Posted 8:47 AM by Paul
49% of Americans are Cool

Lest we forget they are definitely not all crazy.

Exhibit A

http://www.idleworm.com/nws/2002/11/iraq2.shtml

Very funny and unlike a lot of anti-Bush stuff that is up in cyberspace it does not take itself too seriously. The creator of this game also posts the hate mail he/she has received from bitter crazy right wingers. An excellent tactic.

Exhibit B

The Onion. The glory of America can be sampled every week by signing up to their weekly updates at www.onion.com My friend Steve Corrigan put me on to this just after September 11th. It cheered him and a lot of other New Yorkers up a great deal. If you can laugh directly after the horror you are on the mend. It reminded me of what my mum and dad told me about making jokes about the Bilitz even though whole streets had just been bombed out.

Historical note to the American Right. This was before you guys decided to help out. FDR tried hard to help in 1940 and 41, but the Republican Party did its level best to leave us to the Nazis.

Besides a brilliantly funny piece in the Onion about how the Very Poor of America had rallied round once again to ensure that the Very Wealthy continued to control of the White House it hit on a key dynamic of the election. Something we might all refer to as The Sting Syndrome. Let me explain.

Sting is quite clearly a brilliant and successful musician. He has sold millions of records and raised awareness of the plight of indigenous Amazonian tribes who are being wiped out by illegal loggers. he is a very clever bloke. But there is something so unbearable smug about him that he makes you want to get out the chain saw and launch into a few 300 year old mahagony trees. Just to wipe the smile off his face. You know Sting is right but you want to oppose him.

Thus it is with many US Liberals. Even when they have no power and little influence they give the impression that they rule the roost. I am sure that a small but significant percentage of the US electorate voted for Bush just to wipe the smile off the face of NYC intelligencia. Thye just couldn't bear to see them crowing on TV on November 3rd.

Bush and co. have pulled off the brilliant masterstroke of having most of the power, most of the money and most of the media and still appear to be the underdog. The clear thinking patriots against the Liberal Elite with all their nuance and fancy arguments.

It must go down as one of the greatest deceptions of all time.