i have a theory about the cycle of dems always cleaning up after thugs.
they look for, and often create, problems that they say they can solve. of course, they are almost always lying. and the problems usually fester and get worse. but in the few instances where the problems gets better on their own, they take credit for solving it, and get to pat themselves on the back in primetime teevee. and they are very talented at sniffing out just this kind of problem, too.
we look for problems that are coming down the pike, and look for ways to prevent them from happening. like keeping the auto industry afloat, or spending on infrastructure that quietly improves the way businesses do business, and builds up the country. we fund planned parenthood. we guard the social safety net.
these things are completely invisible. the good dr quentin young used to say that the rotten part of being in public health is that- when we do our jobs right, nothing happens.
lord knows the fact that obama saved us from a deep recession that would have caused a worldwide crash of epic proportions is one of the best kept secrets since the manhattan project. as is the fact that we weathered what was indeed a global crisis better than almost any other country. and we did it by taking care of people.
i wish someone would tote up the impact of the aca on the productivity of the american work force. can you imagine how many communicable diseases are not spread around the workplace when people have good healthcare? even w/o paid time off, which we fought for, the impact just has to be yuuge.
how many workers stay productive when they can take care of their injuries before they break down altogether? get that new hip before they end up in a wheelchair? get their cancers treated earlier?
i could go on, but i am sure you get the gist here.
so we keep it all together, but nobody sees that. they come along and ramp up resentments w their nontroversies. we love that shit. we lap it up. and so they are able to weasel back in.
eventually it becomes obvious that they never could fix the problems, and usually didnt bother to try. the fact the w didnt ban abortions started to open some eyes w evangelicals. the many indictments of raygun officials cracked the trust of many raygun republicans who really believed he was going to end the "waste, fraud and abuse" that plagued the country.
and so we are back to cleaning up the mess. and we always do that the right way. by getting to the root of things, instead of making feelgood moves that look good to out voters on the 10 o'clock news.
and this is how our basic decency, and competent leadership gets us fucked every day of the week and twice on sundays.
