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ubertuber · 09-04-2006, 09:44 AM

Roachboy,

There's a "looney left" all right, but it's not what anyone here talks about. I see them on the streets in Manhattan all the time, accosting people and displaying bizarre caricatures and even stranger slogans.

In terms of your characterization of the American political spectrum, you're probably correct. But I don't know how much it matters - citizens of this country only vote in elections in this country, so how far left people are in South America or Eastern Europe or whatever doesn't have too much of an effect on our discourse. Maybe someday the political scene will globalize and we'll see workable branches of international parties in individual nations, but we're not really there yet. So while the range in American politics may be relatively narrow, it's altogether relevant that people here feel that there is a deep chasm between ideologies.

Along those same lines, I don't know that I even think the Bush administration is some sort of radical extreme right wing expression of politics. Sure they wear that mask, but they're either not very good at being an evil extremist administration or they're not trying very hard. Many of this administration's most extreme positions are just that - positions. We've yet to see social security reform, the Supreme Court seems to be challenging some of the new executive-cenetered policies, and I truly don't think we'll see a gay marriage amendment any time soon. Where the Bush administration has had success is in strange things that aren't necessarily right-wing (unless you start using GWB as the measuring stick of all things right in this country). Our foreign policies aren't even really neo-conservative (according to Francis Fukuyama in America at the Crossroads, they're just particular and peculiar. Bush's White House is a moderate distance away from electable democrats. But I can imagine a much more right-wing administration, and some republicans are even starting to distance themselves from Bush/Rove. I get the international perspective thing, but I don't always think it is very useful in evaluating/predicting domestic politics.

And ustwo, I'm not sure what you're getting at, unless you are thinking of completely different threads.

Nice to hear from you Jorgelito.

09-04-2006, 09:44 AM	#13 (permalink)
ubertuber spudly Location: Ellay	Roachboy, There's a "looney left" all right, but it's not what anyone here talks about. I see them on the streets in Manhattan all the time, accosting people and displaying bizarre caricatures and even stranger slogans. In terms of your characterization of the American political spectrum, you're probably correct. But I don't know how much it matters - citizens of this country only vote in elections in this country, so how far left people are in South America or Eastern Europe or whatever doesn't have too much of an effect on our discourse. Maybe someday the political scene will globalize and we'll see workable branches of international parties in individual nations, but we're not really there yet. So while the range in American politics may be relatively narrow, it's altogether relevant that people here feel that there is a deep chasm between ideologies. Along those same lines, I don't know that I even think the Bush administration is some sort of radical extreme right wing expression of politics. Sure they wear that mask, but they're either not very good at being an evil extremist administration or they're not trying very hard. Many of this administration's most extreme positions are just that - positions. We've yet to see social security reform, the Supreme Court seems to be challenging some of the new executive-cenetered policies, and I truly don't think we'll see a gay marriage amendment any time soon. Where the Bush administration has had success is in strange things that aren't necessarily right-wing (unless you start using GWB as the measuring stick of all things right in this country). Our foreign policies aren't even really neo-conservative (according to Francis Fukuyama in America at the Crossroads, they're just particular and peculiar. Bush's White House is a moderate distance away from electable democrats. But I can imagine a much more right-wing administration, and some republicans are even starting to distance themselves from Bush/Rove. I get the international perspective thing, but I don't always think it is very useful in evaluating/predicting domestic politics. And ustwo, I'm not sure what you're getting at, unless you are thinking of completely different threads. Nice to hear from you Jorgelito. __________________ Cogito ergo spud -- I think, therefore I yam Last edited by ubertuber; 09-04-2006 at 09:48 AM..