I never thought it would be possible, but never before have I seen an election that has polarized friends and family to the breaking point. I’ve heard all kinds of stories about how couples dislike visiting their parents or in-laws’ because of differing politics. Friendships have been put to the test, and I personally know of at least two cases where this election has terminated long-time friendships. All kinds of relationships have been put to the test in this election cycle, and with very good reason: eight years of hell.
I am no exception. A few months ago, an old college buddy of mine (still one of my closest friends to this day) sent me an e-mail about Obama’s tax plans for people. This was at the beginning of AUGUST when I received this, before ANYTHING had been finalized by EITHER candidate. It was the last straw in a series of e-mails I had received from him about Senator Obama that were of the hate e-mail variety. I had pretty much had it at that point, and 30 years of friendship or no, I launched off on him via a reply that probably may have been a bit too harsh; but after what has gone on in the campaign since then, I think this may have set the wires on fire for good reason.
Here’s my reply to that e-mail. I’ll warn you up front, I take no prisoners and drop the f-bomb like it came during the Battle of Britain…so be prepared. Keep in mind this was a FRIEND I was replying to…just imagine what I do to my enemies!
THE FOLLOWING IS A REPLY TO AN E-MAIL I RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND ON AUGUST 2nd 2008:
M…
You’re a smart guy. After almost 30 years of friendship I know that is true. So, let’s look at a few things that you may want to think about:
-First off, the talking points just don’t cut it with me. Although I have my left leaning ways, I am also a hater of big government and taxes. After having two buildings dropped on my head, I don’t trust a fucking soul…Republican or Democrat to save this sorry state of affairs we are in and return America to greatness. Only INDEPENDENT THINKERS can do that. That means reading every source you can find in print or on the Net on a topic in which you have concern and not believe everything your Inbox tells you. (And if you don’t believe that, look down a few more topics and there’s a guy in Nigeria who wants to borrow money and will give you a million dollars in return).
-Many of the things stated for BOTH Mc Cain and Obama are shit, pure and simple. Neither has laid out a detailed plan for anything yet, so how come an e-mail that has come down from on High (like my use of that one, huh? I took it from McCain’s nasty playbook, page 356) lets me know something for which there is no basis in fact FOR EITHER CANDIDATE?
-My father was just put in a Nursing Home. He served his country during the Korean War…in the fucking Company as a courier no less. He had no choice in the matter, they told him, “Courier or Korea”. He chose the former, and managed to see more fucked up shit (and KNOW more fucked up shit, which is probably worse) than he ever bargained for. My mother is now going BROKE to take care of him. THIS is the way America treats its “living fallen”. We pack them up to some God forsaken hole (worse than whatever my Dad experienced in his wildest dreams), make their families go broke in the process. We then have a lovely ceremony when he dies, where my mom gets a flag, he gets a star on a wall in Virginia, and we’re all supposed to be proud. FUCK THAT. This country treats its Veterans like shit. It treats its sick like shit. Come to think of it, it treats EVERYONE like shit. Socialized medicine sounds DAMNED good right about now. One day you and I will be in the same boat and OUR families will go broke too, under the current system. I sure as hell don’t want to see that for Tess and the kids, and I’m sure you don’t want that for your wife either. Let’s think about this NOW while we still can, because by the time this fucking government gets its shit together and does something to help its sick, you and I will be in varying states of dementia in some God forsaken hole somewhere playing Scrabble with only half the alphabet to give a flying fuck.
-As far as taxes go, we make under $100K with two kids and we own a home; so we’re fine. I don’t like taxes and in fact, they are illegal as the Sixteenth Amendment that allowed the Income Tax and the creation of the IRS WAS NEVER PROPERLY RATIFIED. (Try telling that to your accountant OR the IRS though). I like a flat tax, nice and easy. Proportionate and simple. I make 100 grand, I owe 15%…that’s, uh (breaking out my Bomar Brain here)…$15,000. Gee! No forms, either! Oh, and they can take that from me so we’re ALWAYS even every paycheck. I know you favor the Consumption Model, but I’d go nuts if I had to pay tax on a pair of briefs to support my nuts.
