Palin Book Out. Obama Bow, Healthcare Stumbles On Abortion, Work Stories
Sarah Palin the “Hi there Sailor” of politicians. Her book is out. We need more Sarah in the Republican Party. I think that she is exactly what they need. A dingy wingy zinger filled marsupial. She is just what we all need sort of a Goldie Hawn of politics. The Goldie Hawn of Laugh In days.
She has her book out now and I guess she blames the Republican Party for not presenting her properly. She is kind of cute in a white bread sort of way.
There are things going on in the world but I am not really in the mood to discuss them. Healthcare legislation is threatened again by the battle over abortion rights. Bart Stupak is trying to say that his anti abortion amendment to the House bill is simply keeping the status quo. He says he will not restrict private money going to pay for money on Chris Matthews Hardball. According to MSNBC the anti Health Care business groups are out spending the pro health care reform advertisers two to one. I have noticed that the Chamber of Commerce anti health reform ad is on MSNBC all the time. They waited until they could see the whites of their eyes as the saying goes. Will they outflank the pro health reform groups? Hard to say. But they seem think that now is the time.
Today at work I had to listen to racist jokes being flung around in a company production meeting, people were trying to bait me because I am standing out, even mentioning that I had gone to an anti-Nazi rally. The group mentality is to try to hammer me into the norm which is a sort of generally unstated racism, that occasionally comes out as a venting of blame and because the talk radio has made it hip to be politically incorrect and to consider standing up for equality and respect for others is somehow oppressing people. That is the argument that rightwingers use against so called political correctness, that is restricts their freedom. And what freedom are they talking about the freedom to be racist, sexist and immature. It is a locker room sort of concept of freedom, The freedom to pick on the little guy, to blame the victim and to feel superior and free to swat someone on the ass with a wet towel. That is the kind of freedom most right wingers mean when they talk about political correctness. It is as if they are oppressed by the nerds and guys with glasses. The smart guys.
I can understand them. Once in a while like when I go to Europe I get to feel that way myself. But there is a deeper more instinctive meaning. The group in a tribal sense wants to know if you can take the pressure, if they can count on you and if you are going to run crying to the authorities or if you are going to crumble and wimp out. They want to know what you are made of and part of it is not only knowing if they can get to you, but it is also knowing if you have a sense of humor. A third factor is knowing if you can think on your feet. It is a way of getting to know a person and part of it is exposing them to the nasty side to see how you respond. It is a ritual of determining if you are about to become a member of the group or if you are a loner who will refuse to accept the groups norms.
It happens all the time and for me it is walking a fine line to determine if when to resist and when to let things pass. Always fighting will make me a frother and always giving in will make me a wimp. What I will do is stand up when it is important and build trust. That is the important thing if I am to make a difference on the job and if I am going to have any success in propagating a progressive agenda.
There is no point in being a prig just for the sake of standing on principal. Because if I am to work with these guys I need their support and to have that I need their trust. Once I have that we are cool. But to turn a company of semiconscious racists red necks into true blue progressive patriots? That is a tall order. But hell what else am I going to do while on the job. Work?
What is all that noise about the Obama bowing to the Emperor of Japan? Dick Cheney is now saying the president of the USA should bow to no one. Low blow. Apparently the Chinese Media made a big deal about it. There is no love lost between China and Japan. The Chinese still smarting over the beating they took from Japan in World War 2. Unlike the Russians who got to beat down the German aggressors the Chinese never did get to really beat the Japanese. In fact the Japanese were conducting offensives in China almost until the end of the war. China more than anyone was offended by the American bowing to the Emperor.
Such is life.
Tags: Abortion and Healthcare, Obama Bow, Palin and A book., Work