November 3, 2010

"I don't believe in magic..."

Waking up in a red state, the lyric "The dream is over" played in my head. That song, that John Lennon song, you may know, is called "God." It begins: "God is a concept by which we measure our pain" — and that seems like an apt rebuke in a political world in which we imagined our President to be some kind of God. Idolatry is not a good thing, and we — not just the President, but we — got our comeuppance. Lennon's song continues...
I don't believe in magic
I don't believe in I-ching
I don't believe in Bible
I don't believe in tarot
I don't believe in Hitler
I don't believe in Jesus
I don't believe in Kennedy
I don't believe in Buddha
Maybe, like me, you exclaimed: But maybe I believe in Aqua Buddha!

Let's hope last night's revolution was a revolution toward reality, away from government, and a return to belief in what individual human beings can do on their own, without magical dreams about government.

62 comments:

Fred4Pres said...

Divided government is the best government. So yes, last night was a victory.

Anonymous said...

Actually, maybe it's the end of dreary 60s nostagia... especially for crummy songs like the one you've cited.

This awful habit of phrasing every political and social issue as a reprise of the 60s is just hideous.

I'm beginning to understand why some of the kids are praying for the Baby Boomers to kick off.

Anonymous said...

I should have said "... praying for us Baby Boomers to kick off."

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem!

Rumpletweezer said...

Waking up in the Peoples State of Maryland, I'd be happier if something good had happened here. We're stuck on an island of insanity surrounded by a sea of sanity. I imagine people in Massachusetts and California feel the same.

kent said...

and a return to belief in what individual human beings can do on their own, without magical dreams about government.

Worth the repeating, and the emphasis.

MadisonMan said...

Unfortunately, we don't have divided government in Wisconsin any more. We'll see where that leads us.

I'm not sure how Walker can be more than a 1-term Governor. If he can turn the state around, though, my hat will be off to him. But he's staring into an enormous budget hole.

Scott M said...

AA, you are forgetting that our government is built upon a document of negative rights. It doesn't spell out what the government should do for you. Those currently in power believe it does/should.

Snark aside, I just want to see us turn from what we are...service-based debtors, to what we used to be, doers/makers that save. I don't mind a little bit of service-based in my coffee, but debtor nation status I can do without.

Lincolntf said...

Apropos of nothing, I just heard Mike Huckabee describing the "subterranean atmosphere" of last nights election.
I kinda like the ring of the phrase, but believe it to be oxymoronic.

TWM said...

"Divided government is the best government. So yes, last night was a victory."

Amen to that . . .

Anonymous said...

I pray that the house leaders don't get arrogant and screw it up again.

Hagar said...

But the Government does not believe we can do for ourselves and will fight tooth and nail to prevent any such ideas taking hold.

DADvocate said...

without magical dreams about government

And again.

This magical thought is what drives the socialist nightmare.

Phil 314 said...

IMHO, the key in the next two years is what I will call the
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right of me, Stuck in the middle with you
caucus in the Senate:

-Landrieu (D) LA; Scott Brown (R) MA; Olympia Snowe (R) ME; Susan Collins (R)ME; Ben Nelson (D)NE; Manchin (D)WV and ?Kirk (R)IL (and maybe a couple others)

With a strongly Republican House, a liberal White House and an essentially divided Senate any "bipartisanship" will be driven by these folks in the squishy, RINO, DINO center

Anonymous said...

This is good-bye to this wonderful blog, as I pick myself up.

I am disappointed at my own scientific polling methods. Only Reid, Boxer, and Murray won. At least Reid will be the Leader in Senate (ie, sanity chamber).

Reid's victory (and Palin's bad calls in NV, CT, and DE) brings hope to me for 2012 re-election.

Perhaps, I shall return early Jan. 2012. Good-bye for now.

madAsHell said...

Hey!

Where is that troll, American Politico, and his broken english?

I'm sure that he just got off the phone with......some really important, unemployed consultants.

traditionalguy said...

Un-belief in all other gods is the biggie called The First Commandment in the Law delivered through Moses. So only believing in your own strength is like supporting a Third Party movement which has no candidates. Good luck with that.

Christy said...

Alex Sink just conceded the Florida State House to Republican Scott. This augurs well for 2012.

Sorry to ruin the spiritual mood going on here.

Will Pelosi and Reid maintain the iron hold over their members we saw with the health care vote?

Anonymous said...

madAsHell: The WH is not returning my calls. I was omitted from the re-election planning strategy. I am finished. My GF has moved out. My landlady wants me to move out. My future inlaws do not want me consider them as relations in waiting. This is bad. How could I have been blind-sidded. I need to go away from politics and reflect. See you in 2012 when I help the Obama-Biden to return to DC.

The Dude said...

America's Asshole, quit saying you are going away, just go away.

kent said...

brings hope to me for 2012 re-election.

That deep fryer over at your work station isn't going to clean itself this morning, little mister.

Jason said...

I wish the Animal Carcass Removal Service would pick up this dead unicorn off my lawn.

WV: thlept

kent said...

Alex Sink just conceded the Florida State House to Republican Scott. This augurs well for 2012.

