Reply #16: There's the catch that I mentioned earlier. [View All]

[Writer]

I missed that rather important line in the last paragraph.

It's an excellent article, because I think it underscores that the problem with this nation doesn't stem with who's in office, but with the people who populate it - from the view of the cynic. I think that there's a dichotomy between the ideals we espouse as a nation and the true lives we live as American (little "d") democrats. We believe we can change our country because we say we can, however we continue to fail in that regard, and unless we seriously rebuild aspects of our governance from the ground up will we see real changes. We do not need a movement; rather, we need a revolution.

However, it's not naive to believe that things won't change, because a change of party does not equate to real "change." Nor will a fresh face in governance. Unless we cease being wealthy, unless we learn the true plight of hunger, disease, and warfare on our soil, will we understand what revolution and change can bring. These small movements in the large span of history, even in America's relatively brief existence, do little to jar the social fabric of our nation. What needs to happen is something far, far more fundamental than a twist of belief from malaise to exuberance. If anything, Ronald Reagan did this very thing back in 1980 - back when the nation swung right - and the change it brought was good for only a few, and in less than a decade we were once again back to Square One.

We do not need to trade irrational fear for irrational exuberance.