Quiet Riot

Unhappy L.A. Weekly columnist Harold Meyerson has this to say about the recall:

[W]hen the Golden State?s white middle class riots, it normally happens at the ballot box.

Actually, we call those elections.

Comments

[Lefty]

Plutarck, I think Darrell Issa's dyslexic. School House Rock would have been right up his alley.

For a good laugh check out "The Darrell Issa California Election Omnipotence Bill" which declares all future elections "suggestions" subject to Issa's approval. It authorizes he and his brother to, among other things, take the cars of any violators.

http://www.mcsweeneys.net/links/diceob/issa1.html

[Steve Smith]

I liked the comparison with "Day of the Locusts". The money quote is what follows the above: "And so we get the California that votes against desegregated housing and for sending immigrants back to Mexico." And, of course, term limits, massive tax cuts, recalls, and all manner of infantile acts by an electorate with an indeterminate amount of rage. No Justice, No Peace !!

[Plutarck]

"There have also been the Perotoid revolts against the state?s political class, which have led to term limits so severe that most state Assembly members are still learning how a bill becomes a law as they?re being shown the door."

Call me old-fashioned, but shouldn't they kind of have figured out how a bill becomes a law before they get into office? What, don't they watch School House Rock?

I'm increasingly believing that all of school could be replaced by digital cable television sets and would result in a remarkable increase in actual learning, comprehension, and appreciation. But that's just a pet theory of mine - kind of off the cuff, really.

[Sean]

"Whites riot in Novemeber" is a term I remember getting thrown about in all sorts of context after the L.A. King riots. Meyerson's just trying to give that idea new life.

As for the Circus itself, best damn reality show I've seen so far (if only the network's could have cut a deal and sponsored this one). Looks like the latest act will be Huffington dodging tax questions for a week or so.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=362&u=/trib/20030814/lo_latimes/huffingtonpaidlittleincometax&printer=1

[Rick Barton]

It seems more true with the passing of each day: The only reason for politics is to forever put an end to politics. (or, at least severely limit its relevance)

[Anonymous]

It seems more true with the passing of each day: The only reason we had WW-I was to forever put an end to all wars. (Or, at least severely limit its relevance.)

[James Merritt]

I am getting rather tired of all the whining about term limits "destroying institutional memory" and promoting "legislative inexperience" (not to mention, it seems, outright incompetence).

If limited to two terms, a legislator still gets to serve four years. Shouldn't six months be long enough to master the nuts and bolts of YOUR JOB, and a year beyond that long enough to gain some proficiency and attain some measure of effectiveness? This still leaves a good two years and six months or so to be dangerous in the legislature, after which time you can run for other office, or even -- and check this out as a radical idea -- return to private life and live under the laws you made!

We don't need cadres of legislative old-timers, frozen in office for decades, to preserve institutional memory. We need written journals, tapes, transcripts, and other records that incoming legislators can STUDY. We need older members to be the "buddies" of the incoming freshmen, showing them the ropes. We need former members who have gone on to other elected office, or even to lobbying, to share their expertise with the greenhorns. We need a better legislative training course for new members.

Why do such things never seem to be discussed in the broad public debate? Why is it always, "the system is broken and term limits broke it..."? It sounds like we are only getting one side of the story.

[Rick Barton]

War is the mass murder governments commit. Also, it's indeed true that: "war is the health of the state"

[pathfinder]

You are deluding yourself again, Rick. Governments can't do a thing -- let alone commit mass murder.

Government is a non-entity.

Only certain specific individuals within government ? persons making specific decisions ? can be accused of such crimes. Let's hold those individuals responsible and punish them to the fullest extent of the law.

Otherwise, you're just banging your head against a wall.

[M. Scott Eiland]

Meyerson's sniveling reminds me of the quote attributed to Our Bill from election night 1994: "It's Nazi time out there!" Not to mention the anchorman (was it Brokaw or Jennings?--I can never remember) who described that election as a temper tantrum by white male voters. They didn't know it, but that exercise in sore loserdom would be great training for the 2000 election, though neither truly rose to Altermanesque heights.