Debate This!

Yeah – I watched the debate last night. Wife and I talked about it afterward – I asked her not to dwell on words so much as demeanor and attitude. She’s much more observant of people than I am.

She says that Obama comes across as cool and confident, approachable, knowledgeable and assured. McCain knows it all, has an edge on him, and is a fighter. He seems willing to do or say anything to take Obama out. (Obviously she’s been influenced by the recent ads and attacks by McCain/Palin.)

End of story.

Except this – I think of a tyrannosaurus Rex when I see McCain strutting around on stage flailing his short arms. It’s a bit comical.

Now, on to substance.

End of story.

Except this – both candidates went out of their way to affirm that the United States is a force for good in the world. We rescue people. Debates are hardly the place to let reality interfere, but this notion or rescuing people is our official mythology, and neither candidate is going to affirm any other. But when I see both candidates prostrate themselves at the alter of American exceptionalism, each goes down another notch. I wonder if either really know what’s up, if they have both internalized the lies. I think one is a little smarter than the other, but there is no avenue – none! – for expression of truth in presidential politics, so if Obama has an inkling of how the U.S. really behaves on the world stage, he’d better repress it.

And I think he has.

We are a violent culture, a violent people – we have killed millions in Iraq alone, our latest bloodbath. (I go back to 1990 to put that “s” on the end of “million”.) The mythology of benevolent intervention is necessary to shield us from ourselves, to hide the mirror. We are about resources – Obama did say at one point that we have 3% of the world’s oil, yet consume 25% of world oil production. That statistic ought to say it all – we can only survive with other people’s resources. We are too insecure merely to buy from others, so we take by force.

Usually we murder other people while carrying the cross of Jesus, though we’re not so vocal about spreading Christianity with our bullets and bombs anymore. There has been progress, I guess.