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Host, as a Canadian, I don't have any real desire to get "fired up" about how the US has decided to fuck things up. I am merely a fascinated spectator when it comes to America's internal operations.
I only get fired up when those policies extend beyond its borders.
As for being on the fence. I am much more of a centrist when it comes to the discussion of right vs. left politics. I see positives from a capitalist system and I see positives from a socialist system.
The can bring balance and rationality to the worst elements of either when they are viewed in their most extreme forms (as I have suggested, neither is system is ideal in its purest form).
What Bush and Reagan's lot have done is to enact (or attempt to enact) a particular philosophy. Doing so, take more than just changing the laws, it also takes changing public opinion.
They have been masterful (as you point out) in changing public opinion. The one thing they have proven though, is that their execution of this "brave new system" has been largely a failure. It has been rife with the same corruption and nepotism that they claimed was rife in the preceding system.
Here, in my opinion, is what is missing from the picture.
The Bush-Reagan agenda has managed to control public opinion. As I have suggested elsewhere, they are winning the media war by controlling the discussion.
The opposition hasn't offer a coherent counter message. They haven't been able to sufficiently change public opinion in their favour. And the kicker is that the time is ripe. Bush's ratings are in the basement. A new election is on the horizon. People are hungry for a new plan. A new deal. A fresh start.
Yes, a lot of damage has been done to the infrastructure but it isn't impossible to fix. It will take time and imagination and... leadership but it can be fixed.
Where is this leadership?
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
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