Something's wrong.
You have pains somewhere, or bleeding, or you're losing weight, peeing orange. Whatever. Constipation, diarrhea. Take your pick. So you see your doctor. She sends you to some specialist or other who collects some inadequate or irrelevant data, and, having interpreted it exactly wrong, makes a diagnosis. You see a surgeon, who concurs with the diagnosis, or maybe comes up with a new one based on a few more irrelevant tests. Anyway. So he takes you to the OR, and does the wrong operation, carries it out badly, ham-handed, crude. Probably doesn't even do the one he said he'd do. Sews your asshole to your ear. There are complications. You lose a leg, or an arm, can't speak anymore, or can't hear. You're in a wheelchair with stool draining out your belly button, you're breathing through a hole in your neck, you have to eat through a straw. Or a tube in your gut, or your subclavian vein. Your original doctor is horrified, and spells out in no uncertain terms exactly how the surgeon screwed up. It's outrageous, she says. Sue the sonofabitch. Call the cops.
What do you do?
Well, naturally, you recommend the surgeon to your friends, send him Christmas cards, and, next time you need an operation, probably to correct the problems he created, you head right back to him. Who wouldn't?
With the same unassailable reasoning, we're about to return to power representatives of the very party who made nothing but false moves, both when they were in the majority and put into place all the policies that have done us in, and more recently, when they were out of power, who railed at the plans to undo the problems they created, stonewalled them, and were unanimously wrong about everything they predicted over the efforts to fix things.
What do you do?
Well, naturally, you recommend the surgeon to your friends, send him Christmas cards, and, next time you need an operation, probably to correct the problems he created, you head right back to him. Who wouldn't?
With the same unassailable reasoning, we're about to return to power representatives of the very party who made nothing but false moves, both when they were in the majority and put into place all the policies that have done us in, and more recently, when they were out of power, who railed at the plans to undo the problems they created, stonewalled them, and were unanimously wrong about everything they predicted over the efforts to fix things.
At a moment of crisis, conservatives made a series of predictions, assessments, and guarantees -- all of which turned out to be hopelessly backwards. Rewarding the confused [ed. note: confused? A misnomer if ever there was one.] only encourages more confusion, while punishing those who were right only encourages worse policymaking.What to do? Reëlect 'em, hand them back the reins.
Makes sense to me.
I have been reading this blog for awhile now and find little to disagree with. In fact, it supports my own fears and concerns, just far more eloquently.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, it has also caused me to think more about how we got into this mess. Even assuming I have an inkling of an idea, what good will it do.
It seems to me that throughout time we have always had the Becks/Palins/McConnells, etc. What we didn't have is instantaneous mass communication.
We have always had the gullible and the credulous. Hell, I spent most of my life in the south where crooked, charismatic politicians are the lifeblood.
Moreover, it is easy to let others do our thinking and form our opinions for us. Work and Paris Hilton takes up a lot of our time, if not Glee.
Since I retired I have spent a lot more time trying to keep up with politics, in particular the financial debacle and resulting sewage that was passed by congress that will theoretically prevent that little problem from happening again. My take is that is not very likely to save us from the next financial meltdown.
The problem, even for those willing to try, is to figure out the truth. We are bombarded from every direction with slanted and distorted information. The only way to know a version of the truth is to see the documents, or the smoking gun and even that won't necessarily get you there.
Anyway, just my two cents. Sid, please keep up the good fight. I enjoy watching you work.
Thanks, Jim. It seems we agree on much. I do think it's unprecedented that we have a continuous and ubiquitous stream of disinformation coming from one side. I don't think congressional Ds have acquitted themselves with glory in much that they've done, and they've done a lot of pandering. But at least they've tried, in the context of a very bitter environment.
ReplyDeleteAnd whereas it's increasingly hard to figure out what's true, with so much distortion out there, I think it's also true that too many people -- to the detriment of us all -- have simply given up trying (if they ever actually did) and swallowed whole the hateful stuff that fills the airways. It's easy, and times are tough.
Yay! Diaeresis!
ReplyDelete"With the same unassailable reasoning, we're about to return to power representatives of the very party who made nothing but false moves"
Don't be silly! This is alls the Democrats' fault! All was well in the US before BHO seized power through violent means! Indeed we never had any terrorist attacks under St. Bush the younger! And he didn't get us into any wars!
Wait. You're looking for logic? Ah, poor you. How naïve.
by all means, if the votes go the way people say they will, you dems are welcome to move to canada. come and bring your reason, your skills, your education, and your money.
ReplyDeletewe are more friendly, more thoughtful, less homophobic, more scientifically literate, less religious, less superstitious, and we like obama.
oh yea, our beer is better, too.
I haven't tried much in the way of Canadian microbrews, but I have to take exception to the claim. In my area alone, we have some exceptionally well-crafted and complex brews. If you're thinking of Bud and Coors and Miller Lite, I'd most certainly agree. But Red Hook, Hale's... try 'em.
ReplyDeleteThe rest of your list: sadly (for us), it's all true.
My goodness, move to CANADA, that hotbed of SOCIALISM??
ReplyDeleteSeems here in the good ole USA the POPE!called up the nut in Gainesville. Of course, my distaste of current popeness notwithstanding, I joked to hubby, "OMGOODNESS, now the Catholics are terrorists." I could hear the chat: "Who does he think he is?" "Um, the POPE." World leader of millions of Catholic CHRISTIANS.
(Leaving aside the IRA and Orange terrorists, hmmmm, my blood, and disagree too) Nothing is going to stop this stupidity.
Little boys, playing like children.
Totally not a Christian way to deal with anger and hate.
Bl upstate ny
@sid:
ReplyDeletetruth be told, my tongue was even more firmly-planted in my cheek when i typed the beer part. one of my finest beer experiences was a sampling of some local micro-breweries in PA. but the superiority of canadian beer is one of the things we canucks cling to. . . since we have fewer guns and our religion is diluted. :) thank goodness. . .
sid, why the non post of my comments? Dems and Reps have common DNA--Its all about "me", tell me what you believe and I will support it. Every politician has the same goal-get re-elected...grow the war chest...gain power,,get rich on the tax payers dime.
ReplyDeleteRules.. we dont need no stinking rules...Mr Rangel give me an amen
A politicians worst nightmare--the internet...no hiding from their behavior
tom, I don't know of any comments from you that I failed to post. I looked on the moderation page and there don't seem to be any that slipped by. So if you've left comments and they haven't appeared, it's some sort of system issue of which I'm not aware. Sorry. The only one I've rejected (other than obvious spam) in a very long time is one from Frankie, and he could probably guess why.
ReplyDelete