I got a text message today from someone bent on changing my political affiliation, “I just think it kind of funny that everything has done a complete 180 in just a week or so.” They were referring to January 20, 2021. The message was accompanied by a factually inaccurate political “news” report that I honestly didn’t read, with more text, “The things I send you are factual.”

This is an interesting study in human behavior. My political opinions are not for sale. I don’t like or trust every politician, or even many. Most seem to be about the accumulation of power. But if power is what drives people to do the right things for most people, then I’m game to watch them play it out. I read the reports where power plays are made by spinning, twisting, turning, and churning the statistics, facts, and figures. It's no wonder some people are crazed and most are glazed over. 

I am glad we have two predominant political parties, though I wish they would straighten their agendas out. Among the parties there are extremists. Well, it looks like there are several groups of extremists on both ends of the spectrum. Perhaps extremists are important because they shake up our thinking. Though it makes me wonder if it's all just a game. A shell game? Yes, quite possibly.

Animals form alliances, too, with territories, boundaries, agendas, and leaders -- some good, some dreadful. Sometimes it takes quite a while for a new leader to emerge in a group and the group suffers. Even a dreadful leader seems better than no leader. Maybe to animals. I wasn't so happy with our last ego-driven agenda. 

The other night Ken Burns, the filmmaker, was interviewed, and he said, "Democracy happens between unreasonable hope and cynicism." Yes, those the extreme poles of where decisions are born though they mature into policies while nurtured in a field compromise. No one is all right or all wrong, and good people are doing the best they can to nurture the best of the ideas. The not so good people: how are the power-grabbing sociopaths playing the game when the good ones don’t realize it’s a game at all? It makes me dizzy trying to sort it all out. You know that carsick feeling kind of dizzy when you've been reading in the backseat of the car while going down a curvy road after eating too many sweets. The kind of carsick where you want to puke but will just grit it out.