And ANOTHER reason we Democrats lost and will continue to lose

[pat_k]

115. I sure hope the "bottom" isn't that low.

Sadly, I am clueless on what would trigger a reversal. Perhaps it has to get that bad. '
'
Just to speculate for a minute (knowing that I actually have no clue). My gut says Social Security has become a third rail and it won't be messed with in the near future. Medicare is more vulnerable to erosion without triggering a strong reaction from the polity. And ACA? Crap, I don't know how far they can go undoing that before backlash kicks in. They didn't get far in previous tries.

Frankly, I'm more concerned about the destruction of the executive branch as a functioning entity in our executive-legislative-judicial balancing act. Laws don't matter when execution is undermined. I think the damage to fear most isn't the overt damage of terrible legislation. I think political will kicks in to curb the worst of that. But the destruction of the mechanisms by which our laws are executed and enforced? That is not immediately apparent and is much harder to expose in a way that triggers public opposition.

We are in a vicious downward cycle with with so many forces at work untangling is beyond me. I just pick at the threads that strike me as important. And through it all, do my best to hang onto my basic faith in the power of engaged, caring citizens; a belief that we will, some way, some how, kick off a a virtuous upward cycle. I hope it happens in my lifetime, but that's only two or three decades more... but I live in hope. Hope mobilizes. Hopelessness immobilizes. I choose hope.