Obama’s speech on healthcare - Since when was it OK to “boo” and cat call the President of the United States from the House Floor?
On the surface, this would appear to have little to do with a brain drain issue. It in truth, it is more of a symptom than a cause. But symptoms have consequences.
At the outset, I must say that the whole scene was horrifying. Strangely, I did not find the outburst from Wilson, as distasteful as unnerving as the general booing and moaning that came from the republican side as a whole. That large a response had to be orchestrated. The fact that a fairly substantial group of republicans thought that booing was somehow appropriate for a presidential speech before a joint session of Congress is unprecedented. It implies a pervasive lack of respect for the President, and the office of the presidency. Make no mistake, this is something new and very disturbing. I have watched many a joint session of Congress and I have never seen cat calls and booing before.
Perhaps it is not too surprising that the very contingents who trashed the economy, dragged us into a pointless war, encouraged torture, and destroyed the middle class, now see fit to throw respect for our Commander in Chief into the toilet with everything else they managed to destroy.
Of course there are racial undertones in all of this. That part is evident as there is a pervasive “red-neck” population that insists a Civil War victory for the confederates is still up for grabs. I think Maureen Dowd said it best in her New York Times Op-Ed “Boy, Oh Boy”.
When I was growing up, this red-neck contingency - though present, had been marginalized. Their impact on the country effectively neutralized. That all changed when business formed an unholy alliance with the religious-right. The process was outlined so well in Thomas Frank’s 2004 book What’s the Matter with Kansas? Shows how money from the conservative wing of the republican party gave this small but “loud” group of individuals a megaphone that has somehow managed to dumb down an entire nation. When we appeal to the lowest common denominator - we can expect little more than a jungle mentality. “I’ve got mine, so f**k you!” It is a society ruled by fear while the bottom 95% scramble for every crumb of security they can get. The more erudite among us call it “social darwinism.” By whatever name you call it - it has grave consequences for our society and standing in the world.
