I get the feeling the mighty pendulum is beginning it's swing back to the left.

[Kablooie]

It's been swinging towards the right for decades now and has reached its extreme. (And what an extreme it has been)

Now it's starting back and hopefully will continue for several decades more.

(Of course when it reaches the extreme left it will start back right again but that's a long time away.)

[left on green only]

1. I hope you are correct

I remember during the '60's when I was just coming into my own, how those who had more experience than I told me about the pendulum of politics, and how it would begin to swing to the right again soon. I lived in horror of that ever occurring, but true to the word, that is what happened. It seems like for that brief period of time during the '60's I lived in an optimistic and almost euphoric state of mind. But with the arrival of the '70's, all that was to change. My demeanor ever since then has been rather dark and depressed.

How nice it would be for me to end my time here on this planet in a state of renewed optimism. Still, if after I have departed I am ever asked to comment on my experience of having been here, I do not plan to issue a glowing review.

[LiberalLoner]

6. Your words really resonate with me. I miss the optimism of the 60's too. I won't give a glowing

review, either.

[JohnnyRingo]

2. I agree, but I think it's swung back and forth faster.

I believe on 9/11, the political pendulum swung to an extreme degree to the right. Disappointment with the wars in the Middle East, unfair economic conditions, and extended White House privelege peaked the swing, and it cycled back to the left in 2004 when Pelosi and the Dems took over Congress. The election of Barack Obama in 2008 was the leftward peak, but it wasn't as far as it swung to the right after 9/11.

Then with the advent of the Tea Party, the pendulum began it's return to the right, and Congress again fell to Republicans. Once again, not as far as 9/11 in my opinion, because the apex may be here now.

I'd like to think that the back and forth of public attitude is finding a natural center, but the right is lamenting the days early in this century when they called all the shots and have imploded over the lust for power. I don't know what they'll do to restore the country to their heydey years of GW Bush's first term, but it's coming. Hopefully, the Dems will be in control long enough the country will prefer our government to the fear mongered, gay baited, millionaire bread buttering days of Republican rule.

[uponit7771]

3. I pray this is correct, I pray people keep pushing the economic injustice issue in this country

[Jester Messiah]

4. One can hope.

What I think we're really seeing is that all the politics embraced by the right-wing, which were short-term productive but long-term destructive, are finally entering that destructive phase. The song's over and the piper's got his hand out.

[Bandit]

5. What would you consider "extreme left"?

Would you consider single payer health care "extreme"? How about higher taxes on those that can most afford them? You know "Progressive Taxation"....Would you consider cutting Defense Spending to be "extreme" or spending more on America, like roads, bridges, air and water ports, hospitals, electrical grid? Or how about Spending on Green Energy, is that really "extreme"?

[Kablooie]

7. Extreme in this case doesn't mean out of bounds.

It just means that the pendulum has swung as far to one direction as it is going to and will start swinging back.
(I actually tried to think of a better term, apex?, but nothing seemed quite appropriate.)