Remain Calm, Etc. : Hakuna Matata, Y’all
Posted on: January 10, 2013
- In: Congress | Current Events | Democratic Values | Government | Hillary Clinton | Music | You Tube
- 20 Comments
“Hakuna Matata; what a wonderful phrase.
Hakuna Matata; It aint no passing craze.
It means no worries, for the rest of your days.
Its our problem free, philosophy…
HAKUNA MATATA!”
Widdershins, I am in the grip of a massive case of ennui. I honestly cannot tell you if I have just stayed too wound up for too long, or if I just no longer give a rat’s dernier. All I know is that I am almost shell-shocked at this point i n time, and that’s not good.
It’s not like everything is all that great, either. Congress has still not re-authorized the Violence Against Women Act. Flushed with his sixteen point deficit with women voters,Paul Ryan has reintroduced the bill that would grant full rights to a zygote. Republican-controlled state legislatures are proceeding full-speed ahead on anti-women legislation as if the 2012 election never happened. Texas has already defunded Planned Parenthood and left thousands upon thousands of low-income women out trying to find health care from a list of physicians that is apparently somewhat shy of accurate. I can only assume that gerrymandering has allowed state legislatures to stay as noncooperative as the US House of Representatives. That makes the 2014 governor’s races crucially important. My governor should be amongst the first to go, so one would think that I would be charged up and ready to go. Nope – Hakuna Matata, ladies.
Then there’s Obama’s new cabinet. I saw a picture of the new group today and it’s difficult to see the difference between the new cabinet and the leadership of the House of Representatives. The President is the WH diversity, and Rep, Candace Miller, that poor woman who was put in charge of what amounts to housekeeping details, is what passes for diversity in the House of Representatives. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis resigned today. That said, Susan Rice might well be the new SOS were it not for the old white guys in the senate. Hakuna matata’ – it’s all good, ladies. Just keep telling yourselves that.
Soon the new cabinet appointees will be grilled by the Senate. Sen. John Kerry should be a piece of cake to confirm, as the Repubs are still wishing and hoping that former Senator Scott Brown will win the ensuing special election and return to the Senate. Of course, the may have to tolerate Barney Frank in the interim, which would indeed see them hoisted on their own petard. Former Senator Chuck Hagel will not be quite so easy. Seems that the same Sens. McConnell, Graham and McCain who waxed eloquently at the time of his departure now believe that he is to the left of the President, and I’m stunned that they even think that such a place exists.
Chuck Hagel is an old-school Republican, not a Neo-con. He is also an actual combat veteran, and did so enlisted rather than commissioned. He honestly believes that it is time to wind down the war and bring people home, and no self-respecting Neo-con could allow that to occur. Former Senator Hagel is not thrilled with the continuous operation of Guantanamo, and would be difficult to convince that another Middle Eastern front is a grand idea. There are some questions on some stances regarding Israel, although asking questions is not in and of itself anti-Israel. I ask questions on an ongoing basis about all sorts of things. At any rate, Sen. Hagel has a lot going for him, and it would likely be worth our time to hear him out. Hakuna matata, Senator Hagel. I hope that you at least get to speak with the Senate. If all goes well, perhaps we might look forward to expunging some of the ghosts of the Vietnam Era.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has returned to work, and was her staff gave her a rather nifty football helmet decorated with the Department of State logo. She has assured the House of Representatives that she will be there in two weeks to discuss Benghazi. In the meantime, I’m certain that the House has plenty with which to busy themselves, such as finishing up the Superstorm Sandy relief package. While they are at it, it might not be such a bad thought to go back and discuss some of those damage mitigation projects that aroused such ire when previously discussed. This whole climate change thing seems to be settling in, and while you might continue to deny its existence, it’s becoming progressively difficult to deny the effects. Hakuna matata, Congress, I suppose that you are waiting for the flood waters to fill your offices.
This is an open thread. Please feel free to add your Hakuna Matata moment to my list.
20 Responses to "Remain Calm, Etc. : Hakuna Matata, Y’all"
January 10, 2013 at 8:25 am
Hagel got a 0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign for his gay opinions (he also was a very vocal supporter of DADT.)
January 10, 2013 at 9:34 am
The new cabinet pretty much tells you where they’re headed: backwards in time. And taking (or dragging) us with them.
January 10, 2013 at 9:43 am
1 and 2: Aha! My mad scheme to get you to comment worked. I absolutely agree that homophobia is a deal breaker, but he has not only backed off of that position, he has actually apologized for it. Has the HRC re-evaluated? Fo you think that they should?
3. Oh, absolutely. The WH appears to be standing on its first term record. Hakuna matata.
January 10, 2013 at 1:23 pm
“Hakuna Matata” now replaces “Serenity Now,” in my official lexicon of how to get through a day.
Just a general question and not directly pointed at Hagel, but it is relevant since he could be an example of it. I’m all for forgiveness, magnanimity, and personal growth, but can a person really “will” their burned in, imprinted prejudice from their “mein” even if there is no outward manifestation of it?
