By Judith Gayle | Political Waves
Nothing much has happened since last we spoke. That’s pretty much it, have a good weekend.
Yes, I jest (which is one of those lovely words you probably won’t hear in a decade or so, it’s barely hanging on by its single syllable now,) but there’s a smidgeon (another one) of truth there. Writing about politics in this zero-sum political culture — lawmakers staring one another down over an abyss of self-interest and, for a scant handful, self-delusion — is an exercise in hurry-up-and-wait, progress bogged down to a snail’s pace just when we need some desperately.
In this exhausting turmoil of alternative reality and truthiness glut, can reality to be found? Oh look! In this moment of radical ignorance and hubris, here comes a heavy-hitting aspect with the muscle to explode some mythology, blast some inertia! Those of us in the know are expecting this first exact square of Pluto and Uranus to define some of the change ahead.
Politically, I think of it like a cheat sheet. Personally, I’d rather it wasn’t a boot-up-the-ass wake-up call, but even that’s worthwhile at this point, and I say that having lived through a few. When it’s time to move foreword, best to initiate it yourself, so let’s do this. Come on, universe! Throw us a bone! Make our forward momentum so obvious not even the sleepers can miss it!
Those who are flinching at the “bring it on” quality of that statement are surely aware that we can no longer entertain the fiction of a clueless, compliant citizenry moving backwards into an unsustainable past. Those of us who still respect scientific thought are white-knuckled at the apparent inability of American politics to confront the truth about climate, environment, food and water security. What stands in our way? BP, Chevron and Exxon Mobil. Monsanto and frankenfoods. Shale gas and “clean” coal. Citizens United money.