-It’s ironic that you favor a Consumption Tax though. If Obama (or anyone) wanted to tax energy consumption (as the e-mail below alleges) to prevent global warming and/or ensure that we use less foreign energy imports, I would think you’d be all for it. After all, based on your “everyone shares the pain” philosophy, then everyone will, huh? How about if we apply this same methodology to Nationalized Health Care or paying for the Iraq War? Socialism sounds pretty good right about now, I bet.
-We preempted a potential Cap Gains Tax increase just in case someone decides to raise it by bailing out of the market before the big plunge and while it was still above 12,000. I have a long memory; Clinton did a retroactive tax increase that screwed me and Tess the same year we got married, both working, no home ownership, and no kids; so we weren’t taking any chances this time. Tess inherited some Mutual Funds from her late brother, and we needed to remodel the kitchen, the bathrooms, the garage…you name it. Since we tapped out out Home Equity, we cashed in the fund. No matter how you slice the taxes, we still have a loss on it. So our favorite Uncle can go fuck himself.
-I know for you taxes under Obama will suck, no doubt about that. I have no doubt that we shall be next as the Deficit continues to escalate; a deficit mind you, that the Republican Party and Clueless Leader escalated more than any other Administration in the HISTORY of the United States. Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater are doing 360s in their graves right now. And don’t think McCain isn’t going to raise taxes either…HE WILL HAVE TO. He’s even said as much on CBS News Sunday last week. “Nothing’s off the table”, he said when queried regarding Social Security and a possible increase in SS tax to make the system solvent. No e-mail necessary on that one; like Warmer Wolf said, “Let’s go to the video tape”. Look on You Tube, I’m sure it’s there. THAT, my friend is a FACT.
-This campaign I hoped would be about substance. It will not even be about style. It will be about who flings more shit at the other guy and what fucking SUPERFICIAL BULLSHIT the consultants come up with to win the race for their guy. WAKE UP! Dude…we are SO fucked if this Election goes down that path; and whoever wins will have a Pyrrhic Victory.
Please do something for me…THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX. Watch DIFFERENT News Channels. Read DIFFERENT newspapers. Read THE BLOGS on the INTERNET. Get every side to every story. (Climb every mountain, ford every stream! Couldn’t resist that one, LOL). The truth is out there, you just have to look for it. More importantly, you have to WANT to look for it. Look past the Inbox, my friend. Don’t let someone make your mind up for you. I’m not suggesting you vote for Obama…shit, Tess has voted 3rd Party (yes, she voted for Ross Perot, but that’s another long e-mail in itself, LOL) every election since 1992; maybe you might want to think about that. Just because the Dems and the Reps are the two big political parties doesn’t mean they are the only ones. You might want to take a good look at the Libertarian candidate, Bob Barr. The Libertarian Party web site is here: http://www.lp.org/
I think you might find out that you have more in common with Libertarians (as I do) than you ever thought. And for the record, my mind is still not made up as to whom I am voting for; right now it’s either Obama or Barr. it sure as hell ain’t McCain, I can tell you that. He sold his soul to the North Vietnamese, now he’s sold it to the right wing of the Republican Party.
At least the Vietnamese were honest.
By the way, this post was written entirely sober. Bitter? Yeah; but I don’t own a gun or go to church either. I’m an American.
Peace
Back to the present…
It’s amazing how much foresight I had on a few issues, (the point I made about style, substance, and mud was just uncanny) and who could have POSSIBLY known Governor Moosebrains was on her way into the American political scene? Since this was written, I have most definitely cast my lot in with Senator Obama because he his the right man in the right place at the right time. Make no mistake though, no matter who wins this election, there will be plenty of bitterness to go around. I certainly believe that Obama can help heal any wounds left over; but Senator McCain will more than likely rip them open and Sarah The Well Dressed will be more than happy to pour salt in them…and if we thought we had a state of separation during the election cycle, I fear we may have worse things to fear.
Like a separation of states.
“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” – Abraham Lincoln
Intersections In Real Time 