In the short time I've been writing with DailyKos (and in the years I've been writing on my personal site) I've broken down theories about how my generation, the Millennial Generation, have had a pretty rough go compared to the generations that came before. I've compared our hardships with torture and abuse, that the ultimately disorienting effect of growing up in the Clinton Prosperity, then having to endure the Bush Crash, is all that much more painful. Obstructionism and ugly, close-minded hatred from the Republican party in the years following the crash have only served to salt our wounds further, with jeering cries of "bootstraps" and "takers" only furthering the frustration and confusion. Sadly, it seems like several members of the previous generations want to reap the benefits of an era of Progressive policy, but when it comes time to share that wealth with their children and grandchildren, they are callously greedy.
And so, last night they ordered yet another turn on the rack for my generation. We suffer so they can remain in power for just a little longer. We subsist on scraps while they rage against the dying of their light. They continue to impose harsh shocks and cruel legislation on the idea that it will be good for our character, or that it will help in the long run. Much like Paul Krugman's "confidence fairy" the idea is that if they beat you long enough, and hard enough, eventually you will spring, fully formed like Athena, into pride and prosperity.
But for now, the beatings will continue until morale improves. More weight, hotter irons, and one good turn on the rack deserves another.
The question remains, however: just how much longer can we stretch before we break?