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Just 95 Days Left: Against Division

By Mark Grueter

This was a good week for values but an even better week for hope. In John Edwards’ airy acceptance speech the other night, hope made eight appearances, squeaking out a win in the battle of frivolous catchphrases over values, mentioned seven times. This fact is, however, meaningless since Democrats, we now know, are against arithmetic or at least division.

I don’t see how Edwards’ talk of building “One America” is all that different from Pat Buchanan’s call for “assimilation.” The idea behind both ideas is to create a country where we all share the same values, right? I for one do not want to live in a country where everyone is the same or even nearly the same, where we all share the same values, where we all shop at Wal-mart and eat at Wendy’s. But that’s exactly what’s happening across the country, particularly in the suburbs. Diversity is dying and One America is already being built. The Republicans and Democrats have already won.

So, why do we need to build One America? Because, as Edwards stupidly put it, “we are at war,” suggesting as Republicans do that security requires a forfeiture of certain liberties. He also unwittingly implied that in times of peace we do not need to build One America. Two, three, even four Americas is perfectly okay in those times.

Look to the language. Edwards sucked the sewer pipe when he promised that he and Kerry will choose “optimism over cynicism” if elected, as if the two were mutually exclusive. As if that makes a damn bit of sense in the first place. And as if there is something unintelligent about having a cynical worldview.

Also, Democratic proposals for reform are rather tepid wouldn’t you say? They just want to tweak the system, not overhaul it. We are dealing with two moderate Democrats in Kerry and Edwards, and two pro-war candidates by the way. And yet there was no dissent, thought or opposition at this Democratic convention from the left or the right. Liberals who did not promise to have their speeches screened by Kerry’s managers were not allowed to speak, and so almost every speech sounded like an echo of its predecessor. The closest contrarian I found near the Fleet Center was Ernesto on Salem Street, a man who insists on serving two slices of his pizza for every one that you order.

Mark Grueter is a writer living in New York City. He can be contacted here.

© 2004 Me Three