Bob Schwartz, the South Dakota blogger formerly known as South Dakota Moderate and who then moved his blog to Politics and Hypocrisy, has made a new move. It’s a move I congratulate him on as it means he may have joined my camp (to the extent we disgusted and disaffected have a camp).
Here’s what Bob said Sunday on his retitled blog, Bob Schwartz Online, in a post called The End of Politics As I Know It:
Well after over 2 years of blogging on politics I have come to the realization that my heart is no longer in it. I thought that writing about the hypocrisy displayed by our elected officials would somehow be therapeutic when in fact it had the opposite effect. Reading the hate, the lies, and the spin that both parties try to pass off as policy has finally turned me off to the process altogether.
With that said, my Politics and Hypocrisy blog will slowly fade into obscurity (Ok it was always there) and instead I will try to get back into blogging about whatever I find interesting at the moment. That will still include politics from time to time but I will now focus on other items as well.
Why does this strike such a chord with me? Here’s part of what I said some three and a half years ago:
Yet watching political discourse, particularly as more recently demonstrated by political blogs, has simply reinforced my prior views and further convinced me little or nothing can or will be done to honestly address the problems facing our nation and state.
Politics is politics and those who play and live it are welcome to wade in it all they want. I may comment occasionally on a smattering of issues and will leave up links to political sites for those so inclined. But I am tired of the stench. Thus, I will move this blog away from politics and toward things that actually bring pleasure, meaning and nuance to life.
Welcome to the world of the undeceived and to the important things in life, Bob. The air smells much better, the stress of fighting and becoming angry over things you know won’t change is alleviated and, all in all, your blog moves from the dark side into the light.
[T]he whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by an endless series of hobgoblins, most of them imaginary.
H.L. Mencken, In Defense of Women
Well, you guys ought not turn off your analysis of politics completely since now and then a scalpel may be better than a sledge hammer.
I don’t see the need for acute specialization in blogs. There is room for blogs with an eclectic mixture.
I must admit that I am also very turned off by the inane political discussion and the inane coverage of the issues even when the issues aren’t inane.
I think that calls for more rational discussion rather than less however.