Dr. Fool, Ape-arms and the Political Pendulum

Earth, Milky Way Galaxy --

My family keeps thinking I will become more conservative - more like them - as I get older. Well, perhaps I wear my political black-sheep-ness a bit too proudly, like a baa...baa...badge. The more they speak of such absurdity, the more left I lean.

Family dynamics and their psychological influences are downright Joycean in their complexity. Hell, there are entire industries based on them: Psychology and psychotherapy and psychopharmacy...not to mention all the Dr. Fool/self-help/codependent-TV-and-book markets. Many people spend an hour a week for the bulk of their adult lives on the proverbial couch trying to unravel such labyrinthian mysteries.

So, I am not going there. The point of bringing this up is to acknowledge the fact that my liberal beer belly just keeps expanding, despite my daily regimen of feasting on the anarchist's cookbook...and I don't really know WHY.

I guess if I had to wager on the biggest influence, I'd lay that thorny crown soundly upon Baby King George's ugly southern-fried cokehead. (And I'd do it with all the power my skinny ape arms could muster.) If the past 7 years haven't made you lurch at least a little leftward, there are too many droppings in your squirrel cage. Clean the fucker out!

I think most people are feeling this way right now... a friend told me this week that she was ready to try socialism. For some reason, I was reminded of a political philosophy I first heard about during the golden years of Clinton:"Communitarianism." I prefer to oversimplify rather than lull you to sleep: The philosophy contends that liberalism (the true definition - not some hijacked Lush Rimblah version) places too much focus on individual rights - to the point that it is (often) detrimental to the greater good. It is not hostile to liberalism; rather, communitarians prefer shifting toward a greater focus on community and society, rather than always emphasizing individual rights as being of utmost importance.

This philosophy is already influential...consider such notions as imminent domain. I suppose the most rudimentary example is the repression of free speech: no jokes about bombs or guns are allowed in an airport. No yelling "fire" (at least, if there isn't one) in a theatre. Etc.

For the environmental movement to succeed, societies will have to embrace some aspects of communitarianism. It will necessarily involve limiting people's (and companies') choices.

Like it or not, the same principle is behind Congress' approval of allowing wire-tapping on American citizens...or waiving the writ of habeas corpus.

Given the crumbling state of the states, the so-called Union, and - literally - the world, I am ready, willing and enthusiastic for a serious shake-up. There is a popular axiom about how the pendulum has to swing too far in the other direction in order to counter imbalances once things get out of whack.

Well, shit is whack alright. The pendulum on the American timepiece is gonna have to do a full 180 after George the Chimp is finally thrown from the tree. Either that or it will quickly cease to function. Not to be too Chicken Little about it, but shit! we seem to be running out of time.

I doubt most Americans have the cajones for it (not yet), but I say: apportez sur la révolution...

...or at least gimme Obama for 4 to 8 years. Por favor?