It's Easy to be Hard, but Hard to be Smart

I read an intersting article awhile ago that really put into words what I have been feeling about all this chest beating, and name-calling in politics today. It appeared in Time magazine in January of this year. I'm going to edit some of it, but I'll explain the rest:

"The Republican Party has been hijacked by religious fanatics that, in my opinion, aren't a whole lot different than Osama bin Laden and a lot of other religious nuts around the world," said Paul Hackett, a recent Iraq-war combat veteran who is running for the U.S. Senate from Ohio. As you may have surmised, Hackett is a Democrat, and his statement, to the Columbus Dispatch, raised an immediate call by the Ohio G.O.P. for an apology. "I said it," Hackett replied. "I meant it. I stand by it."
In fact, he has taken to repeating it at every stop along the campaign trail...

I caught up with Hackett--a tall, Hollywood-handsome sort--as he strode into a wings joint just outside Marion...

At the wings joint, he approached a small crowd of potential supporters with a combative abrasiveness that made Howard Dean seem like Mister Rogers. "I'm a strong Democrat from the great state of Ohio and damned proud of it," he thundered. "What does the Democratic Party stand for? Limited government. Strong national defense. Fair trade. Fiscal responsibility." Limited government? That was the fun part: "I don't want to send someone to Washington to invade my private life, control what goes on in my kid's school, get involved in the decisions made by my wife and her physician or to find out how many guns there are in Hackett's gun safe." He paused, looking for a reaction from any wussified, gun-hating Dems in the crowd. Finding none, he seemed lost. He didn't rise to his preferred state of indignation until the question period, when he was asked about Iraq. "The war is over. Bring 'em home. The war on terrorism is a war of ideas. We have a saying in the Marines: It's easy to be hard and hard to be smart."

Actually, Hackett's campaign is a vivid demonstration of that old Marine saying... He said gun control was his big difference, but it was hard to tell: Hackett had only a vague familiarity with most of the other issues. He was stumped by illegal immigration and came up with a crude prescription: "Send 'em back if we can afford it." In the end, Hackett seemed something new under the sun: a blogger candidate--all attitude, all opinions, very little information. --END OF ARTICLE--

This basically sums up my opposition to all the ugliness that people spew forth in the name of politics. REAL politics is practiced at a roundtable discussion where the issues are understood, dissected, and solutions are offered–not by a Hollywood know nothing on Entertainment Tonight, or a Hot-and-bothered musician on a rock stage. Yes these people can have their opinion, but most of the people in this world are dumb enough to take it for gospel.

Where I choose to spend my time in a variety of other interests, it goes without saying that I can not know as much about politics as those who do it all day every day. This is why I feel a healthy dose of optimism in saying "I know things are going to work out." I do not believe in ignorance, or complacency. I keep myself as informed as possible, BUT I do believe that the American system of government is the best on the planet, and issues have a way of ironing themselves out. Usually this is done by maintaining a balance of opposing viewpoints. The Republicans have their time, the Democrats will surely have theirs.

So to end my entirely too long post I say–Apocalypse is not upon us. America is not a wasteland of insecurity, and corruption. Life will go on. So be happy, and get involved if it suits you. I'm done.