Guy Fawkes Lives!

Posted: July 23rd, 2011 | Filed under: Politics, Ruminations | No Comments »

It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.

It is the most famous quote attributed to America’s quicksand involvement in the Vietnam War. AP correspondent Peter Arnett never revealed the identity of the member of the military who said it, other than that he was a U.S. Major.

I am reminded of the cruel irony of that statement, during this time of partisan turmoil in Washington — a smackdown that, if not resolved in the next few days, could crush the American economy.

Frankly, I’m not particularly fond of the smell of Naplam in the morning. But that’s the odor wafting through the air when I read the news that somebody or another wasn’t happy with the debt limit negotiating process, so they got up, huffed and puffed their chest . . . and walked.

There are elected representatives of Congress who, by their actions and statements so far, are apparently willing to sacrifice the well being of the nation for the advancement of their political agenda, or their political power. Not that it really matters what their reasoning may be.

And, given this scary state of affairs, we really wonder why people blow up government buildings with bombs or by flying planes into them. Or, put bombs full of shrapnel on benches to maim and kill innocent citizens to protest . . . what? Of course, there are people in the populace who don’t have all the connections correctly hooked up. But the frustration is real and runs deep, even among rational followers of governance.

It’s happening here. It’s happening in Norway.

It happened in the 16th century. It will happen in the future. (If some 14 year old hacker in Berzerkistan doesn’t fell world commerce first.)

So, I ask those in Congress we’ve elected to guide the ship of state to be just this: Reasonable.

Stand up for what you believe in. But, for the sake of the republic, respect that there are others who feel differently and that their beliefs also have merit.

Let’s hope, that within the next day or two, weary ladies and gentlemen from both sides of the aisle will greet the press and issue the most vanilla but resonant of proclamations, “We’ve reached a compromise to raise the debt limit, and made a first step toward getting our budget in order.”

Otherwise, there will soon be a Wikipedia entry about the most famous statement attributed to the Great Budget Calamity of 2011:

I want what I want when I want it.

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