Wonder how many votes the 'rats managed to piss away in that particular match-up by repeatedly attempting to nudge the black candidate (and actual primary winner) Meek out of the way, in favor of the smarmy and duplicitous Crist...?

Heh.

madAsHell said...

oh...Politico!! There you are!
Fare thee well!
You have 2 years to find a clue.

The Crack Emcee said...

Mrs. Robinson, I think you're trying to seduce me,...

Clyde said...

Buh-Bye, Nancy!

Credit: Coraline.

(bumped from last night's megapost)

Unknown said...

In CA, apparently, we still believe in moonbeams and magical government. :) So today I'm happy/sad.

The big news to me is that so many state legislatures went red. Reform will start from the bottom up!

Hector Owen said...

The last sentence of the original post is a beauty.

Blue states will keep on dreaming. After a few years with Lincoln Chafee as Governor, Rhode Islanders will find their dream is a nightmare.

Tank said...

While better than the alternative (last night's results), as a pessimist, I view this as a speed bump on the way to ruin.

All the big unsolvable problems remain:

1. Military all over the world draining zillions of dollars and flushing them down the toilet. Even the Dem's never talk about real reductions. I mean, can we bring home the troops from Germany yet?

2. Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Drug benefits, maybe Obamacare (if bene's kick in). Who wants to touch those third rails and advocate reductions? Hmmmm? Anyone wanna talk about "privatizing" Social Security? Didn't think so.

3. Millions of workers, many unionized, working for fed, state and local gov'ts for good salaries with ludicrous bene's and retirement plans. They organize. They vote in blocks. They send money. Whose going to reduce that? Hmmmm?

As the derb would say, we are doomed.

Have a nice day.

Phil 314 said...

And Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid are now owned by the unions. (not to mention Jerry Brown)

Kensington said...

Christy:
"Will Pelosi and Reid maintain the iron hold over their members we saw with the health care vote?"

The good news is that it hardly matters anymore, especially in the House. Sweet, sweet gridlock is the best they can hope for, presuming the GOP doesn't fracture.

BJM said...

In the least AP had the balls to return and offer a weak mea culpa, unlike regular lefties and trolls who shit on commenters for sport.

AllenS said...

rd,

For the second year in a row, there was no cost of living increase for Social Security and VA benefits. While that is not a reduction, at least there is an attempt to hold down the costs of those programs.

I do agree, though, our problems are so numerous and have been going on for so long, that something absolutely terrible will have to happen before there is any sizeable change to these government spending habits.

Unknown said...

Afraid CA (which also stands for cancer in medical jargon, go figure) will have to sink of its own corruption before it can be redeemed. Same for the People's Republics of Mass, Md, and NY.

That said, Florida is good news and those chortling over the women candidates in the Senate races need to remember all 3 of Miss Sarah's Mama Grizzlies running for governor's mansions made the grade, so she did better than they want people to believe.

According to RCP, WA, CO, and AK are still counting, so the Senate races aren't done yet.

PS The problem with the Boomers' image is that the annoying habit of framing everything in terms of the lexicon of '67 belongs to the Obama cohort. The people who went to 'Nam and the ones who made the Reagan Revolution don't think that way - largely because they actually think.

Christy said...

Will we see more bipartisan action in the Congress now? Of the 33 Senators up for re-election in 2012, 19 are Democrats (10 Rs.) Where will their self-interest lie? Are Democratic Senators still true believers?

Once written, twice... said...

Does this mean Ann that you are going to quit your $158,000.00 job with the State that you do the bare minimum to earn? Or are you going to continue to collect the big bucks and the platinum benefits for being essentially retired?

Come on Ann, stop being a hypocrite and step up and step "away from government, and a return to belief in what individual human beings can do on their own, without magical dreams about government."

KCFleming said...

Chris Matthew's tingly leg just got burned.

Don't cry for me, Unguentina.

KCFleming said...

The left still has much hope. Both California and Minnesota remain desperately blue, despite the evidence of failed statism all around them.

By tomorrow the public schoolkids here in Lake Wobetide will be wearing little red stars.

Anonymous said...

Unicorns off your lawn?

Well, first, we need to extend our moral concern (Singer style) to all non human creatures, real and, I would argue...mythical (clearly they have feelings, the science is telling us so every day). I hope you had nothing to do with it's death. I've seen the unicorn mills, buster. Not pretty.

But if it's dead...

Are those unicorn removal workers unionized? You know...do they come over a few hours after they say, work at their own pace and organize the vote extremely well? Maybe they'll strike and you'll have to take care of it yourself.

Don't get caught eating unicorn burgers or dumping it on public land.

former law student said...

The professor should wave goodbye to the House majority in favor of DADT repeal -- it just got sent home.

Ayes Noes PRES NV
Democratic 220 26 9
Republican 9 160 8
Independent
TOTALS 229 186 17

Anonymous said...

Waking up in the Peoples State of Maryland, I'd be happier if something good had happened here.

The R's flipped MD congressional district 1.

sunsong said...

Let's hope last night's revolution was a revolution toward reality, away from government, and a return to belief in what individual human beings can do on their own, without magical dreams about government.

