Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Quote for the day

"There are only two kinds of politics. They are not radical or reactionary, or conservative and liberal, or even Democratic and Republican. There are only the politics of fear and the politics of trust.

One says: You are encircled by monstrous dangers. Give us power over your freedom that we may protect you.

The other says: The world is a baffling and hazardous place, but it can be shaped by the will of men.

Ordinarily that division is not between parties, but between men and ideas. But this year the leaders of the Republican Party have intentionally made that line a party line. They have confronted you with exactly that choice.

Thus, in voting for the Democratic party tomorrow, you cast your vote for trust, not just in leaders or policies, but for trusting your fellow citizens, in the anciety tradition of this home for freedom and, most of all, for trust in yourself." -- Edmund Muskie, November 2, 1970

The Man, The Myth, The Bio

East Bay, California, United States
Problem: I have lots of opinions on politics and culture that I need to vent. If I do not do this I will wind up muttering to myself, and that's only like one or two steps away from being a hobo. Solution: I write two blogs. A political blog that has some evident sympathies (pro-Obama, mostly liberal though I dissent on some issues, like guns and trade) and a culture blog that does, well, cultural essays in a more long-form manner. My particular thing is taking overrated things (movies, mostly, but other things too) down a peg and putting underrated things up a peg. I'm sort of the court of last resort, and I tend to focus on more obscure cultural phenomena.