Swampland Michael Scherer laments on a divided Nation over Healthcare in:
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/16/on-health-care-a-divided-nation/
I thought of Mark Twain and what he wrote in the closing paragraph of a story on Washington way back in 1875:
https://ikejakson.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/mark-twain-in-1875-on-economy-and-government-2009-revise/
His closing remark in the full article was:
“I only know that if a man lives long enough he can trace a thing through the Circumlocution Office of Washington, and find out, after much labor and trouble and delay, that which he could have found out on the first day if the business of the Circumlocution Office were as ingeniously systematized as it would be if it were a great private mercantile institution.”
Then I found this other gem by the venerable sage in another place:
“There is no distinctly American criminal class – except Congress.”
Who said something about changing Washington? I vaguely recall that someone said so about two years ago. Argggh, maybe I did not listen well.
Jaksonian Philosophy 
March 17, 2010 at 6:36 am |
I love it when people LAMENT the fact that America is a DIVIDED NATION. And I can understand why. Because America has always thought one thought on any given question.
That is why, for example, when the blacks in the South said “We don’ wanna be slaves the southerners said, “By gosh, you’re right!” and they gave their plantations to the blacks and all moved to California and started fried chicken restaurants.
That’s why, for another example, when they passed the Volstead Act outlawing liquor Americans all went on the wagon and there were never any gang wars in Chicago because nobody was buying any booze.
That’s also why, during the Vietnam War, there were never any violent protests in the U.S. And why, when they didn’t like a jury verdict, blacks in Los Angeles didn’t go on a burning, looting, and killing spree.
It’s also why there is only one political party in the U.S. and all the lawyers have had to take jobs as convenience store clerks because nobody ever sues anybody else.
Or, just maybe, it is because, whenever anybody says that, he is really saying that he is so right that anybody who disagrees with him doesn’t deserve to live and should be taken out back and shot. This is the position the liberals have slowly gravitated into until it seems to be a majority opinion. Thus all the hot air about the “Tea Parties.” People voicing a contrary opinion? How dare they!
Well! Wasn’t THAT special.
March 17, 2010 at 10:59 am |
Nolanimrod
I just want to deal with your closing paragraph and the question because it sums it up so well.
Man, that’s what I call special!!
March 17, 2010 at 6:46 am |
P.S. “Daylight Saving” time over here. Now you’re only 4 hours “ahead.” I love the term. Daylight saving. No spendthrifts here. We’re not going to spend all our daylight and end up having to borrow a bunch from the Chinese.
Just another example of calling something it isn’t in order to get people to buy it.
“What am I bid for this fine, velvet jewelry case?”
“That’s not a jewelry case. It’s a turd.”
Oh, no sir. I assure you it’s a fine jewelry case and the rich brown color with all the delicate shadings are a bonus feature of the plush, soft velvet surface.”
“That’s velvet? It feels like …”
“I assure you that not only is it velvet, but the most expensive kind. I shouldn’t be letting it go for this price.”
“Well, I don’t Time Magazine to think I’m obstructive or divisive. I’ll buy it!”
March 17, 2010 at 11:00 am |
Nolanimrod
I will, like you did, put the PS on top; it’s a novel way of doing things.
Both your comments deserve special attention; you gave me two and I will let you have two of mine.
Nobody has ever described Joe Klein better than you have done here, right down to the last paragraph.
He speaks from both sides of the mouth; is a classic double-agent; owes no allegiance to anyone; and twists the News to suit him. When you get Time [pun] study his “three Posts in a row” and look at his “sources” and the links that he supplies, specifically in the last of the three.
You know what? People let him get away with it.
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/14/unacceptable-non-apology/
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/15/israel-first/
http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010/03/16/petraeus-on-israel/
March 18, 2010 at 5:11 pm |
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