Shutdown and Out

I'm sorry for not writing more lately, but it's just been hard. Not that I can't find the time or a topic, but that I just haven't cared much about politics lately. That's not exactly it. I just can't find reason to care when no one looks good. It's politics at its worst. Trump is awful. The GOP is enabling him. The Democrats are either a) too spineless to really stand up to him or b) running for president so much so that they are trying to out-liberal each other. It's just a terribly toxic political environment right now. Heck, I didn't even watch the State of the Union for the first time in forever.

But let's recap the government shutdown. If the worst thing that happened was that government employees got a three-day weekend, then it wasn't too bad. It wasn't a two-week shutdown like the last one. But there are a few things that should be noted.

Right-Wing Threat
There's a part of me that believes the conservative members of the GOP who have taken such a hard line on immigration, DACA and the like are doing it for political reasons. Specifically, that they're afraid. They're afraid that immigrants gaining citizenship will vote Democratic. So taking a hard stance against immigration is also an act of self-preservation. Instead of being for a principle, it's for a political gain. The anti-immigration movement of the last 5 years or so is startling to me.

Deja Vu All Over Again
During the last shutdown, the party out of power decided to use the budget process to show their base that they were serious about being confrontational over issues that were important. During this shutdown, the party out of power decided to use the budget process to show their base that they were serious about being confrontational over issues that were important. The Democrats learned it from watching you, GOP. They learned it from watching you.

Democratic Rift
One of the biggest things this shutdown revealed was the difference in Democrats. There are Democrats who are thinking about surviving 2018 (like Claire McCaskill, locally and most notably) or who aren't going to run for president in 2020 who want to show that they are serious about solving problems and not creating them. McCaskill, for example, was noted for being a major part of negotiations. These Democrats are worried about NOW and are trying to prevent the shutdown and be more moderate. On the other hand, Democrats who are not up for re-election in 2018 and have an eye on a White House run (Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders) are trying to show that they are the standard bearer of the progressive movement. They're trying to show to liberals that they are willing to fight to the end over progressive ideals in the same way Republicans have shown resolve and fight over their issues during the Obama years.

Trump Not Helping
At one point, a deal was reached between the Senate Republicans and Democrats on the immigration issue. At the 11th hour, President Trump, who had said he'd support whatever was sent to his desk, rejected the deal. Democrats have been trying to ask him what he wants in an immigration deal (and therefore what is up for negotiation). Sen. Chuck Schumer accurately said trying to figure out his position is like trying to nail down Jell-O. Trump could help this whole process, but he has been out of the negotiations and also part of the reason for negotiations falling apart. It was only at Tuesday's State of the Union that he laid out what he wants, though it's a "I'll give you DACA if you give me three things you hate" sort of deal. Schumer isn't biting.

Moderates Succeeded? Sort of?
In theory, moderates "won" the day by ending the shutdown early. Lindsey Graham and Claire McCaskill and Susan Collins and Jeff Flake were at the center of reaching a deal. They made sure this shutdown didn't last as long as the Ted Cruz shutdown. That said, it's still a bad look. I know a lot of people who were upset that immigration somehow got brought into a budget battle. Further, we just delayed the process. Next week, we'll be having these same battles and same debates that we were a few weeks ago. It was a three-week delay that didn't address any of the underlying issues.

Nothing Won, Though
Just like Ted Cruz's shutdown, this was largely fruitless. While yes, CHIP was included in the passed bill, the gist of the deal was this: Democrats approved of a three-week budget in response for a promise by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that he really intends to address immigration by then. He promises. Pinky swear. In case that doesn't sound very concrete, it's not. It's a pretty vague response. Even if McConnell allows a vote that passes, the House could still vote it down or he president could veto, and McConnell would still be keeping his word. The Democrats won nothing.

So What Does It Mean? 
Great question. I don't have a great answer for you. It was ultimately an unnecessary, largely pointless government shutdown that will likely have very little political consequence in the midterms. By the time the midterms come around, we'll have forgotten about the shutdown altogether. Maybe Trump will have said something that pulls all the GOP down. Or maybe he does something that lifts their tides. Point is: This is a short-term bad mark for the Democrats that probably won't last long in the national psyche. Or, to quote the Bard: Much Ado About Nothing. Both sides are trying to put Band-Aids on it rather than do the hard work of negotiating a compromise.

My Favorite Kids' Movies
I recently explained my kids' movies theory to some friends. Specifically, it's why I prefer Moana and Zootopia to most other films. These are practically the only two kids movies with a) female protagonists b) with two supportive and alive parents (though they can and do have flaws) c) they pursue career/societal/personal goals d) that are not about getting a man and/or they don't have a love interest.

That's not to say that I only like movies with female protagonists or that love stories aren't good. It's also not to fall into the trap of saying movies are PROBLEMATIC when they don't meet my version of the Bechdel Test. But there is such a depth and breadth to stories told about men, and stories about women are almost always reduced to "her life isn't complete without a man." Men don't get the same treatment.

Before these two movies, the closest Disney movie you had that fit the bill was Mulan. However, the romantic subplot with Shang seemed to undermine the message that she was an independent woman with the ability to pursue her own goals. Heck, the whole "Montage of Protagonist Discovering Their Focus And Abilities" is set to the song "Be A Man," which also undermines the message a bit. It's the closest Disney had come, but it doesn't quite meet my standard because of Shang.

There has been a little more emphasis in recent years to meet these checks. Finding Dory and Inside Out arguably meet all four, but at least meet three. I haven't seen Brave. Frozen does not pass the test. Tangled doesn't. Even ones from my era, like Pocahontas and The Little Mermaid don't. Going back even further doesn't do Disney/Pixar any more favors. But that's what's so interesting about this list: In the history of Disney films, they might have only 2-4 that meet these simple tests.

Summary Judgments

Say what you will about Colin Kaepernick, but he's put his money where his mouth is. I respect his efforts.  •  •  •  As the Trump administration has pulled back from international relations, it has opened a door for other countries. Turkey, a longtime ally of the U.S., is being wooed by both Iran and Russia — not in our country's best interests. I'd also add that heavy investment into Africa, the Middle East and Latin America is being made by China — as the U.S. pulls back, it's clear that other powers are ready and willing to step into the void.  •  •  •  This is the year of music for Alyson and I. We're going to Foo Fighters, Jack White, Jimmy Eat World, and Franz Ferdinand. That's pretty much our concert bucket list.  •  •  •  I started running again. I've done 2 miles a couple of times. I'm horribly out of shape, but it's encouraging I can get back in the swing of it quickly. I still haven't finalized my plans for what races to run, though. I hate being cold when I run, and the temperature has not been kind this winter in KC.  •  •  •  We've been watching Planet Earth II on Netflix with the kids. The other day, Roland wanted me to pretend to be a monster. "You're a Jabbler!" he said. I had no idea what a Jabbler was, but it was a pretty cool name. He keeps calling me a Jabbler and saying I'm going to eat him. I finally figured out he was saying mispronouncing "jaguar", which had been in Planet Earth II earlier in the week. So, high school friends: We are all Blue Springs South Jabblers from now on.