Schadenfreude
enjoyment obtained from
the troubles of others
Ah, schadenfreude! How do I love thee,
let me count the ways.
Ah, schadenfreude. What say you now
residents of the Appalachian coal fields to the reports that it is
none other than that ardent defender of King Coal, Senator Mitch
McConnell, that is preventing funds from being used to prop up your
pensions that are being abandoned by, you guessed it, King Coal. You
may recall that it was Hillary Clinton who proposed that a billion
dollars be set aside to assist the out of work miners but she made
the error of saying that lots of coal miners are going to lose their
jobs. Never mind that the phrase was taken out of context. Never
mind that it is economic forces that are closing the mines. Never
mind that all of the easy coal is gone.
Ah, schadenfreude. Now that the
pensions are closing out medical care promised in the miner's
contracts where will health care come from? Will it be from the
stripped down, more economical system that our Governor Bevin is
creating. Will the substitute for the ACA promised but not written
be generous to the economically depressed? Will it cover
pre-existing conditions in the way that the ACA required? But be
joyous because County Clerk Kim Davis will not be required to do her
job under the law and issue marriage licenses to same sex couples.
Was the vote worth the cost? You decide.
Ah, schadenfreude. All of you denizens
of remote areas will likely now be able to get a voucher that will
allow you to choose the best school for your children even if it is
in Lexington or Louisville. No matter that charter schools will
deprive public school systems of funding. You'll be doing your part
by giving a superior education to those fortunate ones while your own
children limp along without textbooks and technology.
Ah, schadenfreude. The throngs of
disquieted voters so anxious to “drain the swamp” and rid
Washington, D.C. of the professional political class can now look
forward to one of the most politicized administrations in memory.
The news is that Elaine Chao, wife of our vaunted Senator Mitch
McConnell, is now nominated to head Transportation. Dare we suppose
it is a move to keep the Majority Leader in check, beholden to a
Trump administration? Or, how about Mr. Establishment | Add caption |
Ah, schadenfreude. You, the average
Joe, the everyday taxpayer who loudly cried out for the CEO who was
going to lower the debt and deficit by cutting taxes for the rich
(that's starting to sound like an echo) and growing the economy by
negotiating all of those jobs back from Mexico, Sri Lanka, China,
Vietnam, etc. Tell me again how that is supposed to happen.
Ah, schadenfreude. Those who have been
so angry at the vultures on Wall Street, the only class to have
survived the Great Recession without harm, will be able to be found
sated when the regulations that were put in place to protect those
who have a mortgage and who wish to purchase a new vehicle are
stripped of their teeth and it's back to business as usual. Won't
that be just what the doctor ordered?
Ah, schadenfreude. Not to forget you
blue collar workers who have been treated so badly (and yes you have)
when those manufacturing jobs return stateside to their former
habitat along the Great
Lakes. How great will it be when those
factories once again are pushing product but the hiring signs are
still not up because the job you used to do is now done by a robot
who will work harder, longer, cheaper and who never sleeps or goes on
vacation or has babies. But you still have your union to protect
you. Oh, never mind. No, you don't.
Ah, schadenfreude. Last but certainly
not least are the politicians who allowed this beast to feed at the
trough of resentment. You thought you could just throw it a bone and
it would happily retreat to its den but it is apparent that you have
miscalculated. The beast is now the master and you must either cow
before it or join those who have been swept along by the tide. When
you write your book you can proclaim your ingeniousness that was
displayed when you neglected the nation's business to advance your
political fortunes. How fortunate you are, perhaps you will not be
made to suffer. Unless, of course, you have a conscience.
My Take is that there will be little
pleasure taken from this exercise in self-destruction. The impact of
the things that we are now compelled to face will not be limited to
those who chose it but will also fall on those who did not choose it.
Such is the nature of democracy.
