Godwin’s Rule states, “As an online discussion grows longer,
the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.” I
would like to revise this rule and I want it to have my name on it instead of Mike
Godwin’s.
Whiteside’s Rule states, “As any discussion with a
Republican grows longer, the probability of the subject expanding to include Benghazi approaches 1.”
It really doesn’t matter that you were disputing the merits
of outsourcing public services or shifting the tax burden from highly profitable
to corporations or high income house to low and middle income households,
eventually the conversation will take a surprise detour to Benghazi.
 |
| U.S. Consulate, Benghazi, Libya (September 11, 2012) |
You see it doesn’t matter that we now know more about the September
11, 2012 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi ,
Libya
And exactly what does the Benghazi attack have to do with expanding
Medicaid, outsourcing school transportation services, or maintaining roads at the
expense of school budgets so that corporate taxes can be reduced? Absolutely
nothing!
For Republicans, just saying “Benghazi” out loud seems to
bring them a kind self-affirming reassurance that every problem can ultimately
be traced to “that man” … you know, the brown guy who is a secret Muslim from Kenya
who wants to destroy everything that is good about America, like mom, apple pie
and little white babies.
And before you can say, “But that has nothing to do with Michigan ’s Emergency
Manager Law and our right to elect our local officers,” they are saying, “And,
I’m not a racist!”
Bringing up Benghazi is like crack cocaine for Republicans,
it stimulates an endorphin surge that would kill a donkey but just makes an
elephant smile … you know, that smug expression that screams, “Gotcha!”
 |
| Representative Tim Walberg (R-MI) |
Maybe that is why Representative Tim Walberg (R-Tipton , Michigan ) just
had to get a few words in at the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
held May 8, 2013 to investigate the U.S. Consulate Attack in Benghazi , Libya
Walberg’s opening statement says it all, "It was
shocking to just hear a statement that this is rehashing same old stories.
These aren't 'old stories’; these aren't 'same old stories'. This is a
situation that is atrocious in that it happened and it's about time that we
heard the stories for the first time that we are hearing today.”
This will probably shock Tim Walberg, but this committee is
doing nothing more than “rehashing same old stories” and yes, they are “same
old stories”. This is what Republicans do to distract themselves from the fact
that they have no idea how to govern; they hold hearings and shout, “Gotcha!”
If you are a Republican and you are reading this, you are
probably spitting nails and kicking the wall. Every now and then you are
shouting “Benghazi !”
for no reason at all except that you are hoping for a little endorphin surge.
But I’m not writing this for wild-eyed, right-wing, Republicans;
I am writing it for progressive and moderately progressive Democrats as well as
moderates who are largely non-partisan even if they tend to vote Republican or
Democrat. What are you doing right now?
I hate to say this, but you really aren’t doing much of
anything. You might have grinned a bit remembering the last conversation you
had that unexpectedly took a turn toward Benghazi ,
but you aren’t getting mad … and you should.
At a time when we desperately need for our representatives
in Washington and Lansing to govern, they aren’t governing and we are suffering
the consequences locally. I learned something from Michigan State
Representative Gretchen Driskell (D-Saline) while working on her campaign, “It’s
always about the quality of life where you live.” It really doesn’t matter
where you live, you expect the schools to be funded, the roads to be maintained,
the business district to offer you the goods and services that you want and
need and the jobs to pay you well enough to live a dignified life.
From now on, every time you try to talk about what is
important and someone says “Benghazi ”,
I want you to get mad, say “Whiteside’s Rule” and walk away from them. I
promise you this, they will have no idea what you are talking about and they
will be robbed of the little endorphin surge that they were expecting.
After you walk away from them, I want you to commit yourself
to doing something to make sure that nobody gets elected to office in 2014 that
is more interested in saying “Gotcha!” than in governing. That means making
sure that Tim Walberg and others like him go even if their replacement isn’t
the perfect candidate.
(Watch the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
on the U.S. Consulate Attack in Benghazi ,
Libya
Yes!
ReplyDelete