Sooooo I don't really want to talk about it now

[conuly]

(or ever) but we've been having some family problems over the past week which caused me ultimately to spend most of today sleeping, so it was only when I went downstairs to poop that my mother informed me of the breaking news.

Which is more than a little bit terrifying, not just for today but for the implications for the future.

Comments

[rebeccmeister]

Regardless of the details I hope that you are finding ways to cope and hang in there.

[pwcorgigirl]

I hope your family issues improve soon. What we're watching on TV in horror is four years of hate talk and criminally irresponsible behavior coming home to roost.

[conuly]

Well more than four years - I'd say a solid 20 years, which in themselves were aided by another 20 years of the weakening of journalistic standards and voting rights in the USA.

[baranduin]

Yup. Started with Reagan in my view.

[hudebnik]

Yes, a lot of things start with Reagan.

Before Reagan, the Republican and Democratic parties differed sharply on how government should work. Since Reagan, they differ on whether government should work: the Republican Party creed has become "government can't do anything right, government shouldn't do anything right, and if it looks like it's about to do something right, sabotage it so people don't get the mistaken impression that government can do anything right." Which produces a seriously tilted playing field for negotiation: if a breakdown in negotiations means some government program doesn't work, that's exactly what one side wanted all along, so they have no incentive to negotiate.

Reagan also started the upwards redistribution of wealth, and the massive growth of the national debt (which had been exactly keeping pace with inflation from WWII to 1980, but has exploded since). And Reagan forged the first ties between the evangelical-Christian community and a particular political party.

[baranduin]

Well summarized. I never forget what he did in California as governor, throwing the mentally ill on the street. I was in high school in So Cal at the time. He used to terrify me whenever he'd speak.

[sporks5000.livejournal.com]

Me, literally moments ago: I am not able to come to a conclusion regarding how I should feel about everything that has taken place today. ...I should check Connie's journal! Surely she will have some insight on the matter that will help me feel grounded once again!

I am unable to articulate exactly how it is that reading this post has helped, but it has. So thank you.

[conuly]

That's not a response I expected, but I'm glad I could help.

[bibliofile]

I hope the family things get sorted out more smoothly than the shit in the DC. <3

[cellio]

This.

[imhilien]

Am sorry to hear that... some days you just want to stay in bed all day. :(

[pauamma]

Pooping is good.

[silveradept]

I hope that the family issues resolve well, and that there are swift consequences for those who did this action and those who enabled them.