Nice! I also hope to see the GOP governor's start turning their States around. They are closer to the people and have much Constitutional authority/responsibility.

BJM said...

@Allen

For the second year in a row, there was no cost of living increase for Social Security and VA benefits. While that is not a reduction, at least there is an attempt to hold down the costs of those programs.

False savings that will only shift costs. Elderly seniors will skip meals and meds. Just as axing the Advantage Care program will result in less preventive care and longer, more frequent hospital stays.

We forget that tens of millions of seniors are in the lower SS benefit brackets receiving less than $1000 a month and Medicare B takes $96 with a hike coming next year. Could you live on that?

It easy to be glib about cutting SS but these are Americans who as we like to parrot, "played by the rules". They're decent, law abiding people who worked their entire lives, paying taxes & FICA, raising families while paying off their mortgages and saving as best they could. All the while the govt ran a ponzi scheme on them for 60+ years.

So now they're disposable?

Heaven forefend that we younger or better off folks should have to forgo spending a billion dollars on stupid shit like Halloween.

Means testing SS and Medicare would be a better start. Why the hell we insist that wealthy seniors accept Medicare A is beyond comprehension.

It's not right or just and everyone with a conscience knows it.

William said...

If you rid your life of all illusions and distortions, you are left only with the love of Yoko Ono from which to draw sustenance.....Here in NY some of the most flagrant creeps and crooks won re-election by margins of 90%. Our local politicos have really mastered the art of gerrymandering.

Sal said...

we — got our comeuppance

Speak for yourself. Those of us who stayed, don't see it that way.

Anonymous said...

It is interesting to watch the leftists in denial in CA and NV send back Senators to Washington who haven't had a new idea in 30 years.

I guess voters in those states actually believe in "free" healhcare and that you can work in a "union" as a government worker and have gold-plated benefits in-perpetuity.

Anonymous said...

Elderly seniors will skip meals and meds.

Laugh out loud funny.

Anonymous said...

Heaven forefend that we younger or better off folks should have to forgo spending a billion dollars on stupid shit like Halloween.


Sorry, but there are millions of boomers that are more secure finanancially than the younger generations.

The Clintons come to mind.

former law student said...

Means testing SS and Medicare would be a better start.

Let's means test every retirement plan -- Social Security is not welfare.

Unknown said...

One point to keep in mid with Social Security is that FICA goes into the general fund. There hasn't been a Social Security trust fund since the Demos used it to pay for the Great Society. Social Security has been living from hand to mouth ever since. That's why Presidents starting with Carter have been obliged to try to "save" it every few years.

Anybody who says, "I deserve that money because I've been paying into it", ought to realize the money paid (withheld) was spent a long time ago. Starting now, there ought to be a means test and a cutoff (all those currently age 40 and under) when new people would be enrolled.

That won't happen unless things get a lot worse - which I think they are about to.

KCFleming said...

"Social Security is not welfare"

Pish posh.
Of course it is.

amba said...

What came into my head unbidden was "Hey now, hey now, don't dream it's over."

Or maybe that could be read, "Don't dream. It's over."

ricpic said...

...the dream is over.

What dream? The dream of equality? which is to say the dream of overturning reality and imposing unreality on those who are better than the dreck you want to uplift?

tim maguire said...

we — not just the President, but we — got our comeuppance

Who's "we" kemo sabe? I should think you got your comeuppance about 18 months ago. Last night was the cavalry arriving.

chickelit said...

A cursory glance at the bios of both Lennon and Obama reveals that they both had severely fucked-up family situations as children. This explains their yearning fondness for government solutions.

It's really that simple.

How an entire generation managed to follow and listen to that Pied Piper is a tragedy. Fortunately, people are beginning to wake up.

Phil 314 said...

Tea Party racist victories!

Mike (MJB Wolf) said...

Ann, you left off:

"I don't believe in Zimmerman"

The only reason I read 57 comments was to see if anyone else noticed. I'm surprised you-all stuck to politics!

Phil 314 said...

A funny bit done pre-election and still good after

(thank you Iowahawk)

Hagar said...

There's going to be a Social Security program of some sort, like it or not.

The problem with getting some rational reform passed is that the Democrats would have to admit that the program as originally passed and presently amended, is fundamentally a fraudulent Ponzi scheme, which is not to be borne.

Daniel12 said...

Let's hope last night's revolution was a revolution toward reality, away from government, and a return to belief in what individual human beings can do on their own, without magical dreams about government.

It sounds so fake when you say it. Ugh.

jr565 said...

He (john lennon) doesn't believe in magic, but he does believe in a world without possessions and thinks he can get there from here. Leaving aside the fact that he is one of the richest rock stars of the world at the time of the song and so has tons of possessions, isn't that utopian thinking as silly as believing in magic?

jr565 said...

America's Asshole, quit saying you are going away, just go away.

I think American Politico was tongue in cheek the whole time.

sunsong said...

From a friend of a friend of a friend:

"I realized this morning waking up to the election news, that whether my team wins or loses, the long term effects are never as good as I'd hoped or as bad as I'd feared. I hope that's true. I also wonder if we give these people so much power because it's easier than discovering our own."