Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

This is an absurd time to worry about black people, or women, in politics. Those issues are very substantial, and they are in the queue, and have been for far too long. But right this moment, for the benefit of the people who were maybe on drugs or something for the last 20 years, we happen to have a VERY SERIOUS EMERGENCY. Yep -- the wheels are coming right off the old space shuttle here folks. You must really, really know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, know when to run. SO GET RUNNING!!! THIS IS NOT A TEST!!!

I have been blogging since about the time before the 2004 elections, not long, but a lot. I know all about the need to maintain the integrity of one's principles. That is almost as important as anything. But look what we have been sold: They put us to sleep by telling us what a big deal it is that 3000 innocent Americans perished on a certain bad day. But -- show of hands -- how many of us are loosing sleep over terrorists snuffing us in our kitchens? I don't see too many hands. How many are worried about a general loss of social cohesion and democracy. I hope a lot of hands are up for that one.

I am as liberal, oh screw it, probably a lot more liberal, than the average blogger today. But right at this moment, I would easily settle for a certain kind of conservatism. And you can bet bottom dollar, there are millions of Americans who are way more conservative than the average blogger who would now be ready to instantly settle for a lot more liberalism, of some kind, if that is what it takes to get this shuttle back on dry land in one piece.

We need a little reality here. No, scratch that. We need tons of reality here. All across the big board. A reality: there can be no such thing as anything resembling democracy in a system where 5% own it all and 95% own nothing. I hope I don't need to explain that to anyone. Another reality: we cannot have any kind of sustainable culture where all the children realize that their folks are hopelessly deluded, on drugs, in deep debt, WORKING AT ENRON AT JOBS THAT HAVE THEM PLAYING COMPUTER GAMES WITH ONE ANOTHER THAT SUPPORT SOME ABSURD DELUSION OF "EARNING A LIVING BY TRADING." Some of the stuff the conservatives, or whatever, have been harping about for my whole life may even have crucial significance as well. I don't know which stuff that might be, but I certainly expect them to do their homework on it, and start sending us their memos.

For my part, I am willing to be conservative enough to not let the momentarily somewhat less crucial issues of race and gender equality, important though they certainly are, to distract us one bit in getting this sucker back on the ground. As a matter of fact, I am aware that many Americans who sort themselves into the conservative lines are not the least bit in favor of racism, or sexism, or many (of course, not all) of the things that we know exist in the liberal narrative.

So now we need to fasten those seat belts. Compartmentalize our concerns. Focus. Bring the ship home before we crash and burn. REPEAT: THIS IS NOT A TEST. WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF AN ACTUAL EMERGENCY HERE, HOUSTON. DO YOU COPY?