There's a safe way to conduct yourself during a political conversation, a stance that allows you to agree with both sides, and this tactic is in fact to blame both sides. What do you think about the government shutdown? The safe answer is that all of them should be fired. Do you agree more with Democrats or Republicans when it comes to our nation's budget? Again, say that they are both incompetent and you win the day. Who's more corrupt? You say, all of them are. It's a very libertarian approach, and one I admittedly used for quite a while. It makes you feel personally elevated above it all, as if you've figured out something that nobody else has. The problem with the "to hell with all of them" argument is that, well, it's wrong.
I do not blame both sides of our government for the shutdown. I blame republicans. I do not blame both sides for our national debt. I blame republicans. You see, when I was a kid, (born in 87, most think I still am a kid) I became politically aware during the Clinton years, noticing just how angry and spiteful a difference of political opinions could be. However, those are opinions, Republicans thought one thing, Dems another, but both seemed to be basing their opinions on the same set of facts. This is most definitely not the case anymore.
Ask a Republican what they think of Obama's financial skills. They'll first puke out something about our founding fathers, (you know, the slave owning rapists we all adore) and then make some point about how Obama spends too frivolously. Obama walked into the white house in 08 with the largest debt our nation has ever accumulated. Ever. That is not an opinion, that is a fact. That isn't some spin or idea I had, that's a number, a real one. It's the truth. Another fact? Obama has cut the national deficit in half. He has reduced spending, not increased, again, that's a fact.
I love to hear political opinions, and I always make sure to leave my own opinions open to change. I love being proved wrong, I love proving others wrong. I love having stalemate shouting matches over political ideals because it just shows me that both sides actually care about our wonderful country. I will not argue facts. I will not argue over something that isn't arguable. The Earth is billions of years old, global warming is melting glaciers, Miley Cyrus doesn't write her own music, and Obama has reduced spending. There are facts, and there are beliefs. My hero, Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist extraordinaire, said "facts are true whether you believe in them or not". I think that most certainly applies here.
So when you see these republican class-bigots spewing their "opinions" on tv, look closer. See how they are accusing Obama of refusing to negotiate? The facts say otherwise. When republicans call Obama a muslim, remember the fact that Barack is a member of the largest christian church in the third largest metropolitan city we've got. My favorite fact of this whole shutdown? That republicans run their campaigns on "American jobs, no more immigrants stealing our jobs, and no more jobs being sent overseas", but then proceed to furlough 800,000 Americans. Republicans, it is my opinion, that you are all full of shit.
I know you expect me to raise hell and say screw Obama...but surprisingly I agree with 90% of this post. The Republicans are the ones MOST responsible for the Washington Budget Fiasco (notice the most in there). I respect Obama for cutting in half the deficit, especially during a time of economic hardship (though I think he could have done more for the economy with the money he took out of our deficit and not cut the deficit so quickly but thats a different issue). My only issue with it is that Obama has to share some of the blame. Every president faces these kinds of impasses during their terms and the good and great (and even some average ones) manage to fight and deal their way through them without the major holdup that has occurred this time. That is where I feel one of Obama's deficiencies are laid bare. Other than that though, the Republicans in congress are being dumbasses.
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