Schadenfreude

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

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himself, the chair of the Republican National Committee Reince Priebus as Chief of Staff? I suspect that the courting of Mitt Romney is a charade for the fans to see when he is rejected. Each Department is being headed by someone that comes with an agenda so disruptive that chaos is sure to follow. How will you respond when your favorite federal program comes under attack? Did you fall asleep during that part of the lecture?

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.