braindrips

I'm currently working abroad in Nuremberg, Germany.  As I was walking around I stumpled upon a Anti-Israel rally.  Plenty of police were around to make sure the the protest was peaceful.  As I watched the protest it dawned on me that, regardless of what you think of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the bottom line is that democracy works.  Had a minority of Christians or Jews protested in a heavily Muslim country, there would have been violence.  But yet here are a bunch of Turks and Algerians protesting Israel in a Christian Democracy.  Why are there so many Turks in Germany?  Because for the most part Turkey does not provide much opportunity for jobs.  So the Turks come to Germany for jobs.  Again, because Germany's years of Democracy and innovativeness has provided an opportunity to a foreign minority.

Israel remains one of the only Democracies in the Middle East.  Many Arabs and Middle Eastern countries are repressed by their government....Iran...Syria to name a few. 

Watching the protest made me very angry.  Knowing that had I been in many parts of the Arab world, I would not have been able to protest and feel safe.  And yet these people have the freedom to do this in a Western Democracy.  How fair is that?  And they are protesting against a goverment that stands for the very freedoms that allow them to protest.

Throughout debates on health care, the financial crisis, confirmation of various cabinet members, energy policy, military policy, and many other subjects over the last year since Barack Obama took office, it has seemed like the Republicans have only had one thing to say: "No".

Republicans: The Party Of No

Although they continually claim that they have their own proposals and answers, they keep claiming that the Democrats are keeping them out of any policy-making meetings.  Their resounding drumbeat during the health care debate was "Scrap it all and let's start over." 

Finally, I see what their strategy is:  Make as horrible a mess as possible of America and the government.  Then, when elections come up, they can point the finger at the Democrats and scream "They did it!  They're in charge!"

With so many threats and challenges that America and Americans face, I find this absolutely shameful.  Although I've voted both Republican and Democrat over the years, I will have a very difficult time ever pressing the button for a Republican again.

It's time the American people turn off American Idol, Dancing With The Stars, Lost, and other mindless programs and care about what happens to America.  Dig deeper than the 10 second sound-bites spewed by both Republicans and Democrats that are flashed during the commercial breaks, and take five minutes to contact YOUR representative and tell them to stop screwing around and get something done to help rather than trying to score political points.

There are serious problems facing America, and we need adults in Congress that are willing to sit down and figure out what's best for America;  instead of sitting around trying to figure out how best to screw the other party.

The Founding Fathers would be ashamed of Congress - all of them - and so am I.

Mark

A while back when President Obama was signing the heath care reform bill, Joe Biden managed to make himself look even more foolish than what he normally is by commenting with an open mic about the health care bill.  It's not necessarily the profanity that is upsetting.  After all Cheney had some problems with profanity himself. It's the celebration of the profanity.  It's the t-shirt. The twitter post.  Friends, this is the type of people we elected.  I thought the White House had a little bit of class.  Unfortunately they're just as crass as the rest of us.