Reply #183: The "real world" eh? Teach your g'mother to scramble eggs, why don't you? [View All]

[bread_and_roses]

The original phrase is much coarser, though not, as it somehow sounds, obscene, so I modified it for the tender sensibilities here.

The real world. I doubt you can teach me much about the real world. I am almost 60, a graduate of the Vietnam protests, the ERA battle, the abortion battles, labor organizing, health care and education initiatives on the State level, local elections, State elections, Congressional elections. I worked hard on a number of different fronts to take the NY Congressional Delegation for the Ds, and for Obama's election.

I have seen a lot of legislation come and go. I've often worked to help create support for legislation I didn't think was so hot, or elect politicians who I thought stunk. I've watched a lot of "incremental" reform songs sung, and sometimes sung along. I was wrong, each and every one of those times I talked myself into supporting some bad bill in the service of a "larger" objective - like the simple objective of keeping a bad R out of office. It doesn't work. Take a look at the world around you, and you'll see how very badly it doesn't work.

Obama could have had this one. He came into office with the power and the mandate and the people behind him to do it and to do it right. It's really too bad to see this bow-tied present for the insurance and pharma vampires be the outcome.

Will I continue to support Obama where I can? Of course. Will I ever vote for an R? No. Do I think either act is going to get us where we need to go? No.

This is my last word on the subject. I think those of you cheering this on are deluding yourselves, but hey, I can understand that. We all need something to believe in. I wish you well. If you are all right, I'll be very happy. But I won't hold my breath on that one.