You Can't Fight Naked

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.
Mark Twain

Initially this post started out with a comment about how a Jew and an Irishman engage in steam room diplomacy. But I didn't like the flow so I turned off the jets and decided to scroll it back into something that didn't sound like the start of some silly joke.

Because if I had to attach labels I'd have to say that it was two Americans discussing politics and life in America, not to mention a few words about the advantages of the blogosphere.

It is safe to say that our politics don't always fall in line with each other. We have our differences and we have our similarities. I don't mind disagreeing with people. It is good to challenge your beliefs. I'd like to say that I never fall into the trap of thinking that my way is the only way, but sometimes that is really how it goes.

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.
Mark Twain

We probably sat in the steam room for a solid 15-20 minutes. During that time I learned about how he began blogging and exchanged a few thoughts about the blogosphere and what it can do. Certainly his corner of cyberspace far exceeds my own, at least based upon the number of readers. So from a purely selfish point of view I was curious to hear what he had to say. I still blog for myself, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't want to dramatically increase my traffic.

I thoroughly disapprove of duels. If a man should challenge me, I would take him kindly and forgivingly by the hand and lead him to a quiet place and kill him.
Mark Twain

Eventually the heat got to be too much and it was time to go shower. As we walked out I mentioned that steam room diplomacy might be the way to go. Get two parties into the steam room and let them work out their differences. As Mike said, You Can't Fight Naked.

Seriously, with that kind of heat you don't have time to sit their and posture. You're either going to get down to brass tacks or pass out from heat exhaustion. It seems to me that there is merit in forcing our diplomats into expediting the process. It might not fit into the current protocol, but I am not convinced that protocol is helping all that much. The old saw about thinking outside the box comes to mind.

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

On a more serious note I am disappointed to say that this is another election in which I am not happy with any of the candidates. I won't not vote. I am going to give up that right, but I won't sit quietly on the sidelines.

It is shameful and disappointing to look at the current group of politicians and feel like everyone of them is trying to say what we want to hear. If you voice opinions that are considered hard right or hard left you are unelectable. And so everyone comes to the center because that is a politicians safety zone.

I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.
Mark Twain

I have to imagine, I have to believe that some of our representatives are working for us because they want to help. I have to think that someone out there went into it for altruistic reasons. Because honestly the thought that every politician is a lying scumbag who is in it for power, prestige and money is too depressing.

I grew up hearing that anyone could become president. Part of me still believes that and part of me says that this has become a myth, a fable. If you don't have money and access to the machine you can't get there. If you're not a Washington insider than you are an outsider looking in.

But maybe the dream that was America still lives. Regardless of how I feel about our candidates we can still say that a woman and a minority have a legitimate shot at being elected president. So perhaps in spite of all of the challenges we face there is a silver lining.

What do you think?