Amazing Coincidences
An Iranian SU-25 tried-unsuccessfully-to down a US MQ-1 Predator in international airspace in the Persian Gulf. This information was not released at the time, November 1, because the Predator was on a highly classified mission. But the news comes out today, 2 days after the election. What, did the mission suddenly become less sensitive in the last 8 days? Was there some discontinuity that occurred on, say, late-Tuesday night? Wonder what that could be.
In another strange coincidence, on Wednesday morning Boeing announced large layoffs as part of a massive restructuring of its defense division. Recall that Lockheed had faded its plans to layoff 123,000 workers until after the election under pressure from the administration.
I’m actually fairly depressed right now.
Comment by Highgamma — November 8, 2012 @ 11:12 pm
@Highgamma. You have company.
How about despair? Depressed is too favorable a diagnosis.
Comment by Howard Roark — November 9, 2012 @ 4:16 pm
The problem with despair is that it leads to inaction. Ironically the best response is to truly talk truth to power, whether it is of the right or left. SoCons are the other side of the coin to the Obamaites: their argument is what America should be and to use the State, which is violence (see Hobbes), to enforce their will. when the Republicans return to their original roots – Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men – we will see some changes. Until then it is the unappetizing vs the the unappealing.
Given the above. my general impression, and maybe this is just my abnormal thinking, was that this election was about fear. Not necessarily the fear mongering of both sides, but that in a time of stress, better the devil you know than one you don’t. This was the thrust of the Obama campaign – deny problems that all can see, giving a safe harbor to those in denial, and raise the specter of change as “you will lose while the Other will gain”. Basic economic theory holds that an incremental dollar lost is more valuable than the incremental dollar gained: this is the political expression of this concept.
Comment by sotos — November 9, 2012 @ 8:14 pm
SP, too bad you entitled this post as you did. Would have been a perfect “Petraeus resigns before testifying” post title.
Comment by Strigidae — November 9, 2012 @ 9:16 pm
@Strigidae. I was thinking the exact same thing. The coincidences keep piling up.