America: Let’s work on getting our political rhetoric honed down to actual discussions again.

In expressing our views of politics in America, we tend to judge our leaders on who we feel they are, instead of what they do. This is a terrible mistake, because even if they are liars, or bad people, or very different than us, they still may be capable of making the best decisions for the over-all good of the country. And that’s really all we should care about. The biggest mistake we make as citizens is when we criticize our presidents for being who they are, and any things we don’t like about them personally, instead sticking to the facts and actions they’ve taken that may have affected our country and the way it’s run.

Don’t hate bush for being a simpleton, just because a lot of people like that about him, -it’s not really his fault. Hate him for something like starting bogus wars that killed hundreds of thousands, for giving our budget surplus away to the rich, for his heinous environmental record, or for making America far more partisan than ever before, etc.

Don’t hate Reagan for being a movie star, just because a lot of people like that about him, -it’s not really his fault. Hate him for something like doubling the deficit, Iran-Contra, taking down the solar panels from the White house, or the fact that his policy of supporting Islamicist insurgents against the Soviet-backed government of Afganistan led to the rise of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.

Don’t hate Clinton for being smart, just because a lot of people like that about him, -it’s not really his fault. Hate him for something like “wagging the dog” and blowing up the aspirin factory during monicagate, NAFTA, Telecom 96, or his horrifically anti-environmentalist timber policy.

Don’t hate Obama for being black, just because a lot of people like that about him, -it’s not really his fault. Hate him for something like bailing out the car makers, or for obamacare, or for trying to raise taxes on the rich, or something specific that he has done, or says he will do, if he can, that you disagree with because you think it will be bad for the country over-all. And then rant about that. Not about how you feel like he’s an elitist because he looks smug when he smiles. Fuck that.

It’s our job as citizens to dissent, but let’s argue policy, not politics.