In his syndicated Newhouse column, James Lileks explores the left’s bad news is good news mindset:
To the left, the booming economy is a slug on a hot tar roof. Iraq is another Vietnam — 48,000 casualties to go, God willing. Half the welfare budget has been diverted to subsidize solid-gold walking sticks for the rich, secret agencies are planting cookies in your Web browser, and somewhere in Texas a theater owner is intentionally understating the opening night grosses for “Brokeback Mountain.”
Bad news is good news. Everything’s going to hell, but at least they’re smart enough to catch the whiff of brimstone. (Secondhand brimstone. There ought to be a law.)
But what if the worst doesn’t happen? That would be worse than bad. That would mean all those bumper stickers they put on their cars had no effect whatsoever. What if people don’t Question Authority, Visualize World Peace, speak truth to power, or rotate during cooking? What if letters to the editor don’t end up in CIA files? What if subversive college students are ignored? What if the dark night isn’t descending after all?
However will they go on?
Didn’t 2005 answer that question?
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