http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5392733

Thus they spend small tithings of their fortunes on a propaganda machine meant to browbeat us all into proper helmet-reverence. Those of us who take off the cursed things are investigated (and sometimes prosecuted) as seditionists.

That, however, is in my opinion no good reason to accept life with the same endless and crushing headache.

For generations after, all school-children in this society were (and still are) fitted with their own helmets, which, as the person’s head grows, effectively shrinks, thus ensuring a lifetime of sleeplessness, increasing pain, blood-soaked hair, and pussy infections. Yet none dare complain, because, after all, the revered Founders innovated the helmet, and, what’s more, it works!

Instead of complaint, the Founders’ descendants invent headache remedies, blood coagulants, and antibiotics. All this invention is wildly successful for economic purposes, making the country famously wealthy, yet no one’s health ever truly improves.

Meanwhile, polite visitors from foreign countries compliment the helmet-wearers for their economy and faithful willingness to adhere to their society’s founding myths.

And some of the helmet-wearers travel abroad and discover that the non-helmet-wearing outside world sleeps fine: not too much but just enough.

I’m one of the guys who’s traveled abroad, and who now lives without my helmet.

And now I’m back home, shouting: WE DON’T NEED TO WEAR THE HELMETS! THE HELMETS ARE CAUSING OUR HEADACHES, BLOOD-LOSS, AND INFECTIONS! WE OUGHT TO STOP WEARING THE HELMETS AND JUST WEAR HATS INSTEAD! LIKE THE REST OF THE WORLD!

Oddly, some of those whose political ideas match mine agree, but only quietly, and while saying (politely): “We can’t stop wearing the helmets. It’s too ingrained – we can’t change it. And, I have to tell you pal: it’s a pretty weird idea too. Life in America without helmets? Come on! I like you Nikos, but whenever you yell bad things about our helmets, you kinda make us all edgy.

“By the way, Nikos, have you heard any new ideas for headache remedy lately?�

And that’s when I get a headache.

Blend for ten minutes, pour over ice, and taste for palatability?

Modify as necessary?

(Allison might make a great moderator, if one of us can sweet-talk her into it! I nominate you or Potter…)

http://www.radioopensource.org/suggest-a-show-march-2006/#comment-10777

It’s a suggestion from Jake Sterling (a terrific one at that), which concludes:

“We are hearing a lot about the not very edifying attempts of Congress to deal rising gas prices and global warming. Skip all that. Those guys don’t have a clue. I would like to hear more discussion of realistic and humane solutions. Isn’t there some saying like, “If the people lead, the leaders will follow?� If there isn’t, there should be.�

In parliamentary systems, the people don’t have to lead the government by the nose (or to the woodshed) – because the multiple parties, in their competition for the biggest chunks of votes, devote time to policy innovation, not to sandbagging and to the artful deceits we’re coming to call ‘truthiness’.

Jake, a responsible American citizen, must search for sensible policy innovations from parties of foreign countries.

Our own pols, both Elephantine and Jackass, are irredeemably intellectually bankrupt.

They deserve to be shown not more campaign funds, but the door.