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...is because we don't need outage. The politics of this country have moved ratchet-like rightward for a reason: Whenever the Democrats lose, they start over. When they win, they bring along everything they were fighting for, unchanged, when they were interrupted. When the Republicans lose, they move into the think tanks and startups. They continue to work on their agenda, correct their mistakes. When the next election comes, they're ready with strong arguments and updated agendas.
We need the outrage because we need to permanent-ize the push to rewrite the center. Otherwise, the political dynamic in this country is that the Democrats move to the current center on election, and the Republicans shift the center on election. If you don't have a bottomless well of outrage for all the issues that need addressing, it's because your outrage isn't in good health. It needs to work out every day and get massaged, oiled, and meditated on weekends. In some cases it may need rolfing.
But fear not, crisis is looming. If we don't work to shore up the institutions that bind humans to act like human beings, when the world's water supplies start to run out, you'll see plenty to get outraged about. If there isn't so much of it you go numb.
