 and I knew something was different. There were no businesses besides casino’s to eat at. Morning brought the full truth to my eyes. The front two blocks facing the Gulf of Mexico have been wiped away. It is amazing and tragic to see with your own eyes. Biloxi was probably my favorite town in the Deep South, now it is a shell of its former self. I saw many signs declaring, “We will rebuild!” Why, so another hurricane can destroy it? Very sad.

Next on the trip is the bridge over the Pascagoula River. Again, my friends up north have probably never seen something quite like this. You drive over a long bridge over a huge salt marsh. This salt marsh/river delta is the brackish no-man’s land between the gulf and the river. I’m not sure what kind of fish or birds you could find in there, but it looks like it would fun to explore. It is awesome to see that much wild land unfold right in front of you. At one point the bridge pops up high to give you and excellent view of the whole delta, but I’ve been driving every single time I’ve been over it. There isn’t a way to stop and enjoy it. If you look at a state map of Mississippi, there is a lot park land and wild land all around southern Mississippi. To bad it is all in Mississippi. (long note: the Internet mapping tools do not show river names, there is a curiously large blank spot on the map where the river is though. There are little country road up to the river delta, then they just disappear, like someone just erased that part of the map.)

Our last interesting stop along the way is over another huge bridge over the confluence of the Mobile and Alabama rivers just north of Mobile, Alabama. There is a very impressive span over the main channel of the Mobile River (I think); except for one factory, the view is southern long-leaf pine trees as far as the eye can see in every direction except south. A quick look at the map reveals more civilization and development than meets the eye, but there is still a lot of wild land there too.

So aside from Houston, Baton Rouge, and retarded southern drivers, a drive through the Deep South is an engaging, interesting affair. A couple of additional observations, we’ve spent a seriously large amount of money on interstate highways through the south. Compare this stretch of I-10 to I-90 through South Dakota and Wyoming; I think we’ve probably spent more money on the bridge over the swamp in Louisiana, than on all of I-90 through Wyoming and South Dakota.

Another point, although I recognize that some habitats, especially more specialized habitats covering small areas, are very endangered, there is a whole bunch of wild places all over our country. I see it every time I hit the road. Yes, it is fragmented, and yes, monoculture agri-business and urban sprawl are gobbling up wild places at a terrifying pace. But I’m happy to report we still have a lot of wild spaces!