Purpose of Opposition

The last feeble winter twilight of this year has faded; a sun is slowly sinking on "consumer confidence". Hopefully, the longer days will help restore some of our onsumer confidence. I don't consume, as most Americans. I made that choice many years ago. The masses still rail against austerity.

 "Nothing can be done," politicians shake their weary heads, "it's very sad that nothing can be done; it's them!"  Politicians point pudgy index finger bones across the isle, and their noses get longer and longer. Pinocchio would be proud.

I wonder they can even get their proboscises through the door of the airplane to take them on yet another"seasonal"vacation. "Politics is a grueling job, you have no idea", they mumble in humble voices. If that were so, why run for re-election. If it's so hard, go back to doing what you were doing before you got elected the first time...maybe you were better at it. Go back to doing something, anyway.

 "The purpose of the Opposition is to Oppose everything, and Propose nothing." said Edward Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, and Prime Minister of England form 1862 to 1869.

I see a pattern here! Procrastination until after election. I'm guessing we have a three year cycle of elections in this country, or am I just waking up to the fact it has always been so.

Someone at Ford Motor Company reported to Henry Ford that other auto manufacturers were painting there cars in an array of colors. Henry retorted  "The public can any color they like, so long as it's black." That is exactly what our govenment seems to be saying to Wee T People: If we HAVE to do something, we'll do as we please...and please re-elect every Mother's son of us!

Washington seems to says, "We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we simply must take a year off from "governing....we must have time to trash our opponents and line our pockets with spoils of the lobbyist and special interests that are so infatuated with our genius and aplomb. We must also convince the hard working American families that they live because  I am their Champion, fighting the infidels on the other side of the isle tooth and nail for their benefit".

On a different vain, it does seem a little ludicrous to spend all that campaign money in an effort to land a position that will eventually immortalize one in the history books as an abject failure...just another name that 5th graders have to memorize. Do kids still have to memorize the Presidents and the names of States and Capitals in schools anymore?

I listen to NPR, and nightly, as I work in the shop, I hear the "candidates" wallow around in high rhetoric on snow covered fields, of Iowa, a place NONE of those eager faced old men would have visit, even in their youth! What is the deal about becoming endorsed by a bunch of corn farmers in small greasy spoon diners in the mid west in the middle of winter, and then go to New Hampshire to do it all again in the real ice and snow.

 The mess they've created "flinging the rhetoric" amongst themselves, should give politicians of all ilk some inkling that people are a little fed up with Washington. I would examine the options before I spent millions trying to get elected. Maybe you can make a bigger difference by staying home and doing some real work. I know, it's politics, and it's been playing the same tune forever.

How can ole Wee The People figure a way to get political feet to the fire to take up the important matters of government, when politicians and media are only interested in producing, for your mid winter viewing pleasure: "Caucuses of Winter", The Fairy Tale."

The preceding is purely comic relief for my own consumption. I received a book of quotations, a LARGE book of quotations, as a white elephant gift at Christmas. I am having too much fun with it. It inspired the above because I would not have otherwise followed the quotation of  Edward Stanley to any logical conclusions had I not the feet of my readers to lay my burden before.

Stay tuned! Opinions are like arm pits; everyone has them a couple.