Loose Change

I cannot remember exactly where I was when I first heard the term "change-agent," but it was very likely in a sheet-rocked conference room in an office tower. I can say with some certainty that the term was used in a self-referential way, as in, "I am a change-agent," by someone in a drab suit, not too many years removed from business school.

We, the audience, had little doubt that we were the ones about to change and not the agent her/himself. 

Shortly after leaving that room, most of us filed  "change-agent" together with with other similar pronouncements like "I just want to be honest with you" or "I am truly humbled...." We knew from experience that the really honest ones don't feel a need to tell you; the truly humbled are too humble to tell you; and that change agents get to be that way by making a courageous and/or creative decision at the right moment, but we tend to only find out about it later. Much later in many cases.

Riding to the rescue. Again.

Our national and state forts are currently surrounded by people chanting about how they are going to change things. They are beating the old change drums about reducing deficits, forgetting that they already did that several administrations ago. They are going to cut spending and lower taxes, a rabbit that they've previously pulled out of more hats than Coco Chanel ever dreamt of making.

And,of course, we are also going to get better schools in order to keep up with the Chinese, who have a billion or so people still living very close to what could pass for bare subsistence living. We are going to have fantastically generous healthcare provided by the private sector which gave us free mortgages. And, we can still fight a couple of wars without knowing exactly why or whether our ally is also the close ally of our enemy, whom our leaders cannot find in the forest while they are busy directing the brave and patient troops to storm the trees.

Governor Joe?

This is all wonderful stuff. John Wayne is back in charge of the cavalry in the nation's capital. When he's finished weeping, he's going to come save us. Joe Piscopo (SNL) or someone who looks exactly like him is in charge in Albany, where members of the legislature listening to his change speech thought he meant quarters, nickels, and dimes. 


Next thing you know, Al Franken will be in the Senate!

Someone has to do the laughing in the midst of all this chanting, weeping and wailing, and it might as well be us.

Meanwhile, with all this talk about change, we better get ready for more of the same. But, as FDR said, "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself....unless you marry your cousin, and then you've got real problems." 


Or something like that.