“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” *

Is it sunrise or sunset?

When I checked the headlines for what is going on in the world I found little to comment upon because the stories had limited interest. I mean, do you really want to know if the offensive behavior Anthony Wiener exhibits is some form of addiction or whether he can still be an effective big city mayor despite this affliction? Are people really interested in the new prince or were they more concerned with how they did in the company pool on his name? Is anyone following the travels of Pope Francis and do people really care that he goes into poor neighborhoods or are they more interested in how long Edward Snowden is going to remain in a Moscow airport?

At one point in time it seemed to matter whether or not people elected to office did something or not, but not anymore. As nearly everyone knows the current legislators find they get greater support when they promise not to allow the other side to do something than when they actually propose to do something. A perfect example is sequestration. By failing to take action Congress allowed a plan everyone agreed was too hideous to tolerate to go into effect.

Hint: We live on the West Coast.

In a recent, completely non-scientific (because all the stuff I think is science is completely discounted by those with different political views) poll, I asked friends (all of whom claim to be voters, even though my non-scientific data says less than half of Americans ever vote) what the main crisis facing our country was. With only one exception they concluded it was politics. One anonymous source told me, “All of those politicians are beholding to somebody. If somebody gives them money, they expect something in return.” Now, that seems reasonable, but is that the way a democracy is supposed to operate.

Again, applying those same non-scientific principles to the problem I asked them a follow up question. What is the solution? Without one exception they said the answer was to get rid of the lying politicians. While it sounded simple my non-scientific data tells me each of them voted for our Congressman, a twenty-two year veteran of the House, who ran to end career politicians from taking office.

All Photos Courtesy of Debbie Does Photography.

There seems to be some unmistakable logic at work here. First, there is the assumption my friends, or for that matter any voter, can tell when a politician is lying. One friend told me if the politician’s lips are moving she or he is lying. Using this hypothesis there is little doubt the one who takes the most photos, shakes the most hands and kisses the most babies without ever uttering a word is the best candidate for public office. Needless to say, this would make Anthony Wiener a viable next mayor of New York City.

So, like telling sunrises from sunsets in photos taken over unfamiliar geographical locations by anonymous photographers, the probability for error is at least equal to the correct response. But, as the song also asks, “Does anybody really care?”

*Special Thanks to Chicago.