>But change the subject the left must. Since there is no way the
>left can out-Hallelujah the Republicans, the left must base its
>appeal on material terms and simply offer a better deal --
>guaranteed lifetime employment, healthcare, pensions, etc.
This is all true, but I'm really tired of living in a country where more people believe in angels than evolution. It's seriously and deeply fucked up.
>Despite the powerful momentum of the trends Frank identifies, no
>tree (as I believe Herbert Stein said) grows to the sky.
Herb Stein's famous aphorism comes in several forms: "What is unsustainable cannot be sustained." "What is unsustainable comes to an end." Etc. Not sure what the original is. You may be thinking of the Wall Street aphorism, trees don't grow to the sky.
> Americans will not put "values" before economic security forever.
>America has had periodic religious "Great Awakenings" throughout its
>history, but in the long run Americans have been powered more by
>materialistic concerns than anything else.
They're not incompatible. The equation of monetary success and divine blessing is as old as America.
Doug