Dear Editor,
Sheep, cows and horses are herd animals. There was a story about two horses that had grown up together, but one got sold and went away. That horse was gone for three or four years.
The way that horse trading went, it happened that those two were eventually put in adjacent pastures. Never mind the fence. They saw each other, and both came up to the fence and nuzzled each other for half the morning.
Humans are kind of like that too! We gather into groups, clubs, committees and so forth. We feel that “we belong.” Whatever we have come to expect from our “group” is always there. Whatever the “club” expects from us we are happy to provide, no questions asked.
Politics is just another “club” that we give to and take from. That club knows what to expect from us, and we know what to expect from that club.
When that “give and take” formula is broken by one side, the other side feels mistreated and resentful.
To get elected, one side might (in the heat of campaigning) be perceived as promising a chicken in every pot and a new car in every garage. When that does not happen we feel betrayed, no matter what the reason was. That is when (blinded by anger) we are likely to “double down” in opposition.
The capitalists had managed, over the last few years, to milk our economy dry. By every measure they had accumulated political power and massive wealth at the expense of us working stiffs. It was well known and believed that it was the “professional politicians” who helped the capitalists.
Now comes the next election, and lo and behold, there is a non-politician in the race.
At least he hasn’t lied to me (yet.)
The word went out (helped by FOX News) to all the electorate.
He gathered enough votes in the right states to become president.
And so, we got a non-professional politician who doesn’t know squat about running a country.
—Jerry Baird