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Stop eating bananas because

by: Lucy Edwards

Mon Jul 05, 2010 at 09:20:25 AM EDT
you can't stop smoking.

But to say "because we're not adopting measures that close the long-term deficit, we need short-term fiscal austerity" doesn't make any kind of sense. It'd be like a pack-a-day guy deciding that it's hard to quit smoking so he's going to stop eating bananas.

This goes on and on, and it would appear that the problem is not so much the economics since even John McCain's former economics guy doesn't think cutting spending now will fix anything.
Lucy Edwards :: Stop eating bananas because
The problem is that the Republicans see their shot at winning in November depending on the economy being bad, especially unemployment.  So they are going to block any attempts to create jobs.  And I simply can't believe that I am writing this, but if that is not true, then why are they behaving the way they are?

I know they keep saying that they have a plan to revitalize the economy, but then it turns out to be some version of the Bush plan, which got us into this mess.  Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.  Do I think they are insane?  Only in the sense of power-mad.  
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Nowadays, all ideas are equal.
Because it's hot and I'm not inclined to work outside, (0.00 / 0)
let me regale you with yet another hypothesis.  

The RSOP, as I've said, reject any sense of obligation to society -- i.e. their fellow man.  This seems contrary, since they claim to care very much about the opinions others have of them.  The logical thing would be to behave in such a manner as to be looked upon with favor.  But they don't.  

Why not?  My thinking today is that the "other" is only useful as a measuring stick.  Self-centered people don't really care what others think of them (perhaps can't even decipher other people's thoughts); what they care about is how they measure up in comparison.  So, when the other is worse off then oneself, then the self-centered feel good about themselves, or better.  They appreciate the deprivation visited upon others because it's not being visited on them.  

I was musing with the spouse this morning whether there's an English word for Schadenfreude -- i.e. taking pleasure in someone else's misfortune, regardless of who's responsible for causing it.  The spouse tells me, 'no.'  English takes words from other languages.  But why would the sentiment be Germanic?  Is it related to the behavior of the vandals?  Is it a matter of being affected by another's distress, but too intimidated to do anything about it?

I used to ascribe the latter to most "good" Germans who failed to stand up to the fascists.  But, some were probably glad to have some festering resentments satisfied.  Perhaps that's what's scary about the tea bag contingent.  They are exhibiting really irrational resentments, complaining about behavior which their leaders championed.  Is that just a function of transference, or is something else going on?

Schadenfreude caters to resentments whose origin may be simply envy -- not wanting others to have what one doesn't even want for oneself, just so they have less.

The U.S. is number one because other nations are still worse off.

Stop eating bananas because | 2 comments

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