Political Seance

I watched and listened to the State of the Union address last night and the Republican rebuttal. Republicans are quite good at rebuttals. Good critics of others, not so towards themselves. In fact, it seems that the drive of politics these days is to pin the troubles on the other Party as a diversionary tactic, not unlike magicians with the "sleight of hand" stuff. Distract us from your derelictions by focusing on the sins of others. Democrats do the same.

Both parties pander to the people, telling us lies about ourselves, our intrinsic goodness, "Yay America" type of tripe. There is much admirable about the American character and much that is not so exemplary. When politicians act as if ordinary people have not created at least some of the mess they wallow in--instead it is the fault of the "other"--I get suspicious that this ploy is a vote getting strategy. It seems to me to be a tactical trade of "I won't call you on your own guilt and in exchange for this exoneration, vote for me." The victim vote to victory.

The housing fiasco is case in point. Obama was strongly in the corner of those who bought houses who could not afford them, that they were victimized by unscrupulous lenders as a child would be by a pervert offering candy. Republicans, "the party of responsibility," tend to blame the individual for not exercising the common sense virtue of don't bite off more than you can chew of that McMansion--while giving the banks and Wall Streeters the blank check that they cravenly stuffed their own piggy banks with.

Is it not possible in politics to admit publicly that both parties are guilty? Or, do we have to polarize to one extreme or the other, leaving one party guilty and the other free. Is it really that simple? Jesus said a "House divided cannot stand" and Lincoln used this is his Civil War speeches. We are in a new Civil War where neither side has the integrity to own up for its own sins because to do so might mean that your admission of guilt could be perceived by the other side as validation that they are right and not equally wrong. Political hocus-pocus, make my guilt disappear with a wave of the wand. Statecraft as witchcraft.

God help us...