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Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Everyone who cares about US politics is analyzing the special election in Massachusetts (January 19, 2010) in which a Republican pulled off an upset and defeated a sure-win Democrat. Here's my $0.02 worth:
Iron is a hard substance, but not hard enough for applications in today's world. It was fine in the first century, but not today. Today we use steel. To make steel even harder than the run-of-the-mill steel (pun intended), we diversify its composition. Then we give it 'trial by fire' by heat treating the steel to give it extra strength, extra hardness.
Republicans are iron: not good enough for today's world. They're OK for the old, old, old days. That's where they stopped. The Iron Age began in the 8th century BC, and ended with the early Middle Ages (between approximately the 5th and 10th centuries AD - or CE, if you prefer).
The Democrats are steel. Unfortunately, they are annealed steel: steel that softened when heated, and never finished by tempering (heat treatment for toughness, strength, hardness).
The Dems never used their opportunity to toughen. With an overwhelming majority in Congress, the Democrats never really got down to business. Instead of following the mandate the American public gave them, they tried for the past year to convince the Iron Age gang to work with the majority. At every opportunity the repugnicans told the Dems to go f$%^#* themselves. The Dems wasted a year and a huge opportunity - and the American voters got more and more restless.
In Massachusetts on January 19, 2010 the heat treatment began. But heat treatment can go either way: it can anneal, and it can temper.
Will the Democrats, who still have solid majorities in Congress (and the White House) use this as an opportunity to get the strength that the fire can give them? Or will they soften in the heat and give up?
My advice:
Iron is a hard substance, but not hard enough for applications in today's world. It was fine in the first century, but not today. Today we use steel. To make steel even harder than the run-of-the-mill steel (pun intended), we diversify its composition. Then we give it 'trial by fire' by heat treating the steel to give it extra strength, extra hardness.
Republicans are iron: not good enough for today's world. They're OK for the old, old, old days. That's where they stopped. The Iron Age began in the 8th century BC, and ended with the early Middle Ages (between approximately the 5th and 10th centuries AD - or CE, if you prefer).
The Democrats are steel. Unfortunately, they are annealed steel: steel that softened when heated, and never finished by tempering (heat treatment for toughness, strength, hardness).
The Dems never used their opportunity to toughen. With an overwhelming majority in Congress, the Democrats never really got down to business. Instead of following the mandate the American public gave them, they tried for the past year to convince the Iron Age gang to work with the majority. At every opportunity the repugnicans told the Dems to go f$%^#* themselves. The Dems wasted a year and a huge opportunity - and the American voters got more and more restless.
In Massachusetts on January 19, 2010 the heat treatment began. But heat treatment can go either way: it can anneal, and it can temper.
Will the Democrats, who still have solid majorities in Congress (and the White House) use this as an opportunity to get the strength that the fire can give them? Or will they soften in the heat and give up?
My advice:
- Tell the "just say 'no' mobsters" that you're going to make America a better place - with them or without them.
- Tell them that if they want to filibuster (a method of delaying the legislative process), they can go for it - but make them actually do the filibuster1, so that the American public can see them for what they are: obstructionists. They threaten to filibuster and you whimper away, practically apologizing for doing what you're supposed to do: return America to Americans.
- Do what we sent you to DC you to do: implement a Progressive agenda. We told you in 2006, and again in 2008. Now get your sorry asses in gear and DO IT!
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