Let the Blame Game Begin
If you’ve ever wondered what outsiders are thinking about our politicians, this email says everything that needs to be known:
My wife, Karen, and I lived in Minneapolis, MN for 12 years. Three of our seven kids were born in the Twin Cities. I began my sales and training career there and QBQ! came to be in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. We love Minnesota. So we are feeling deep sadness over its recent tragedy. In fact, one of our client firms, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, lost a beloved team member. Our hearts are heavy.
But I am discouraged over what’s happening now politically. And sadly, what is occurring is so predictable and deeply woven into the fabric of our society, we hardly notice it. Right after of the collapse of the I-35W bridge into the Mississippi River, one Minnesota politician made a statement that was naive at best and gratuitous and false at worst. She said, “Bridges should not fall down in America!”
Huh? Really? Wow. It’s always been my understanding that we live in an imperfect world with imperfect people who build imperfect things. And the truth is, things break. Tragic, but true.
Another politician in Washington, D.C made this statement: “We need to get to the bottom of this!” The bottom of what? There was no malice here. No person anywhere wanted this to happen.
These statements from our supposed leaders only have one aim: To initiate the Blame Game so they can score points against a political opponent. And it follows that if we buy into their propositions that human-made things shouldn’t fail and we must find culprits, then the only choice left is to ask lousy questions such as, “Who made the mistake?” “Who allowed the bridge to crumble?” and “Who didn’t fund the transportation bill?!”
But is acrimony, discord, and finger-pointing really what Minnesota and the United States need right now? Will this game of blame breed anything more than discontent, anger, and bitterness in those who have been impacted by this tragedy? Won’t it simply leave the grieving stuck and unable to move forward? And isn’t it all just a precursor to the legal suits that will soon follow?
When we look back, we’ll all know it began with our elected officials setting the tone and leading the way by failing to remember or care that modeling is the most powerful of all teachers.
And what’s odd is everyone I know will say, “Yes, blame is a bad thing!” and yet we continue to elect people who cannot wait to play gotcha. It’s what many do best. Two years after a once-in-every-100-years storm swept over a city built below sea level, our two party political system and the media are still engaging in the whodunits. I often wonder what would’ve happened in September of 2005 if ninety million American adults had asked one simple question after Katrina: “What can I do right now to contribute?” I bet every home would be rebuilt, every pantry would be stocked, and every child would have new clothes.
I hope this time Minnesota will rise above what’s become the accepted norm in our society. By ceasing the finger-pointing and recognizing the truth that all problems are in the past and solutions are now, we can work together to ensure a better future for us all. And then going forward when something breaks, we can stop asking, “Who broke it?” and start asking, “How can I help?” The answers that come may be good things like saying a prayer, hugging a friend, collaborating to solve real problems, and simply being thankful for every moment of this precious temporal journey we’re all on called life.
So come on, Minnesota, we’re pullin’ for you to show the rest of us how to live. And once you’ve lead us through this tough time, let’s all practice some personal accountability in this country by firing the blamers we put into office and find some real leaders.
Anybody with me?
By: John G. Miller, Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch
To be fair, Minnesota’s congressional delegation in Washington has worked in unison on this. We should be proud of their unity in this instance. That said, plenty of liberals here in Minnesota have attempted to pile blame onto Gov. Pawlenty, the Taxpayers’ League and Republicans in general. Not surprisingly, Nick Coleman was one of the first to direct blame on Republicans.
Unfortunately, the usual DFL hacks have sought to blame Republicans before it’s known what caused last week’s tragedy. Minnesotans should recognize this for what it is: an attempt to use tragedy for political gain. Anyone that thinks that people like Nick Coleman cares about solving the highway and bridge problems is kidding themselves. Their political long knives have been out for some time. Nobody’s done a better job of highlighting this than Michael Brodkorb. For proof that Democrats sought to make political hay out of this, check out these links:
Rick Olseen
Keith Langseth
Jeff Fecke
Elwyn Tinklenberg
It’s time political hacks like Nick Coleman, Jeff Fecke and others to think in terms of doing what’s right rather than thinking how they can exploit tragedy for political gain.
Technorati Tags: Bridge Collapse, Amy Klobuchar, Nick Coleman, Rick Olseen, Elwyn Tinklenberg, Jeff Fecke, Political Hacks, DFL
Cross-posted at LetFreedomRingBlog
August 7th, 2007 at 9:09 am
I dont know whether its the sissification and/or feminization of the countries male “leadership”, our loss of faith and belief in God, or maybe just the tendency of the press to go ape over tragic events; but not too long ago in this country, something like this would have been greeted with stoic acceptance.
OK, the bridge collapsed, lets roll up our sleeves and rebuild the damn thing, there will be time enough to discuss what happened later.
I guess nowadays the thing is to stand around, cry, wring our hands, and point fingers. Hell-ooh! thsis is the real world! See in the real world, trains wreck, planes crash, ships sink, bridges fall, things just blow up. Some times it isn’t anyone’s fault, some times it is. Our job is to get a grip!
August 7th, 2007 at 9:19 am
How timely that we want to move away from the blame game just as the neocons lose power and will surely be held accountable for their egregious miscarriage of governance. Was Watergate a blame game? Pentagon papers a witchhunt?
August 7th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Bridge investigators race against time…
Federal investigators fearing that the structure could fall further into the Mississippi River’s cur…
August 7th, 2007 at 10:59 am
If it’s “sissified” to expect that in the richest nation on earth, our bridges won’t simply collapse, well, I’ll gladly take sissification. And if it’s hackery to think that when MnDOT knew that the bridge was unsafe, and did nothing, that that’s a serious problem — well, then I’m proud to be a hack. I don’t want thirteen people to die again for no good reason. I guess to conservatives, though, it’s no big deal. Scrape the dead off, rebuild the bridge, and move on.
