Bashing, Breaking, Borrowing

Stirling Newberry presents a powerful framework for understanding the dynamics of early 21st century American politics.

[Newberry/Rise of Rove's Rebublic (Agonist and Kos)]:

Bashing creates polarization, Breaking destroys people's ability to resist that polarization, Borrowing means that ultimately people must fall into line behind where the money is.

Many believe the elite have almost absolute power over the lives of little people. It isn't true now, but they have a coherent plan to force little people into line. ...

Everything the Republicans do is part of this three tier attack: everything advances bashing, breaking or borrowing.

10:42:12 PM   permalink: []   feedback:   comments: []  

Doing Fine

But there's one more thing that bothers me, she said.

What? he asked.

She didn't really miss a beat, so he really didn't need to ask his question. She probably didn't hear him ask it, anyway.

What you wrote worries me -- that thing about the headache. What was that? Are you ok?

Yes. I am ok.

But the headache. Are you ok?

It was a headache. It went away.

There was silence for a moment. A kind of disbelieving silence. He recognized it.

I'm fine, mom.

It happens again and again, this conversation. One would think that a man in his mid-40s might have escaped this.

What, would she prefer silence, instead? No, of course not.

But would he prefer silence? Would he prefer that his mother not call? No, of course not.

They're both doing fine.

9:57:46 PM   permalink: []   feedback:   comments: []