I really wonder about this — it is possible to give everyone a second chance, but does it really matter what is going on in someone’s head if there is no outward manifestation of it in act or deed.
I’m not advocating here — I just truly want to know what y’all think?
January 10, 2013 at 3:43 pm
Could we possibly have a round of “everything old is new again”? Seems like the same ole, same ole.
January 10, 2013 at 3:54 pm
Hey y’all, important news about the flu season; it’s apparently much worse this year than last with up to 41 states reporting widespread outbreaks. Go get your flu shot if you haven’t had it yet. if you don’t have a personal doctor, you can get it at most drug stores now.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/widespread-flu-outbreak-rises-41-states-18138130
January 10, 2013 at 4:27 pm
Mr. Prolix, your comment got grabbed by spammy, but it’s released now.
January 10, 2013 at 4:33 pm
DYB@1: Apparently Barney has had a change of heart regarding chucky.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/07/barney-frank-chuck-hagel_n_2424747.html
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/01/barney-frank-now-backs-chuck-hagel-85841.html
January 10, 2013 at 5:06 pm
@5: I believe in redemption. I have seen many people evolve over the years. My parents generation evolved on women;s issues and racism – not to current standards, but many changes occurred.
January 10, 2013 at 5:47 pm
Thanks Fredster.
@10 — Chat, thanks, that’s what I want to believe too, but sometimes my faith gets shaky about such things.
January 10, 2013 at 5:59 pm
I was going to add that yes, I believe people *can* change their opinions on things, but let’s face it: it’s difficult to gauge their sincerity.
January 10, 2013 at 6:10 pm
Yeah. I’m continuing with my stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off mood, too. How long’s that been now? Since 2000?
(By the way, I think you want rat’s derriere, or, even rat’s derrière if that displays the way it’s supposed to.)
January 10, 2013 at 6:36 pm
I do indeed, but the spell check insisted upon the above referenced spelling.
January 10, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Prolix I don’t have a wide range of experience cause I could somehow intuit people with whom I wanted no contact, however contrary to Chat’s experience, my Dad never changed. I didn’t know Dad was anti semitic and anti negro and anti gay until I was in my early teens. I had never heard him say a word against any other demographic. Mind you, in those days most of our experience was with white only however my best friend in grade 3-4 was a wonderful youngster – Herbie – who just happened to be black. Dad didn’t say much other than I should watch out. The real eye opener came when I was 12 – my sister 15 and she was dating a jewish boy. Geebus, were my eyes opened. Then when I was out on my own and my best friend was a gay man (RIP Barrie, you are sorely missed), the eyes went into overdrive. I loved my Dad, although we never got along, but his reaction to the perfectly wonderful people I met and befriended was shocking to me. All that to say that in my experience, they never change,they just learn to hide it in a more professional manner. It’s still there under the surface and in my Dad’s case, he did everything he could do under the table, so to speak to undermine my friendships. It got so bad that I cut off Dad from my life outside of my family. That’s my experience. I don’t know about Hagel, however I just do not trust anyone who has been virulently against something in the past, then suddenly changes to pro when political appointments are the carrot on the stick. Not that he could do a lot of harm directly as SOD, but it’s their influence behind the scenes that could do the damage. Just my opinion of course, and I’m not an American.
January 10, 2013 at 9:25 pm
(Spell check. Hah. These machines suffer severely from the Dunning-Kruger effect. Just yesterday, the GPS on the phone of the other person in my car tried to send me five (5!) miles out of my way in v e r y s l o w – m o v i n g Los Angeles traffic. I ignored it so we actually got where we were going before midnight and we all turned into pumpkins.)
January 10, 2013 at 11:07 pm
Two kids were shot in New York accidentally today, and there was another classroom shooting in CA (2 wounded, no one dead). Hakuna freaking matata.
January 10, 2013 at 11:07 pm
quixote@16: LOL! Just checked out the definition of Dunning-Kruger effect! 
January 10, 2013 at 11:41 pm
Hi Fredster! Hi everyone. My evening meetings that have been going on for the last several weeks are coming to a close tomorrow night. I hope to be around a little more often again. 
Dunning-Kroger effect – that is awesome, Quixote! I have more than one co-worker who suffers from that! From your link…
The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which unskilled individuals suffer from illusory superiority, mistakenly rating their ability much higher than average. This bias is attributed to a metacognitive inability of the unskilled to recognize their mistakes.[1]
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January 10, 2013 at 8:20 am
Chuck Hagel also said a few not very nice things about the gays. Which is why Barney Frank said he wouldn’t support him if he could (couldn’t?) Hagel’s recent openly aggressive “you misunderstood what I said, how dare you take my statements out of contexts, but I’m sorry if you were offended” tour for the homophobic statements was only motivated by the rumors that he might be nominated for SOD. For me personally, homophobia is a deal-breaker. Sorry Chucky, don’t mean to be so openly aggressive!