Here’s a simple test for true believers in absurd but popular notions. Do you believe that:
A Republican Party that governed us into the 2008 crash will produce prosperity if given control of government again in 2012.
A Democratic president who ran as populist in 2008, then turned into a moderate Republican-like compromiser after being elected, will be any different if reelected in 2012.
Any major changes in the tax code, no matter how they are packaged, or which party does the packaging, after being messaged by lobbyists will favor anyone who isn’t already very rich.
That those running Wall Street are really the best and brightest, have learned from their 2008 mistakes well enough not to repeat them, and actually control the multi-trillion dollar derivatives markets they have created.
That we can continue happily to ignore the environmental crises we have spawned worldwide and continue to make worse without paying an enormous and horrifying toll — and soon.
That the U.S., as the world’s only super power, controls events around the world rather than being a muscle-bound stumbler increasingly sucked into the black holes opened almost daily by pissant states and crazed extremists within these states.
If you believe all, most, or even one of the above, here’s some other thoughts to give you that Zoloft glow: The meek will soon inherit the earth; poverty will disappear any day; it’s morning in America; reality television is on the verge of becoming a true art form.
Keep smiling.