Paul Krugman: The Monster Years

[Robbien]

The monster years

Last night wasn’t just a victory for tolerance; it wasn’t just a mandate for progressive change; it was also, I hope, the end of the monster years.

What I mean by that is that for the past 14 years America’s political life has been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monsters like Tom DeLay, who suggested that the shootings at Columbine happened because schools teach students the theory of evolution. Monsters like Karl Rove, who declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to terrorists. Monsters like Dick Cheney, who saw 9/11 as an opportunity to start torturing people.

And in our national discourse, we pretended that these monsters were reasonable, respectable people. To point out that the monsters were, in fact, monsters, was “shrill.”

Four years ago it seemed as if the monsters would dominate American politics for a long time to come. But for now, at least, they’ve been banished to the wilderness.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/the-monster-years/

We can only hope.

[midnight]

1. Last night someone turned to me after Obama gave his

winner's speech, and this person said, "I feel like we just ended a war". Let's end monsters hell for the rest of the people in Iraq and bring the troops home.

[demigoddess]

2. yes, bring the troops home now. It was a stupid idea in the beginning

and hasn't gotten any better.