On the bright side…

Well, that’s that then.  Another four years of Bush plus an even more Republican congress.

I’ve been ambivilent about the outcome of this election, but as I woke up to NPR this morning and heard that the Reps were picking up a lot of House and Sentate seats I began fervently hoping I’d hear “…but Senator Kerry has taken a clear lead in the presidential election”.  I’ve said before I think both candidates are lousy, but the last thing we need is a triumphant, vindicated Republican government.  Sadly, there will be no gridlock, no chastenening of the party for it’s hubris.  It’s full speed ahead, now…

For the more horrified among my readers, I offer the following optimistic predictions.  Feel free to mock me if I’m proven wrrong, but I don’t think I will be.

  • The sun will continue to shine, and the birds to sing.
  • There will be no draft.
  • There won’t be any more large-scale military adventures, barring a really major terrorist attack.  Bush & Co. aren’t that dumb.
  • We will not slide into theocracy.  Conservative Christian values may play a bigger role in politics, but decades of increasing liberalism are not going to be rolled back.
  • Roe v. Wade will not be repealed.
  • State bans notwithstanding, a US constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage will not pass.
  • The environment will continue to be destroyed at exactly the rate it has been under Democrats and Republicans alike.  The extent and effects of the destruction will continue to be vastly exagerated by people who treat environmentalism as more of a religion than a science.
  • Civil liberties will continue to be picked off in the name of security, but we will not become a full police state, or even close.  Dissenters will still be able to speak their minds without being “disapeared”.  Micheal Moore will still make millions of dollars talking about how brave he is to do what he does.  Suspected terrorists will still have greater legal rights than they do in, oh, say, France
  • Good, well-paid jobs will continue to be added to the economy, which will continue the slow evolution it has been undergoing for decades.  Pundits will continue to mistake that evolution for dangerous, economy-threatening “offshoring”.
  • In 2008, Bush will step down and a Democrat will be elected president, unless the Republicans nominate John McCain as their candidate.  Either way, things will swing gently in the other direction for at least four years.

I wish I could instill my faith in others.  There’s a lot of weeping and gnashing of teeth on my friend’s list right now, and it makes me sad.  I wish I could be convincing when I say it’s not the end of the world, or even of American democracy.  We’re still free.  We can still speak our minds.  We can still change things without resorting to violence – and how many in this world can honestly say that?  Life goes on. 

View All

18 Comments

  1. That all

    Seems about right to me. But, then, it would.

    1. Re: That all

      Well, it sounds alright to me too. 🙂

  2. Well said, my friend, well said! It’s so nice to see a voice of practicality amidst a sea of mass hysteria on LJ.

    1. I totally agree Anders…Go Avdi!!!!!!

  3. Reading this after the last e-mail I received, which unabashadly compared the re-election of Bush to the tragedies of 9/11 and the shootings at Columbine High School, has helped lessen my need to choke the life out of someone in a serious way. Thank you.

    1. I’m glad you liked it.

      The numerous references to Equilibrium in your user info have convinced me to add you to my friends list. Hope ya don’t mind.

      1. Not at all.

        I write Equilibrium fanfic. Don’t tell anyone. ^^;;;

        1. I won’t, but I may read it…

          1. *laughs* Read at your own risk.

            Here they are.

            …oh my, but sometimes my own writing makes me wince.

  4. Well, I’m kind of paranoid about the Roe v Wade thing. But otherwise? Yeah, man. Yeah.

    1. Side note, I was linked here by ; will be linking this from my own journal (unless you tell me not to).

      1. I got no problem with it.

        1. Your welcome (to your reply in my LJ) and I got here via Katsu, incidently >D

  5. Good post, Avdi. I don’t think the world was going to explode if Candidate X were elected. Life will go on.

  6. Well, I hope you’re right. I don’t believe you will be, but hey, I’d be happy if you turn out to be right.

  7. You forgot one. Unless the Republicans nominate John McCain as their candidate or unless the democrats nominate Hilary Clinton… then we’re definitely not winning.

    1. That’s funny… because I had exactly that thought, and almost included her in that final item. But I was gonna say something about that in a later post, and so I left it as it is.

  8. So.

    I was looking at old journal entries looking for something else, and happened to come across one where’d I’d linked to this one. How do you feel about it in retrospect?

Comments are closed.