Touchstones: the politics of cynicism

I don't remember the first two events, though older Xers will. But I was old enough -- and already cynical enough -- in 1981 that my first thought upon hearing that the Americans being held in Iran had been released was: Well, isn’t that awfully suspicious, all those hostages getting set free at the very moment of Ronald Reagan’s presidential inauguration.

Even if it weren’t so damn easy to be cynical about the political situation today, I think we’d still be seeing the explosion of political bloggers dissecting civic bullshit -- people like Duncan Black at Eschaton and John Aravosis at AMERICAblog, the writings of both of whom I devour daily. We were primed for it. This is how you create a generation that has no confidence in its leaders: you make sure their first lessons in social science include an American war of aggression failing miserable, a president resigning in what should be shame giving a victory salute as he scurries from the White House, and another president flaunting his dirty trickery from the very moment of his installation.