No news to you

[prog]

Anger at executive branch increasing. Rather: low-level, constant anger/fear -- it's FRANGER! -- burning an ever-deeper hole in my spleen. This, just from listening to the president verbally swagger on the radio about getting rid of some pesky environmental regulations. That this particular instance happened to involve the environment is almost beside the point; the sheer irresponsibility inherent in his attitude alone makes me quietly furious, and rather nervous. I mean: it'd be one thing if he addressed his audience with a succinct rationalization of his actions, but instead he just groused about how the restrictions slowed down legislation, and good riddance.

As if that's automatically a bad thing. It's a feature of bureaucracy that laws are hard to pass; it prevents sweeping changes from taking effect during impassioned times. That our president so readily dismisses this with lesser laws makes me profoundly sad, yes, and fearful about how he must view the greater laws as well.

I'm pretty sure that the way I now feel (and have felt since "Br*ng 'em on") whenever I hear or see Bush do anything is the way my parents felt whenever they heard or saw one of the Clintons do anything (at least while Bill was president; maybe they still feel that way. I steer a wi-i-i-ide berth 'round all such topics during my visits, you bet). It is interesting and unfortunate because it makes me doubt my feelings, that maybe I'm just rooting for "my team" and nothing more. But I really like to think that my motivation runs deeper than that.

I have never felt this way about an elected official before and really really hope that I'll have good reason to stop, in a year or so.

Pssssssssssssss. I also hope I'm done venting about this particular topic for a while.

Comments

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I guess you're too young to have felt that rage (and helplessness) about Reagan? To me, Dubya just feels like same old same old, except that Laura seems a lot more sane (and harmless) than Nancy. I get a lot more angry at the constant whitewashing of Ronnie's "legacy" (not to mention the airports and aircraft carriers).

[ex-colorwhe.livejournal.com]

I'm with you, dougo: not too young too remember Reagan, and yes, this is the same rage and helplessness.

(If steering that wide political berth around your parents makes you feel doubtful, prog, you can always talk with your friends. You live smack dab in the middle of the People's Republic, after all, populated by many politically eloquent and insightful folks. They impress me no end.)

[prog.livejournal.com]

I didn't really start to have political opinions of my own until college, towards the end of Bush Sr.'s term. My parents and all their friends thought Reagan was great, and so I did too. Was vaguely aware that a lot of people didn't like him (I liked the "Spitting Image" TV specials), but never really knew why. (Even though I spent much of my childhood pantshittingly terrified of nuclear war.)

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

Dude, like, Bush totally, like, sucks and stuff. (Not that the Democrats are oh-so-much better in many ways, they're not as driven to be sucky in quite the same ways. Er . . . )