Inarticulate speech of the heart or Can you hear us knocking, George Bush?
"Inarticulate speech of the heart" is Van Morrison's wonderful description of earnest and honest prayer. The description also works for much of what has been said in anger, in fear, and in disgust about the Bush administration. The build-up of frustration of what many of us see as divisive, anti-environmental, irresponsible and short-sighted policies has often lead to statements as polarizing as the Coulterish-liberals-hate-America nonsense. Kanye West's 'Bush doesn't like black people' statement is certainly symptomatic, and as much as I've (and many others) have criticized his off-the-cuff overreach, we would all have to be completely tone deaf to not understand his frustration and rage.
The latest polls indicate that the Bush administration's own spin control levees are taking on water. For those of you who still don't understand why or who continue to tie themselves to the mast of the ship, the pre-Katrina, slow-buildup of the disenchantment is at long last unfettered by the shop-worn mantra of the apologists: ' Bush is good, his opponents are bad'. We may be falling over our feet to express it clearly, but we are being heard.
The early tone-deaf response by the President to the ravages of the hurricane finally may have exposed the near-nudity of the empire's garbish rationale for many of the earlier and continuing mis-adventures of the neo-con nabobs. Arguing about who is responsible for the response to the aftermath is not what I'm talking about here, but I have to say that the op-ed pieces and blogs popping up telling us that we need to basically shut up and help out are simplistic. Americans respond generously, gallantly, bravely both directly and indirectly. Many of these same Americans have the right to express their disgust/concern/disappointment about the way all of this has been handled..we are strong and WE can multi-task, ya know.
So, why are so many (and the numbers are growing) of us fed up (it's been buiding for a while!)?
1) Set aside the continuing argument about who won in 2000. Bush won, but it was by a thimble-full of votes in Florida. His lack of a popular vote mandate should have ushered in at least some Democratic appointment to Cabinet level posts, but, his early actions were telling, to wit:
2) Out of the gate: reducing mercury emission standards for coal plants. Clinton had crafted a reasonable 10 year approach to reducing emissions that included grandfathering in older plants. Bush immediately dialed back and increased the number of years that plants had to meet the watered-down standards. Check out the literature on mercury emissions and their effect on our oceans and food supply.
3) Cheney's energy plan. The secret committee that has yet to have its proposals made public. When Hilary set up the secret committee system to create a new Health Plan, conservatives and right-wingers reacted with near apoplexy. You don't have to agree with what came out of Hilary's committee to see double standards here. The administration's energy policies have yet to reflect that we are competing with a growing soon-to-be engorged giant (China) for the precious black fluid. The administration can't even come up with reasonable standards for auto mpg fuel standards.
4) Bush administration's repudiation of Kyoto standards for global warming. It is NOT that the administration disagreed with the standards (many reasonable people disagree with Kyoto), but that the administration did not bother to come back with a meaningful compromise. The government's own scientists admit that global warming does exist (check out the shrinking polar ice caps). Reasonable people can disagree about government policy vis' a vis' global warming, but to act like it may or may not exist is not adequate.
5. Bush's response to Saudia Arabia. 16 of the 9/11 terrorists were from Saudia Arabia. The Wahabi sect of Islam is not only misogynistic and anti-Western, but it is ingrained in much of the ruling families of SA. These are the chief sponsors of terrorism. These are the folks who have telethons to raise money for the families of suicide bombers. I don't buy into the Michael Moore culpability, but in view of who we attacked instead, and in view of our ongoing relationship with the ruling families of SA, we have to question these policies.
6. Bush's inability to admit any meaningful mistakes. His answer to the question about his own mistakes is telling. He could only think of a few appointments of people who disagreed with him and were therefore 'bad appointments'. No one should suggest that sack cloth and ashes are in order or that he needs to he should become a liberal to atone for his mistakes. An honest introspective assessment, with a little humility would be nice.
Many, many more including the triumph of politics over science.
In Spike Lee's prophetic movie, 'Do the Right Thing', his character Mookie, who has been treated well and loved by his caucasian boss at a pizza parlor, ends up throwing a garbage can through his employer's window as a result of the inchoate unrest and anger building up in the black community based on police brutality. On first blush, Mookie's action made no sense. There were plenty of targets to attack more justifiably, but the inarticulate speech of his heart moved him to make his OWN move, much like Kanye West's statement sixteen years later. We may not always say it well, but more and more of us are knocking on the door, and we aren't going to take simplistic answers and we do not hate America. The inner swelling of love we have for this place is WHY we feel the way we do.
Can you hear me now?
