Schadenfreude

While the hypocrite evangelist whose name begins with H. and whose attacks on gays finally were so offensive to his own “call boy” that the latter turned him in (or “out”), Martin Marty in his regular email essay, “Sightings,” cautioned us against enjoying it too much. I’m sure the advice applies to the whole political shift that some of us are so relieved to see.

The idea that in a Democracy “the majority wins” has not been examined enough, in my opinion. For one thing, it’s an Old Testament idea left over from tribal warfare. The New Testament is concerned with the protection of the minority, a much neglected concept unless there a way to make money out of some program for them.

Someone suggested on the radio that political parties in this country have been “genderized,” which is to say that Repubs are from Mars (warriors, tough, male, red) and Dems are from Venus (conciliators, weak, female, blue). This justifies the domination of Dems by Repubs in the minds of some locals, because to them that’s the way every set of categories boils down: winners vs. losers with women, Dems, nerds, geeks, and other non-athletic types being the automatic losers.

I remember subbing in the Valier High School library when in came a boy who had just gotten a paper back with a bad grade on it. “I KNEW Mr. Suchandsuch was gay!” he proclaimed.

“What? Do you know the definition of gay?” I asked, Mr. Suchandsuch being a family man.

“Of course I do. It means weak, incompetent, someone who doesn’t matter.” He didn’t say “girly man.” I couldn’t convince him that gay meant homosexual and that many gays are big strong tough men. He’d seen “Brokeback Mountain” and didn’t know what the fuss was about. Both of them were incompetent sheepherders -- that was all. This seems to be a widespread opinion in this neck of the prairie, at least in that age group. In his mind this information simply entitled him to ignore, discredit and attack any gay/weak/girly/ineffective person as a way of improving the species and removing obstacles from the path of the deserving big tough achievers. (There is some evidence that this point of view can be traced to athletic coaches.)

Needless to say, these guys are Repubs. What are they going to do about this major shift, which is not just a paradigm shift but more like a tectonic plate earthquake? Who will make sure they get their subsidies? Smart Dems -- and Tester really is smart -- will not pound them into the ground. Let Burns go quietly back to Missouri, which is where he came from and where they say retirement is very pleasant (good weather) and quiet. Rehberg and Rove are already emphasizing how skillful they are at being bi-political.

So much energy and expectation has piled up that this may be a bit like a dam bursting and the first test of Nancy Pelosi will be managing it in a constructive way. For instance, one military man pointed out that even if the troops were ordered out of Iraq tomorrow, it would take them a year to pack and transport everything that’s supposed to come back to this country -- that’s not counting the people.

I stopped this to listen to Bush’s news conference. Goodbye, Rumsfeld.

Somewhere long ago I read some Machiavellian advice that I think came from the Asian world. The gist of it was that if you want your opponent to withdraw without rancor and revenge (remember the computer sabotage the last time there was a turnover?), don’t block the exit. Maybe he WAS kicked to the curb with good cause, but don’t make him look bad to his mother while he’s lying stunned in the gutter.

Some think that WWII happened in large part because at the end of WWI, Germany was told “winner takes all” and humiliated. Maybe the US should do a little thinking about the way they treated Native Americans in defeat. (I notice Bush says one of the things he wants to get done before he leaves office is “this Indian thing,” by which I suppose he means returning the money the government has misused over the last century and a half.)

The environment here on the high prairie is pretty unforgiving. An economic miscalculation or even a driving blooper can be punished by death. This should make us humble and willing to help each other. It’s going to be very hard on the pride of the Repubs who have relied on Burns to save them. I notice a quick little series of lawsuits withdrawn, etc. I personally am glad Judge Buyske lost. Many continental shifts will be out of sight, but a lot of people will be adjusting in ways that never become public, little tremors.

But I hope I never have to hear Bush’s joke about measuring drapes in the Congressional offices again. In fact, I think they ought to accept the drapes already there -- red or blue -- in the interest of economy. Use the energy and money for bigger things.