There’s another article up there about rock bottom that I feel misses the point. It sees this expression of despair only through the lens of the current primary struggle. I think in doing so it misses the gestalt.
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The point is not: The only way to move forward is first we gotta hit rock bottom. So let’s head that way.
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The point is: I know a little bit about American history and as much as it disturbs me there is some evidence that Americans don’t get off their asses until the shit has well and truly hit the fan.
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Examples?
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America, Land of the Free — wellll and some five million plus slaves. Well that’s unfortunate but slavery is an institution too big to fail, doncha know? Then Succession, then Ft Sumpter, then the most deadly war in US history, then the 14th Amedmend.
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The Great War? Pfah, leave it to the Europeans. Then the Lusitania, the the Zimmerman telegram, then we’re Over There Over There And We Won’t Be Back ‘Till It’s Over Over There.
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Except it wasn’t over over there. Enter WW2. Pfah, leave it to the Europeans. Then France is defeated in a six week blitz, then London burns while Britain battles, then Pearl Harbor, then the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy enlists in Company B.
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Climate Change?
Reaganomics?
Citizens United?
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Do you see the USA leaping to action? Or do you hear whistling past the graveyard — again?
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Politics As Usual is what got us to this point. “As usual” per the past 36-48 years or so. Who here really thinks Politics As Usual is going to step in to address these massive problems?
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As far as the current primary struggle goes Sanders supporters see the Clinton campaign as offering more Politics As Usual. This is bigger than Clinton. Clinton is just one of countless politicians offering us more Politics As Usual. The problem is, Politics As Usual does not deflect us from our race to the bottom.
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Someone somewhere is always saying something outrageous. These individuals do not define a candidate nor a campaign.
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But as for talk of “Maybe we have to hit rock bottom”, to me that is not said as a recommended course of action. It is an expression born of a lifetime witnessing political expediency, political mendacity - and lately flat-out anti-democratic initiatives created by our political class. It is said as an expression both of puzzlement — and of hope eternal.
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It is to say “Why isn’t the nation working hard to head of disaster?” It is to say, “Are we running out of time?” It is to look back at past performance with disgust and say, “Well, maybe first we have to hit rock bottom.” It is said in the same sense as, in order to count from 1 to 3 you have to pass 2.
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But is this true? Do we have to hit rock bottom?
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Remember Pearl Harbor.