Stuck in Traffic: My Two Cents on Common Sense

Spare Change | April 30, 2009 | David J Aland

[Natty Bumppo@frontier.net]

One can learn a lot, stuck in traffic. For example, turn on headlights in low visibility – if you can’t see the car ahead, how difficult will it be to see your car from behind? (A good sign you missed this one is getting rear-ended.) Also: if you are no good at multi-tasking, don’t even think of talking on the cell phone while driving. (The cars honking at you while you wander out of your lane at 25mph below the posted speed should be a good indicator that you missed that one.)

There are so many simple, common-sense lessons to be learned from driving – the fact that so few seem to heed them is what makes driving so deadly. Many people think that they are exempt from the laws – civil, criminal, traffic, and even “of physics” – making the world all-too-full of people acting in defiance of good sense. That goes equally as well for politics.

Try this: One should not buzz the Statue of Liberty with a 747 if it’s relatively certain to cause New Yorkers distress – and doing it by surprise is even worse. (The crowds gathering in the streets should be a sign you missed this one. But if you can ignore the “tea parties,” then crowds in the street probably don’t do anything for you, anyway…) Louise Caldera, take note.

Here’s another: Supporters of infanticide are probably poor choices for Vatican ambassadors. (When the Pope rejects your first three choices, that should be a sign you missed this one. True Catholics oppose abortion. The Pope really is Catholic.) President Obama, take note.

Yet another: Changing the name of something does not change the essence of it. Calling terrorism “man made catastrophes” or swine flu “H1N2 Disease” doesn’t make either of them less deadly. (When people continue dying from both, that should be a sign you missed it.) Janet Napolitano, take note.

More: Opportunistically changing political parties is no different than emptily changing the names of things. Some politicians do so too easily, wooed by promises of powerful Committee jobs and re-election, but it doesn’t change what they are – which, arguably, are ideological whores. (When your constituents reject you, that should be a sign that you missed the point that it’s you and not your political affiliation that’s to blame.) Arlen Specter, take note.

How ‘bout: When you pay out a quarter-million in settlement monies to squelch a public disclosure suit, you should not run around touting your transparency. (Judicial findings are usually a sign that you missed this one.) Ron Sims, candidate for HUD, take note.

Yet another: When you are the premier educational institution of the Catholic Church in America, you should probably periodically check up on Catholic theology. (When a prominent Catholic declines a prominent award from you that should be a sign that you missed this one.) Notre Dame, take note.

Not satisfied yet? When an organization is indicted in multiple states for voter fraud, you should probably not recruit them to conduct a census. (Skewed numbers, breaking-and-entering, and civil disobedience is probably a sign you chose poorly). President Obama, take note of your dodgy ACORN allies.

When major companies in major jeopardy decline your assistance that may be a sign that your help is no help. When apologizing to your allies gains you exactly nothing that may be a sign that your diplomatic strategy is flawed. When coddling adversaries like Iran and North Korea only brings further provocation, that may be a sign that your foreign policy lacks teeth. When your personal approval ratings exceed the approval ratings of your policies, that may be a sign that you over-estimated your own charm. When hundreds of thousands of citizens hit the streets to protest those policies, that may be a sign that your budget does not reflect their values. A little common sense is desperately needed, if highly unlikely.

Here in the Beltway-bounded bell jar of American politics, it is all to easy to find examples where self-regard has exceeded good sense – on the road, on Capital Hill, and on Pennsylvania Avenue. In the end, most of us wind up stuck in traffic, while those who should know better persist in doing stupid things.

There are simple solutions to a lot of this, but arrogance has a way of trumping common sense. A little common sense would go a long way, but, as we all know, that sort of thing is far from common anymore.

[Jet Jaguar]

BTTT

[HiJinx]

Great essay...but wait, that’s just common sense, isn’t it...?

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Pity that common sense is so uncommon.