December 31, 2016, Wishing for 2017 to suck less than we think it will
An over-empowered minority of American voters chose the form of the destructor. Slate offers us this note that 2016 was some kind of a wake-up call for White liberals... as if.
The president-elect wishes a happy new year to his enemies "who lost so badly." At some point, he might consider stepping out of his professional wrestler persona and comporting himself with the decorum and dignity his newly acquired office requires. Then again, as long as the American media considers any emanations reaching us from the unfiltered, undrained swamp via his short fingers typing on his twitter account to be the most Earth-shattering of news, it seems unlikely... no matter how dire the adverse consequences might be.
And finally, the four three new stations of the Second Avenue subway line (an extension of the "Q" train from 63rd and Lex to 96th and Second) is allegedly opening tomorrow. I think this is a very apt metaphor. I once interviewed for a legal job with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's capital projects operation over a dozen years ago, when that division had just been organized to manage and complete five projects: an expansion of the South Ferry subway station to accommodate ten-car trains (completed a few years ago, if somewhat hampered after Hurricane Sandy), a renovation of the Fulton Street transportation hub in downtown Manhattan (completed just a few months ago), the extension of the 7 train to the far West Side's Jacob Javits Convention Center (completed around two or three years ago), the Second Avenue subway (first leg about to open) and the Long Island Rail Road connector from Jamaica to Grand Central Station... still in progress, with an opening date sometime... in the future. The apt metaphor being that there are still grand projects taking place, even right in front of us. But the really worthwhile grand projects-- such as the re-invention of a pluralistic, fairness based, democratic society where our leaders are chosen on some basis other than their celebrity and their willingness to offend vulnerable populations-- take time, possibly, a really, really long time.
Doesn't mean that it won't take consistent, day in day out effort. It just means that we all will have to learn the difference between hard... and impossible.
Happy new year, y'all.