Politics: A Proper Time, Place, and Way

A prominent politician is coming to visit my school tomorrow and is taking time to speak to an assembly of students. While it's a pretty common occurrence at my school, we'll say this politician is a bit more controversial and noteworthy.

While most speakers draw crowds to hear them speak, this occasion is different. Recently, what has really been bothering me is that there is a large and growing number of students here who have organized a protest to having the politician come speak on campus. In addition to that, there has been talk (and I'm hoping it stays that, just talk) for some people to even heckle this politician during their speech. This really hit a nerve for me since beyond just being unnecessary, it's absolutely ludicrous in my mind that people would even do such a thing. I'm all for exercising one's right to assemble and also for free speech but this raises a different issue. I've worked on a newspaper and been involved in my fair share of causes so I'm more than familiar with that kind of stuff, but it's the whole time, place, and way that's bothering me. À mon avis, if you're really so opposed to what someone stands for or believes, express your reasons it in a thoughtful, respectful, and proper way and give that person a chance to respond.

A message to my fellow students: just because a visiting politician's beliefs don't necessarily reflect your own doesn't mean that you should heckle him during his speech, protest, or disrespect his taking time to speak to an audience. If you want to express your grievances, there's a proper time, place, and way to do so. If you were saying something that other's didn't agree with and they decided to rally and jeer, snap at, and attack you, how would you feel? What you're doing is unnecessary, and more importantly reflects poorly on our school, student population, and the values of equality, acceptance, being respectful, and diversity we stand for, including diversity in viewpoints and opinions.

Keep it classy my friends.

I *heart* debt

Not really. Curiously, while all the news networks talk nonstop about the GOP and Dems both battling out some resolution to the debt crisis on Capital Hill, we really don't feel it at the everyday Joe the plumber level most of us live in. Yes, gas prices have gone up and food prices and such but those are market factors at work, when was the last time you actually said "Oh damn, the national debt prevented me from buying XYZ" Really, the US has held a debt for the better part of time since the 1940s if not earlier. Only recently did the debt really jump to the levels we're panicking about today.

Since neither side of the political spectrum seems to want to budge (I think they're suffering from a severe case of Kindergarten "I don't wanna"itis) it could be a possibility that the US might default on her loans. Why can't this happen? Well, for better or for worse, the US' position as the main superpower of the world politically and economically (at the time being, China is creeping up fast) means defaulting would show weakness, and in the massive global game of chess, the US's position of King of the West needs to be guarded. There is a reason why whenever some crisis occurs in Africa or Asia, it's the United States who is called upon to provide aid. We have the money, the resources and the man power to do so, it's the basis for how she can get other nations to do what she wants. If the US defaults, her hegemony is essentially halved or even more (less?). The message sent out to the world isn't one of power, omnipotence and omniscience regarding international affairs, but as the fallen giant who epitomizes the reason we had our last recession, spending money we didn't have. So, while today we might not directly feel the impact of the debt, in the next few years we probably will, and not in the "I can't buy this" sense, but in the "Who gives a shit about the country who can't pay its own debts?" sense the next time we try to do something big in the international arena.



Politicians needs to stop bickering and get off their sorry asses and get shit done. They've forgotten the reason they're in their elected position in the first place, to serve the nation and put the interests of the public in the forefront. Instead, they've gotten stuck trying to put down the opposing party and blowing hot air. My generation is already economically screwed over thanks to these goons who think raising the debt ceiling will change anything. Ignoring the problem or sweeping it under the rug won't do anything, in five years, we'll be right back where we started only to find the problem has grown even bigger.

So Republicans and Democrats: Stop acting like little children and get your shit together.