August 7th, 2007 at 11:21 am
[...] Original post by Gary Gross and software by Elliott Back [...]
August 7th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Acceptable Risk!
If you can’t accept the imperfections and danger don;t drive over the bridge.. DUH! I’ll accept the risk and do everyday in Ca earthquake country. Quit stealing my money telling me youre making the risk lower when the reality is youre not.
Having seen 100s of billions spent on earthquake retrofit at the expense of EVERY major trans project in Ca for the last 20 years and still have many bridges on “The List” and will not ever survie a 9.0 quake shows the corruption that is “retrofit” along with its uncle gov-curruption…
August 7th, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Mike,
Grow up. Il be the first to admit Republicans do not hold a corner of the market on honesty any more than Democrats do. Happy now?
Jeff,
Politicians work for us. They are not paid to set around, snivele, and hold widows hands and whine about somebody that was in office before them every damn time something happens.
They are paid to get off their lazy over paid asses and keep the public as safe as HUMANLY possible.
August 7th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Sometimes somebody really is to blame. While I was growing up in Fargo-Moorhead, sidewalks crumbled where a contractor had ramped sand to save on concrete, and a manifold of concrete silos west of town collapsed for a similar reason.
Sometimes 20-20 hindsight can see what should have been done.
If it weren’t about a deadly serious subject, the reality-challenged backbiting would be almost funny.
If there was shoddy work, planning, or construction, that needs to be identified, and steps taken to reduce the odds of such a thing happening again.
But determining that will take a very long time, probably more time than will elapse before the elections.
(A look at what the non-politicians, who actually make the state run, were doing, is at “Through One Dad’s Eye” - http://smalltowndad.blogspot.com/2007/08/minnesota-bridge-disaster-front-page.html ).
August 7th, 2007 at 6:21 pm
Mother Nature is still the true determiner. These people who blame cannot accept the fact that we are fallible and controlled by forces stronger than we could ever be. I am ‘humbled’ by the power around me and if it knocks me down I will arise again for another day. I will not look to someone else for complaint. I will do what is necessary to stand back up and help my fellow man.
August 7th, 2007 at 8:08 pm
mike,
OK, so were the Republicans guilty of spending all the money earmarked for dike repairs prior to Katrina on projects that made contributors to their campaigns more wealthy on projects that had nothing to do with the dikes? Or any of hundreds, nay, thousands of other projects?
Get a grip, guy. The vipers in D.C. are guilty no matter what their political persuasion, as are most the other vipers in local, state and regional governments.
Thieves are thieves whether they are donkeys or jackass-wannabees.
August 7th, 2007 at 10:49 pm
This is rich, coming from this blog.
Nevermind that there is never a shortage of political finger pointing coming from this blog (and conservatives in general). Gosh, the bridge fell down, now let’s not point fingers. Why so defensive? Could it be the republican lawmakers who are responsible for this mess?
You’re right on one count: the 2007 transportation bill that Gov. Pawlenty vetoed wouldn’t have prevented the bridge from falling down, but the 2005 bill he vetoed sounds like it sure would have. Some facts:
Funny how conservatives were so quick to blame Ray Nagin and Kathleen Blanco… yet want to wait an “appropriate amount of time” for the investigations to run their course before we hold anyone accountable for this disaster. I know, an oxymoron to use conservative and accountable in the same sentence, but this is theoretical. In practice, we all know how the cycle works. Which, of course, leads me to the question: When are we going to blame Bill Clinton for this?
The real gem, though, is this:
What? Did this guy actually just say that we should hold the people who are asking questions about this disaster accountable, but not the people whose neglect and tax-cut politics at least contributed to this disaster, if not outright caused it? This is one of the finest pieces of spin, ever. Worthy of Billo! Congratulations, I nominate John G. Miller for today’s Worst Person in the World!
Simply shameless. And exactly what we should expect from republicans.
August 9th, 2007 at 2:08 am
A snake is a snake no matter which party its affiliated.
Men go to jail, women go to jail, all colors do wrong as all politicians have an agenda.
The only agenda should be is what the American people want and ALL sides are UNHAPPY so no SIDE is WINNING or WORKING…
THIS IS THE POLITICAL GAME! This is how it keeps going.
Bridges are going to fall down, (especially if reports from inspectors are not worth the paper its written on).
Why even have inspections and reports if we allow the bridge to crumble and fall anyway? I mean really, they stopped all the spinach here in NJ from growing *for a few weeks for saftey measures), when bad spinach was found in California, yet a bridge can’t be CAUTIONED? CLOSED?
Why don’t we just place signs that say
“Caution: This bridge is imperfect - Set to expire by (place date here)”
We place expiration dates on bubble gum, soap, PENCILS but not bridges?
Are we so caught up in REALITY TV and Fantasy we forgot that buildings can fall down, roads are imperfect and NOTHING IS PERFECT??
Stuff breaks people. Haven’t we ever heard of PREVENTATIVE measures?
Politics is nothing but a blame game.
Situations like this is what the GAME thrives on.
A higher power, being, force or nature controls the disasters.
Items that are not understood are like crytonite to the corrupt so they blame in their political game.
Politics is a SYMPTOM of tyranny, corruption and BLAME!
August 12th, 2007 at 9:16 am
[...] a great email about how politicians play the blame game…. h/t California Conservative My wife, Karen, and I lived in Minneapolis, MN for 12 years. Three of our seven kids were born in the Twin Cities. I began my sales and training career there and QBQ! came to be in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. We love Minnesota. So we are feeling deep sadness over its recent tragedy. In fact, one of our client firms, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, lost a beloved team member. Our hearts are heavy. [...]