I don't know if it's possible for me to get through a day without looking at a news or political site, but if it were, today would be that day. It looks like the pitchforks are out, and I'm reminded that, while the two party pendulum swing is as American as apple pie, I don't think the 21st century is going to be an American century because of it. Then again, it appears the patterns beginning with the previous turn of the century are still about the same. There was a Gilded (aka Robber Baron) age in the late 19th Century, then things took a turn in the early 20th (labor unrest, and many thanks to Upton Sinclair) which led to T.R. and Progressivism. In the midst of that was a Panic. What next? Another Great War?

Kidding aside, I am amazed that, with all of the information at our fingertips now (took me 3 seconds to look up the Panic of 1907), how short our collective memory has become. At least, for those who control the mainstream media outlets. It seems the narrative wins over all, regardless whether or not there are inconvenient facts that would render the narrative less compelling. Scott Brown the people's candidate? Puh-leeze. Next they'll be saying Tom Delay was, in fact, a true American hero and Enron an American success story.