pragmatismo

"Time and again, history has made a mockery of man's efforts to effectively harness violence for political purposes. During the interval between the Cold War and 9/11, Americans had indulged in the fantasy that history no longer constrained the United States. Our soldiers in Iraq must now deal with the consequences of that delusion." [Shedding the illusions of shock and awe http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04280/390898.stm]
prmn

Ron Suskind reported in the New York Times Magazine that in 2002, after he published an article unfriendly to former Bush communications director Karen Hughes in Esquire, he was summoned to a meeting with a senior Bush advisor, who told Suskind he was "in what we call the reality-based community," people "who believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality. That's not the way the world really works anymore. We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." [quoted by James Heflin: 'Welcome to Brazil!' November 15, 2004]
prmn

Ron Suskind reported in the New York Times Magazine that in 2002, after he published an article unfriendly to former Bush communications director Karen Hughes in Esquire, he was summoned to a meeting with a senior Bush advisor, who told Suskind he was "in what we call the reality-based community," people "who believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality. That's not the way the world really works anymore. We're an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you're studying that reality -- judiciously, as you will -- we'll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that's how things will sort out. We're history's actors ... and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do." [quoted by James Heflin: 'Welcome to Brazil!' November 15, 2004]

The first question that Democrats need to ask after yesterday's loss is whether or not we really are the reality-based community. If we are reality-based, we can learn from the election and more forward to future victories. If we are not reality-based, then we will find excuses and reasons for the loss that are external to ourselves. That will lead to more defeats. [Wampum - Progressive Politics, Indian Issues, and Autism Advocacy November 03, 2004 - Taking Stock]