The monster years

More people should have been saying this over at least the last four years. Krugman as usual sums it up beautifully:

Last night wasn’t just a victory for tolerance; it wasn’t just a mandate for progressive change; it was also, I hope, the end of the monster years.

What I mean by that is that for the past 14 years America’s political life has been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monsters like Tom DeLay, who suggested that the shootings at Columbine happened because schools teach students the theory of evolution. Monsters like Karl Rove, who declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to terrorists. Monsters like Dick Cheney, who saw 9/11 as an opportunity to start torturing people.

And in our national discourse, we pretended that these monsters were reasonable, respectable people. To point out that the monsters were, in fact, monsters, was “shrill.”

Four years ago it seemed as if the monsters would dominate American politics for a long time to come. But for now, at least, they’ve been banished to the wilderness.

A monster that looks like one, is easy to oppose and hard to build sympathy for.

But a monster that looks like a good businessman or an effective political operative, or even an amiable old duffer, that's the kind that can get in the front door and ruin your life -- sometimes without you even realizing what happened.

"By their works shall ye know them." Indeed.

Though you may find it hard to read, the last volume of C.S. Lewis' space trilogy "That Hideous Strength" provides an unforgettable view of such kinds of monsters, and more. Read it, if only as an inoculation.

And remember, one meaning of the word "inoculate" is "to give them eyes".