Stickybuffalo.com

Too Big to Succeed
or
A Geography-based Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of What the Fuck is Wrong with America

Just a few days, now, until this Hell known as the 2010 general election is over. (And the resulting new Hell begins, of course, but at least it will be a different kind of Hell.)

We’re effectively in cloud-cuckoo land at this point, in terms of pretty much everything related to American politics, whether predictions, pre-emptive post-mortems, strategizing, attempts to interpret “the popular mood,” etc. Uncle Paul has basically sounded the trump of doom, while others are constructing various fantasy scenarios in which a Republican takeover of congress benefits Obama, the country or both.

One can probably just about ignore all of it. I’ve already voted, of course, and of those who haven’t and are still “undecided,” I imagine it’s safe to assume that such people are so lost in a fog that they aren’t going to find their way out in the next few days, whatever they do.

I feel obligated to compose some kind of statement just now, though. And I really feel like, at this point, it may be best to just brush aside all of specifics, the details, the individuals, etc., etc., which are by no means insignificant but have, as noted, been absolutely fucking worried over to death and then some. And to ask, instead, the real fundamental question which in some way seems to preoccupy much of the country on some level or other, i.e.:

Just what the Hell is wrong with America?

(more…)

Yeah, um, I’m like busy and stuff at present, trying to increase the too-small distance between thisself and the poverty line by (temporarilly, for now) working for The Man. While also keeping up with my usual drip of freelance clients. As Richard Morgan expressed it:

Freelancing requires such strict adherence to toadyism, to sycophancy, to the grubbiest, lowliest submissions. It is an on-spec life and it is full of what can only be described as insane serendipity (or serendipitous insanity).

But I hate to disappear completely. (Everyone else already has; if I go as well then who will belabor the obvious? Plus, the site is actually working for once; I almost feel obligated to take advantage!) So I’m going to share this cartoon I came across, from something calling itself xkcd:

Well played.

Namaste.

This is mostly just an attempt to review a few things, and examine whether any sense can be made of them, for my own benefit. Though of course, as always, anyone who wishes is welcome to play along at home.

Now then. Here we are with just (thankfully) a couple of weeks left until the 2010 general election.

We’re less than two years removed from an eight year debacle of a Republican presidential administration, which has left us a legacy including:

• growing budget imbalances (after inheriting surpluses from the previous administration)
• military adventures which turned into continuing, and ruinously-expensive, foreign occupations that have made our own country no safer and have probably, on balance, brought only negligible benefit at best to the residents of the occupied countries.
• an enormous financial crisis which led to a deep recession, now technically over but leaving unemployment stuck at the double-digit threshold.

Additionally, America’s vaunted market capitalism private sector has proved itself, essentially, completely bankrupt. Morally, intellectually, and financially. The financial sector imploded through its own reckless greed and the auto manufacturers imploded through their own stupidity (to simplify matters greatly), both requiring government intervention to bail them out. The oil industry presided over a disastrous and humiliating flood of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. And private industry, in general, seems capable only of enriching the ownership class and associated elites whilst, as a job-creation machine, it appears to be entirely unfit for purpose.

The Republican opposition has had nothing to offer in response to any of this, other than meaningless bluster and a constant refrain of “no no no no no” to absolutely any action that the current government takes or even proposes.

So, naturally, reactionary sentiment is apparently “surging” and expected to hand the Republican party increased power at all levels of government along with, perhaps, control of congress.

What am I missing, here?

(more…)