Reply #75: Claiming to know how dead historical figures would act is a tactic prone to serious error

[jpgray]

Any good historian would tell you that such seductive analogies can horribly undermine the legitimacy of one's analysis, starting with Ibn Khaldun over six hundred years ago.

Grass roots activism again takes years and years to be effective, not a few months of directionless emotion. And yes, you are putting both MLK and Malcolm X in a legislative setting and idly speculating on how they would vote on a modern bill. Don't you think that strategy is a bit prone to error? I should know--I skated way too close to misguided historical analogy than I'd like in my OP.

:dunce:

Should people push their representatives with every bit of emotion and grass roots organization they can muster? Yes! Absolutely! Are they justified in arguing that this Congress is obscenely horrible for not having overcome two and a half branches of government in a few months? Emotionally? Yes. Realistically? Not so much. Our majority is worthy of the harshest criticism, but I wish people would keep in mind how long these things have taken in the past, and that a general frustrating inactivity doesn't mean progress isn't being made and pushed for by the few great Democrats we have.