Depressing News Day

So, in the news lately:

1) Supreme Court affirms corporate donations as "free speech", maintaining the potential for corruption within our political system.

2) Health care reform, already so badly mangled as to be negligible in effect, is now in real danger of not being passed at all.

3) New York's unemployment rate now exceeds the nation's, which is already and a long-time high.

Being an amateur student of history, it's remarkable to live through these times, to look back at similarly divisive debates, and hope that eventually, we'll get ourshit straight. We have to, in order to manage whatever comes next.

Some Kind of Effect

Obama's speech on health care has had an effect on at least one citizen. My brother, who normally leans conservative/libertarian/Republican, said that he agreed with many of the points Obama made, especially regarding health care companies. It's not quite hell freezing over, but there is a light frost, perhaps some flakes falling and lingering just a few moments before melting.