return of the process oriented liberal 2.24.05

it's a funny world we live in, and that was a bad beginning to a post about what a funny world we live in.

the funny world part is inspired by the ridiculous constructs reactionary conservative bloggers and columnists seem to create to describe "liberals." old news, of course. but placing people on one end or another is flat out silly. and woefully inaccurate if the writer wants to talk about actual solutions and consensus. i know, i know, then they wouldn't have much to gripe about.

why would we be so different? who isn't a savvy enough reader of news and of political events to realize that extreme positions are often used as a beginning bargaining point, not the end-all or fuck-off threshold for what's acceptable?

admitting that there is a range of opinion, of course, gets us into that "people are different than each other" arena, a dangerous mode of thinking that will not allow us to sing along with team america, "america, fuck yeah!" (we will sing sarcastically). it is much easier to say "you belong in this hole." you, in this hole. and never the holes shall meet.