MARK STEYN: Cross the River, Burn the Bridge
The monstrous mountain of toxic pustules sprouting from greasy boils metastasizing from malign carbuncles that passed the Senate on Christmas Eve is not the last word in “health” “care,” but the first. It ensures that this is all we’ll be talking about, now and forever.
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Think of the way almost every Big Government project bursts its bodice and winds up bigger and more bloated than its creators allegedly foresaw. In this instance, the stays come pre-loosened, and studded with loopholes. Because the Democrat operators — the Nancy Pelosis and Barney Franks — know that what matters is to get something, anything across the river, and then burn the bridge behind you.
I think that is a tenet in the Communist Manifesto, the bridge burning thing. You're right. They will take incremental advances when they can't get it all. That's something conservatives have never mastered; we want to win it all on principle or throw ourselves on our swords trying. In the end we retain our principles but gain no ground while the progressives have no principles and move forward every time.
Tom Usher
27 Dec 09 at 6:19 am