School vouchers are a wonderful idea and life over death can't even be argued.
The author can go get bent.
THREE the hard way
Posted on 06/15/2004 8:08:45 AM PDT by qam1
Generation X is the lost generation. We don't care about important things. We don't want to learn about history. We're a lazy bunch of do-nothings who expect to be awarded - not rewarded - with prosperity and wealth. We're a video-game culture that only cares about being entertained.
At least, that's the view of many of our elders.
It's probably perpetuating that stereotype to admit this, but I'm going to anyway: My political views are shaped as much by comedy routines as they are actual politics.
I'm not talking about how I feel about individuals, but how I feel about issues and parties.
For example, Lewis Black has a new stand-up routine that perfectly describes how I view Republicans and Democrats.
Republicans are the ones with all the bad ideas. Democrats are the ones with no ideas. And the only thing worse than either one working independently is when the two get together.
Black portrays a legislative session: A Republican stands up and yells to the assembly, "I have a bad idea," to which a Democrat responds, "And I know how to make it worse."
I'm cleaning up the language a bit, but you get the idea.
Based on Blacks' premise, one might conclude that every election is decided by how bad Republican ideas are. If they aren't that bad, the GOP wins. If they are so bad as to scare away voters, the Democrats win.
The last presidential election broke that mold a bit. Bush had an armful of bad ideas - from school vouchers to limiting a woman's right to choose to blurring the separation of church and state. Gore had no ideas, but he should have been OK, since Bush's ideas were so terribly bad.
The problem is, no one was awake to hear Bush's bad ideas. Gore put everyone to sleep every time he talked.
That should be the focus of Kerry's campaign: Don't put voters to sleep.
This scenario begs the question: Why don't we have a party that has good ideas?
In a routine several years old, George Carlin makes a good point concerning this issue.
Carlin says we have no freedom at the voting booth. Freedom is having a choice. Right now, when we vote, we have two choices - both bad.
You have loads of freedom at Baskin-Robbins. You can choose among 31 flavors to quell your afternoon ice cream craving. But when it comes to the leader of the free world, we have but two choices.
With only two parties, each party is constantly battling the other for dominance. It's not as much about getting the right thing done as it is about making sure the other party looks bad or doesn't get what it wants.
If we had a collection of small parties, ideas would win the legislative battles, not parties.
Of course, what do I know? I'm just another irresponsible Gen-Xer who pays more attention to comedy bits than election campaign commercials.
Maybe that's because comedians are the only ones with good ideas.
Ping list for the discussion of the politics and social aspects that directly effects Gen-Reagan/Generation-X (Those born from 1965-1981) including all the spending previous generations (i.e. The Baby Boomers) are doing that Gen-X and Y will end up paying for.
Freep mail me to be added or dropped. See my home page for details.
"If we had a collection of small parties, ideas would win the legislative battles, not parties."
I respectfully refer you to the Italian government.
He's played at least one video game too many.
That's because the smartest Xers have come to the realization that everyone is full of crap, and the ones who haven't wandered over to that point shouldn't be included in the Xer category.
What is this? A college newspaper or something? High school?
"more truth in comedy bits than election commercials"
So what's the surprise??? The only time a politician lies is when their lips move. The funniest comedy is that which makes us look at the things we really do. ...and we're supposed to be the top of the food chain!!! Wild hogs are smarter than most of the people you will come in contact with today.
This is what qualifies as stand up comedy? I guess being funny is no longer a prerqusite to being a comedian.
I also respectfully suggest you go back and look closer at what you call "bad ideas" and don't grab onto the first, easy explanation or catch phrase to describe these ideas. It is likely these explanations were spoon-fed to you by the liberal media that is taking advantage of your upbringing.
I'm a Gen-Xer (although just barely; 1967).
Much as Kurt Cobain was not the "voice of my generation", despite what the media insisted, this X-example does not represent me, nor most people I know who are informed, intelligent and productive citizens of this republic.
The shallowness of thought evident in this piece is an embarassment to the rest of us who unfortunately fall into this pseudo-demographic.
Lewis Black is shockingly unfunny. I heckled him to good effect (and to no crowd boos) when last he appeared in Houston.
Thats why qam1 and CinnamonGirl say that those born between 1965-1981 (I hold off at 1980) are now to be called Generation Reagan.
"Generation Reagan".
I like that. We need bumper stickers.
Hi Xenalyte! heard you were at the party for JimRob in houston (buffyt) Sorry I missed you...I would have loved to meet you!
Exactly. You don't know crap. I agree that there are indeed some slackers in my generation, however, the vast majority of my generation, while entertained by the inane (Beavis & Butthead, Ren & Stimpy, and, yes, George Carlin), don't actually rely on those sources for factual understanding of the world we live in. And, most everyone in my generation is actually making something out of their lives. And, lastly, more and more and more of my friends who used to be the liberal a$$-clown that you are, now find themselves embracing convservative ideals: school choice, tax cuts, and freedom (and not the PC-ified variety of "freedom").
The author doesn't need to get off his high horse; rather, he needs to put his pecker down, get a job, a book, and brain...then, maybe (just maybe) he'll have some idea about current events, in general, and politics, specifically.
It's fruit-cakes like this that give my generation a bad rep.
[mattdono shakes head in disgust] Friggin' idiot.
The author's an idiot, but I still like this line:"The problem is, no one was awake to hear Bush's bad ideas. Gore put everyone to sleep every time he talked." It made me chuckle.
When it comes to CFR. Medicare prescriptions, gun control, and education spending, this description is right on the mark.
Definitely!!!
School vouchers are a wonderful idea and life over death can't even be argued.
The author can go get bent.
THREE the hard way
Black is just a yeller. Nothing funny about the guy. Glad you heckled him. A real comedian has his heckler material ready at all times.
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