For fans of the “war on terror,” the last few days have been downright terrorlicious. Other minds more loquacious and quicker with their fingers have explained why they preferred not to mark the anniversary of an attack by a handful of foreigners, noting instead the self-inflicted depredations of the last five years (and counting).
On the eve of the well-orchestrated memorials, which seemed better suited to ratcheting up fear than bucking up spirits, Bill Maher struck a discordant note. He said it’s his patriotic duty to mock George W. Bush:
New rule: Bad presidents happen to good people. Amid all the 9/11 anniversary talk about what will keep us safe, let me suggest that in a world turned hostile to America, the smartest message we can send to those beyond our shores is, “We’re not with stupid.” Therefore, I contend—with all seriousness—that ridiculing this president is now the most patriotic thing you can do. Let our allies and our enemies alike know that there’s a whole swath of Americans desperate to distance themselves from Bush’s foreign policies. And that’s just Republicans running for reelection.
Part of me agrees, of course, but part of me is uncomfortable with mockery as a method of political discourse. More importantly, though, it’s not just George Bush. To get personal is to fall in the trap set by the mainstream culture. You vote for the candidate you’d prefer to watch a football game with. Don’t waste time investigating the forces at work, the deals being made—the real game being played. If you like the way the guy talks, or walks, or winks at you, go ahead and vote him into the most powerful office in the land.
That said, I simply have to post this:
