Teddy Bloggie Blog Blogging

What's this got to do with motorcycles? Somebody in MO reader feedback made the same argument a few weeks ago concerning something, and I started to go off then but had more pressing matters to attend. Then, just last week I was getting my daily fix in the morning newspaper when I came across Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott's response to Majority Leader Tom Daschle's criticism of President Bush's economic record:

"Even if you accept all that as a problem [the economy being in the toilet], and a lot of it is, what is your plan? Quit being critical without offering any alternatives," Lott reportedly said.

This is such a lame argument on so many levels. Where to begin?

Obviously, Daschle and the Democrats (and I'm not even going to go partisan here) have already offered a few alternatives, most of which involve NOT cutting taxes again. All the Congress does all day is shovel proposals and counterproposals from one hole to the next, and to imply that the other side isn't shoveling its fair share is disingenuous in the extreme. (Which is, of course, an excellent trait in a senator and probably a big reason why Lott's been so successful.)

Whether you offer solutions or not, pointing out errors in other peoples' logic--I've come to figure out after all these years--is an important civic duty. If the child had not pointed out that the Emperor's new clothes were in fact his birthday suit, then who would've? If Paul Revere had stayed in bed instead of warning that the British were coming, what then? If Woodward and Bernstein had kept quiet about Watergate for lack of solutions to government corruption, would that have been better? If I see that your pants are on fire, liar liar, but am not currently grasping an extinguisher, should I say nothing?

Fundamentally, the point being made by the critical party in all these situations is simply: Watch out! and/or, Stop doing the thing you're doing, as it is FUBAR, and people are suffering as a result of your Bumbling Ineptitude. The criticism is itself the counterargument. When I point out that you are beating your wife, the implication is that you should cease and desist beating her--and there's no requirement for me to have come up with a more efficient pummeling method.

And if I don't point out what you're doing is wrong, what reason would you have to stop, given your original proclivity to begin doing the stupid thing in the first place? To paraphrase JFK, all that's required for stupid people to take over the world is for less-stupid people to do nothing. Or say nothing. Realizing you're an idiot, and admitting it, is the first step toward recovery--but as an idiot how will you know you are one unless I point it out? (Given that you've missed so many other clues.)

This stupid argument is a variation on another popular and highly annoying one: Well, if you don't vote, then don't criticize the system. Say what? It's the system that's responsible for not offering any choice beyond the lesser of several evils. Long as I'm paying taxes, I'll continue to rag on the weasels while taking pride in the fact that I didn't vote for any of them.

Whatever. Now I read that President Bush's plan to fix the economy, through further tax cuts, appears to be on hold for the time being. Wonder if Daschle and the Democrats' criticism had any part in that? I hope Plan B works when the President gets around to it; I already spent the 600 bucks from the last time he fixed the economy on stock in his buddy Ken Lay's company.

On another note, young Elliot the Intern has left us to go back to the University of Washington. We're going to miss that kid. He did a lot of work, for one thing. If anyone within the sound of my voice is interested in an internship at MO, drop me an e-mail. The successful candidate will be independently wealthy, in the Los Angeles area, have decent writing skills, a motorcycle license, and cleavage wouldn't be cause for disqualification if you know what I mean.