The Peoples Opium.

Theater class was interesting today. My professor was laying down the riot act; you either vote, or forfeit rights to whine about the results. You are making a tacit consent. He then posited that America was in a decline of power; not a small recent trend in his mind, but one that is ongoing. He said that this election is important because it is a choice between continuing with the remedy envisioned by the democrat party, or taking a chance on a republican remedy. In his opinion this is a key election in deciding the fate of America, which he postulated without making a single comment that would tell you what party he supported. Deftly done.

Marx said that religion was the opium of the people. While I disagree with this in many respects, I believe he is not entirely removed from the truth. Optimism is the opium of the people. Optimism is often needed to dull the pain of difficult situations, but optimism is just a drug to keep you from fainting while dealing with the problem. The problem is with those who cling to the opium and refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of their problem.

Polls were taken during the class, and all libertarians believed the USA was in long term decline.
The same was almost true of republicans, with one dissenting. None of the democrats agreed that we were in decline. Some of the democrats were thoroughly displeased that anyone would suggest we are in decline.

There is a reason they got strident; they know their cure is not working and in the end all they can do is cry for more optimism. A patient read about a course of treatment that was done abroad. The experts claimed that it would restore his system to order; that it would not only clear up his current illnesses, but prevent him from future sickness and pain. There would, of course, be some pain, but it would be negligible when compared to the results. The man worked for years to try and be put on this regimen.

In the mean time, the patients who had already begun treatment were not getting better, but worsening. The doctors then started realizing they had made a mistake; they were killing the patients. Immediate action was taken to try and scale back the treatment, but it was met with resistance. The patients did not feel worse, and the treatment sounded so promising; they just needed more time and, naturally, more opium.

Even as the doctors abroad were retracting some of their claims about the treatment, our first patient demanded it all the louder. The doctors began to cave and started into the early stages of the treatment. His family tried to warn him about the news from across the ocean, but he insisted it was because the foreign patients had been too old; their health was already failing, but he was vital and strong. A short time into the treatment the convulsions from pain started to set in, but that did not change his mind; all he needed was more opium.

Democrats want so badly for this plan to work; it is the fulfillment of their dreams. It would mean a civilized society where men take care of each other. Our body is imperfect, and if this theoretical treatment works we would be nearing perfection. It isn't working. Our body is wracked with pain and the treatment doesn't work; it hasn't worked on those who have been taking it for years and it never will take in us either. They can't stand to face the fact that the perfection they desire is impossible, so they tell us to shut up, take our optimism, and wait and let the treatment take its course.

It is a pity that their elected treatment is a daily bleeding, with optimism to take out the sting of the knife.

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