“The Human Comedy” escaped my
understanding for a long time. I've never been the type to be
removed from life, I'm always into it, reacting, being excited,
fearing. “Comedy” is something you watch, and if you're nice and
mature and secure, you watch yourself being part of it.
I mean, how can you view Trump as a
part of a comedy? I do remember, though, going through the Reagan
years. Ketchup is a vegetable, trees pollute, James Watt at Interior
pretending to be a normal human being. Admiration of Reagan for his
presentation skills and his anecdotary, surface over substance.
Weinberger the hardliner, Meese the hardass. For that matter, I
remember Nixon, all of which has been documented and was recalled
regularly as each miscreant was released from jail. Martha Mitchell
as a hero, that's how comedic it was.
How can “we survived” be a rallying
cry? We did make progress, it's true, but how much of it was due to
government is debatable. Look at the women. Disappointed as so many
are – although look at the white women's vote for Trump to see how
un-monolithic it is – look how many women are making it, even in
Trumpland with the hateful Kellyanne and pathetic Hope Hicks. Still,
they're there. And look at all the learned, skillful, intelligent
African-Americans we see as journalists and academics on TV. Look at
the protection people and cities offer to the immigrants among us –
I remember who harbored the Jews and I'm ready to give back, as are
so many of us. The power of the people, the movements, and I wonder
if stupid Ava Duverney admits that LBJ had a point to him, looking
back?
But again, look at how many didn't
avail themselves of the Voting Act to actually vote. Look at the
“left out” white working class who once again successfully voted
against their interests. I doubt that many of them were
sentimentally voting for their Russian heritage. Look at the
ridiculous stooges parading to the Cabinet – what strategy will the
Democrats adopt with too many targets in the range? Pick out one or
two? Keep laying the record out and then vote them in by two votes
or a tie broken by Pence who hopes to replicate the Cheney
presidency? Talk about a swamp, here's one with bodies floating to
the top.
It's pretty amazing that progress is
made at all since, as I've become fond of quoting since the election,
fully half of Americans have intelligence that is below the median.
And paint them as victims as much as we like, and reluctant as we are
to blame victims, it is those in the hinterlands, those who didn't
leave, those who haven't had the ability to do much with themselves,
those who don't even see what is being done to them, those who
continue to elect jerks, those who don't understand that those who
wrap themselves in the flag are deserving of immolation – they are
the ones who just contributed to their own continued cultural and
financial penury. I think I heard that it was those just above the
median incomes voted most heavily for Trump – that's so typical,
there is the real Republican heartland, keep those just below me
down! But still, they wouldn't carry the day if … if … if
only....
Give credit where credit is due – the
Republicans are good businesspeople, in the narrow sense of the word.
They keep their eye on their prize, they use money and organization
to full effect, focusing on governorships and the House. They cringe
at nothing. Russian influence? Big deal, let it play out. False
implications by my nominee for Asshole of the Year, James (Hotshot)
Comey? Just reporting to Congress. Think of Turtle McConnell's
place in history, if history will still be written. It will have to
be a day far from our own when treachery and treason are played as
comedy.
But, God willing, that day will come.
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and then for the rest
of our lives, we will look back and remember, this is what we were
faced with, and this is how we acted. Not rashly, not over the top,
not hysterically, but thoughtfully, with appeals to reason, with
appeals to the better emotions – what a phrase, “the better
angels of our nature!” That is our challenge.
As Krugman says, “Personally, I’m
still figuring out how to keep my anger simmering — letting it boil
over won’t do any good, but it shouldn’t be allowed to cool. This
election was an outrage, and we should never forget it.”
Don't worry, Paul. Thanks for
continuing to lead. You will have no dearth of followers.
Budd Shenkin
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