Expecting the Worst, Hoping For the Best

[rhetoretician]

Upon the king! let us our lives, our souls,
Our debts, our careful wives,
Our children, and our sins lay on the king!

Henry V, IV.iii.116-118

I expect to be disappointed by the next president. This expectation does not detract from my admiration for him or my good wishes for his administration.

Comments

[girlspell]

Well nothing can be the way we want. That's why you have checks and balances. That is the way our government works. That is why watered down bills are passed, pork is still doled out, all the while money is printed over and over. Nothing changes no matter which president is in office. We're a nation of "I want this and I want that". You need pork to bring to states that don't have enough jobs. You need to make special interest groups happy...all of them. You need legal decisions to make all groups happy. You need to pay for them, so you print more money

[rhetoretician]

Hi Rachel.

I don't think things are quite that bleak. But I agree that it's much harder to change things for the better than to change them for the worse.

[moonette1]

I think this is the first time I can actually say I agree with your entire political post, being that we're practically at opposite ends of the political spectrum. But I find your thoughts rational and logical and realistic, and I concur. (I have a feeling this is the last time I will be able to say that. :) )

[rhetoretician]

Thanks, Annette! And don't be such a pessimist -- If you agree with me now, that means that we'll probably agree whenever we're both being dispassionate and careful. The problem with my LJ political postings (except for the cartograms) is that they're usually written in the heat of passion or else on the spur of the moment. But I've been thinking about this post for over a month, and wrote it over several hours (in stages, between grading student projects :P).

It's great to hear from you. How are you?