The Light at the End of the Tunnel Just Went Off

Two quick scenes. Scene one: Grim president in White House east room: "Due to the current economic crisis, the light at the end of the tunnel has just been turned off!" Scene two: Laughing, bikini-clad American college kid in spring break at Cancun with Mexican civil wars raging just outside, "What tunnel?"

The first never happened. The second actually did. The distance between these two points in life is the distance between counting facts and hoping facts don't count. But as life teaches, the indispensable sustenance of hope must always be seasoned with the bitters of reality. Having said that, everyone then holds on tight.

But to what do we hold onto...? Aye, there's the rub, as the great Bard muttered while struggling to keep the hope of his theatre alive during the financial troubles of his London. Some answer: God. Others say: The government. Still others insist: The unrestricted rhythms of the economy. As for the pundits and the scholars, each one has their very own hobby horse to ride with splendid self-assurance.

In a large, multi-cultured, multi-racial democracy like ours, all this is nobly named the Marketplace of Ideas. That great array of free, freshly-harvested thoughts from which -- like that day's fresh produce market -- some great meals can be prepared.

And yet even democratic diners expect a master chef will do the preparing. This elected chef is quite properly surrounded by a great many elected dietary experts. Still, the chef is usually the last spoon in the pot. That's why we elected him.

Here's a third scene: Master chef begins serving meal to a nation of guests few of whom could find their way to a spice rack; but each of whom fancies themself a food critic! What happens next will be found written in about 20 years in your kids' US history textbook. For now we're only at the appetizer. And that racket from the kitchen? That's the chef and his cadre of specialists wrangling over the salad. God only knows what happens when they get to the entree.

But look -- Jefferson and Franklin helped start this kitchen. Chefs like Lincoln and FDR helped re-decorate it. It's the only kitchen we have, and a pretty darn good one at that. So now that we're all here once again at the table of crisis, we have a choice. Either send the meal back....send in some new cooks to watch the chef....or try nibbling at the best parts of his meal for now. Because while man does not live by bread alone, at this point he surely needs a few slices to sustain him. At least until that gang in the kitchen get their act together in time for the rest of the meal.

And do you know what...? They will....! Because they need to eat too