Flashback to Paul Tsongus' Candidacy in 1992

by Brian T. Lynch, MSW

Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr once said, "The more things change, the more they remain same. That is often true in politics, for while the actors come and go and specifics change, the same underlying forces continue to drive the ship of state. It requires a keen historical perspective to see it, Or sometimes sufficient longevity and a chance encounter with an old letter written when you were much younger is all you need, That is the case here below.
Long before Twitter and Facebook, before blogs and chat rooms, we expressed ourselves in letters. The one below from twenty-three years ago was my letter to then Presidential candidate Paul Tsongas. It explains my deep reservations about both the Republican and Democratic party on issues of the economy and governance. It was written at the point where the ascendancy of corporate domination of our politics had become obvious to me. It is also the point where I began to fully appreciate the asymmetrical level of dysfunction between both political parties. Having to support the less dysfunctional political party as both parties sink into the corporate pocket has been the political burden of my adult lifetime.

I think this is a valuable look back at the root of problems still plaguing us today, These issues have only grown significantly worse. It is also an insight into this authors thinking and a personal reminder of my own evolution, which is relatively minor compared with my growth in understanding as to just how far down the rabbit hole we've gone in the last two decades.