Alighieri, around 1997 a dear friend of mine pondered if the country had moved too fast too soon, he predicted the country might pause or have a reactive step backwards in order for the country to catch up.
My comment at the time was, it certainly hasn't changed fast enough.
On hindsight, how stunningly astute my dear friend's prediction was. I remember thinking he was totally wrong - things hadn't changed fast enough. But he had explained how countries can't change too fast otherwise there can be a reactive phase, where it can negatively impact stability and undo progress, setting a country back more years than if it had changed more slowly. I had dismissed the notion, thinking that sounded like some other country, not the USA !
Wow, but how right he was! Never underestimate how slow countries handle progressive change. He said a country can only absorb so much change in a given time. Wow, how right he was!
I think it was zofsilence that also pointed this out too in a post where he had astutely identified this as well. So, possibly many people believed this reaction could happen, but I sure didn't think it would happen to a country as advanced as the USA until after it happened.
Having said all this, one might wonder what's next? I don't think we will continue to go backwards after the next election. It is very likely the country will get back to marching forward with progress once Bush leaves office. But there is also a risk of an overly strong reaction to Bush that pushes things to the extreme. If so, Dean will represent this frustration - eight years of pent up frustration with Bush will be an energy that Dean can tap into successfully, but there's also a risk that it might be too extreme.
My preference would have been a more moderate leader though, because extremes beget extremes. But I do like how Dean isn't afraid to hold his beliefs. The Dems have been much to quiet on very important issues - I recall reading a CCN article where Lieberman raced off to Congress supporting the war without asking questions. Too many are like this, so Dean is a fresh breath of air from people who do not have the strength to ask questions and investigate.
Regards,
Amy J |
