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To Clear Our Heads

Our cat, Orphan, is training to be a deathwatch cat.
We have inherited her, so as far as I know, that is how she got her name.

At any rate, when it became obvious that I had a terrible cold,
combined with an experiment to discontinue using a decongestant,
with the result that I had coughed up both lungs and was working
on the diaphragm, Orphan came snuggling to me in bed.

She has been a comfort, sitting there, eyes glowing green
with the faint flicker of eternal flames in the background,
but finally I appealed to my doctor to prescribe something
other than a cat for my cough.  It seems to be working,
but it has turned the cat against me.  Truth be told,
this is the cat that occasionally bites me.  It is nothing personal.
It might not even be intentional.  You know, a nip gone bad!

Mari moved away, gradually; first to the far side of the bed,
then downstairs, and then down another set of stairs,
from where she occasionally climbed up to report that
she had heard that I was making no progress.

I now that my health is of no concern to you, but it has interfered
with my interest in what is happening in the world, and given
the election results, I am grateful.   I had only a bad cough.
A good part of the electorate had a brain seizure.

How can we reduce government without vastly increasing
unemployment?  How can we lower taxes on the greatest mass
of capital, at the top, without crippling social services,
and increasing unemployment?  How will reversing health care
reforms be better for anybody except insurance companies?
Whose idea is it to turn banks and investment companies
loose without supervision, with the high hope that they have
our best interests at heart?  Who thinks that putting social
security money into the hands of stock brokers will make money
for anybody but stock brokers?

Lots of people, I guess.  Lots of people think Sarah Palin
is a political genius, and that Christine O'Donnell is intelligent,
and that Sharron is the Angle of God.  Michele Bachmann
wants a larger role in the leadership of Congress.

I am feeling much better now, and that is fortunate.
I am perking up just in time to see the Republican Party,
having ridden complete non-cooperation into control
of the House, reverse itself and begin to work with Democrats.
All the Democrats have to do is learn to say no to everything.
Then both parties will be on the same page.

The next two years might achieve what the Republicans want:
smaller government (it always got bigger when they were in
power), fewer public services, a reduction of supervision
over banks and investment firms, a protection of great wealth,
fewer public schools and more private schools, maybe
pay-as-you-go fire protection (or let the house burn), an end
to unemployment insurance benefits on the grounds that it
encourages unemployment and keeps people alive, a return
to our old health care situation (afford it or forget it!),
and a repeal of a fair part of our constitution.

I don't think so!  I think listening to all that idiocy is what
caused me to start coughing.  Gagging, actually.  The next two years
will not be pleasant, but they may be necessary, to clear our heads.

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