Friday, September 26, 2008

Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn

(Charles was right the other day when he noted people can have strong feelings and not understand how others can have different ones. This is generally a pop-culture and personal diary blog, not a political blog, but some days, whether it's good for me or not, I feel compelled to babel about the real world. )

The real world looks more and more like the world of The Dark Knight every day, not in a literal way with set pieces of dire chaos but in a symbolic way as we live through a whirlwind of financial and economic turmoil.

A line from the Batman movie's been playing through my head all week, but I wasn't sure where it applied until last night and this a.m. as reports about yesterday's meeting at the White House unfolded.

Sen. John McCain, after yet another bold, "maverick" move to "suspend" his campaign that was analyzed best, as usual, by The Daily Show:

made a few more public appearances then blew into Washington to fan flames of dissent in a meeting he had called to build agreement.

As the New York Times reported:

At the bipartisan White House meeting that Mr. McCain had called for a day earlier, he sat silently for more than 40 minutes, more observer than leader, and then offered only a vague sense of where he stood, said people in the meeting.

Perhaps the "suspension" and the effort for consensus were inaccurate. Clearly Sen. McCain is more an agent of chaos with a goal articulated by Michael Cain in The Dark Knight.

"...
some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."

Addendum
Salon's Joe Consan assesses McCain's roll in the derailment.

Portfolio.com Blog: McCain's Economics


David S. Broder: McCain as Alpha Mail, "imbalance in the deference quotient"

Some on the right are joining a chorus of criticism over Sarah Palin

Newsweek: The Bailout Bill Failed, Should We Blame McCain?

11 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

McCain has lost a lot of ground in my view. He's also partially responsible for all the deregulation. And his refusal to take part in the debate, as he said, seems an act of cowardice to me.

Bridges said...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5tZc8oH--o

Use the pause button when necessary

Sidney said...

I read about that viewpoint. It was in a column called CRA Has Nothing To Do With the Current Problems.

Lana Gramlich said...

I also tend to suspect that Ronald Reagan is laughing at us all from his throne in hell. A lot of all of our current problems started with that bastard. Fortunately, the brain washed Amerikan sheeple have very short memories. *snort* Sorry...hot button for me.

Bridges said...

CRA in its initial form did not. CRA in its current form didn't cause the problem but is one of a thousand small contributing factors. I'd point out a bunch of quantifiable facts, like the Clinton administration lowering Fannie/Fredie's capital requirements to 2.5%, and the allowing of securitization of subrpime but I doubt it would do any good. People on both sides need to heed your friend Charles' post on blind ideology.

Both sides are filled with old-style Carnies working to steal your money and your freedom. And they've basically done it. I just hope when your force for "Change" gets in January, he is really about the change he claims and not just the biggest Carny of the bunch.

I'm going to cling to my guns and religion now.

Bridges said...

BTW, for all of Sid's friends out there, I am his ultra-right wing brother in law.

Sidney said...

I'd say you've been clinging to your religion for quite a while now.

Bridges said...

Yessir

Steve Malley said...

*sigh*

American Politics. If we were just some third world banana republic, our foolishness would be more understandable. And less dangerous.

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