Arranged Delirium

Students in ITL 361 are working on their political poster assignments. For some its a challenge to become engaged in a topic; for others, it’s a challenge to think through the process of communicating visually. For all, its a chance to face discourse that it frequently contentious and try to find a way to talk about the issues without descending into invective and platitudes.

As I consider on the nature of political discourse in this country - and especially the polarizing process of the last decade or so - I often reflect on the role that media has played in shaping that discourse. I’m appalled by folks like Rush Limbaugh and Bill O’reilly, and concerned that FoxNews enjoys the viewership that it seems to possess given its extreme bias in programming. But before you label me as a liberal extremist, let me say that I’m also concerned some of the writing in the New York Times.

But at least with the Times, I can get access to David Brooks. He’s an example of a thoughtful conservative. I may find myself frequently drawn to his writing even if I disagree ideologically. At least I can see his point of view. One recent article of his actually relates to my earlier topic above: the power of the mediated voice of Conservatism. The perceived power is a result of the medium; and I need to relax when I get frustrated by idiots like Limbaugh or O’reilly. They don’t have any real power. The great fallacy is to believe that they do. That’s a failure that draw conservatives and liberals together!

I’ve always been socially liberal but fiscally conservative, and I suppose that explains my moderate political positions. But one area that has always concerned me is how our government spends our money - rather inefficiently I’d say. This isn’t a partisan issue - history shows that both Democrats and Republicans are terrible at managing public funds. I tire of the ceaseless and rather inane invective concerning the issue. Much of what you read, hear, or see, simply isn’t based on true information. I don’t think the right can hold the position of being fiscally responsible anymore - the most recent Bush administration was responsible for generating the largest deficit in history. I fear though that the Obama administration will keep it going in order to address the many shortcomings in internal investment that the country has been ignoring for years. So, we should probably all keep an eye on the national debt. Another online debt clock recounts various other financial landmarks for the country as well (I can’t confirm its authenticity though, so I am leery of giving it too much credence - it’s numbers seem close enough the the US Treasury though). I lay most of the blame at the foot of Congress; but I think that the unnecessary war in Iraq has truly decimated our financial future. When you look at how much money foreign wars cost, my hope is that it really makes you question if they are worth it. Certainly, the expense of being distracted from Afghanistan into Iraq has all cost us quite a bit…