I know better, but my Bush-sycophant coworker might accidentally stumble

[zbdent]

into intelligence.

We haven't had any political discussions (so much) since mid-summer 2004. Yet I had heard about his rants (Iraq: "Yeah? I haven't seen anybody with a better plan! (than bush)).

So, the conversations have been pretty "normal". No, he didn't gloat (at least in my presence) in November.

This AM, he comes in, asking if I'd seen two scary/interesting stories in today's paper.

Story 1 - 110 people hit the Powerball (minus the actual powerball number) 3/30/2005. Powerball was in panic mode because of the funding of the payouts. How'd they get it? Ancient Chinese secret (fortune cookie, mass-produced, had the "lotto numbers" - "powerball" was off by 2).

Story 2 - United Airlines tanking the pension funds. He mentioned that it scared him (no relation of his has anything to do with UAL). Said that the other airlines were lining up to do the same.

Now, here's where it gets interesting. I "test the waters".

I pointed out that the pension fund was being picked up by the Govt. Well, half.

I also state that all the stockholders essentially told the workers "Fuck you, we got ours."

He agrees. Mentions LTV Steel doing something similar.

Somehow, we mention about GM and their loss of status. He does the "party line" - "Look at all the problems caused by the generous benefits packages!" - To a point, that's true. Pensions & benefits are financial drains (why do you think that Repukes want to cut that from the workers?)

I say "Come on, it's not just that. We had the scare in 1974 - the US started looking into alternative fuel, etc. In 1981, when gas drices dropped, all the concern went away. Now, we're paying for the inactivity. Look at what's out on the road. Huge Gas-Guzzling vehicles. We dug our own grave there. Instead of the 'experimental' design of the hydrogen burner, Nissan/Honda/whatever already had hybrid cars. Ford is just now going to come out with a hybrid. THE SUV ESCAPE. Talking with a salesman, he told me that you could never recover the cost of the vehicle thru the savings in gas. Why do you think that there's a waiting list for the hybrid smaller cars now?!!!" (Not the exact wording, but the general gist).

He agreed with me (falling into my intellectual trap - but I didn't slit his throat - metaphorically).

He mentioned: "Did you know that, until 12/30/2004, you could get the biggest Hummer . . ."

I finished his sentence for him: "For half price? Yeah, all you had to do was claim that it was for business. No proof." (Okay, maybe you had to show some proof, but I was on a roll). "And did you know that they eliminated the tax breaks for buying hybrid vehicles, also?"

His eyes got big. "Really? Wow."

Other stuff was talked about, including the mention of my previous vehicle - an Escort wagon, bought in 99, when gas was $1.10 a gallon. Sometimes less. Because I knew this couldn't last.

Anyway, if I didn't know any better, I would think that he might just be seeing the light. But I've heard his rants about how George W. Bush is the answer to the world's "war" prayers . . .

He's hopeless.

[Kerrytravelers]

1. You never know...

Let him bring things up. Respond gently, jst as you did, not attacking, but guiding him to the only sensible answers. You may have a blue voter by 2008- if you can stand it that long!

Hang in there!

[blondeatlast]

4. They have the media, the money, and the institutions.

We have smarts, civility, and a love for the country.

I'm betting on US!

Polite engagement with their concerns will win us votes like no TV ad ever did.

[rzemanfl]

2. I really thought you were going to say "might accidentally

stumble into the meat grinder, blast furnace, acid vat, drop forge, third rail, chainsaw blade, high voltage transformer..." or something good like that. You'd know better, but...

[annabanana]

3. He rants when his "thinker" is on automatic........

You're doing the right thing to engage him, bit by bit in pointing out some of the more glaring f*ckups of his darling boy (without connecting the dots for him..HE has to do that).

Give him plenty of "Gee!... Maybe if "we" had done this instead of that, we wouldn't have this problem.... and who's bad idea was THAT anyway?"