This man lives in a very small town in a great big state. A place where the next very small town is several hours drive down the state route. And a big city requires an all day excursion.

This man decides he needs to buy a used car, and this small town only has one used car dealer. It's also well known in this small town that this used car dealer, being very hungry with bills of his own to pay, will do and is willing to do almost anything to sell cars, and not all of what he's willing to do is strictly honest, or even ethical.

Understanding that going out of town to buy a used car is impractical, the man realizes he's gonna have to deal with the local shyster. (think Mr Haney from green acres)

Realizing that the car dealer is a shyster, the man makes himself prepared by reading up and knowing what fair market values is for the cars he's likely to find on the lot. He's also somewhat aware of what possible repairs to these used cars might cost, which would of course, offset their value.

Of course, right off the top the dealer shows off the most expensive cars, and does everything possible to hide their flaws. The buyer, having educated himself though is not an easy mark and begins the process of negotiations with the used car sales man.

In the end the man buys himself a car. The used car dealer feels he's been had because he didn't make the profit he had worked so hard through deceptions to make. The buyer didn't feel too good either, as he had hoped for a bit nicer car and had to choose one he felt was more dependable.

Remember, this is a small town, and both of these gentleman continued to be close in town and carry on as if they were best buddies. Heck, they might even be related, if only through marriage.




Now I ask you, does this sound like politics in America? It should because basically that's exactly what goes on.
Understanding this fundamentally, does it do any good to point a finger at the used car dealer because he uses deceptive practices? Or would it be wiser to be a little bit more clever and simply out smart the shyster? If you get taken and the used car dealer gets the upper hand, then will you resort to name calling in order to regain your position? Or will you resolve to learn from the experience, and be more prepared for next time?

And when we expand on this scenario and make the entire country, even the world the stage for this little show to play out on, and we then do have to point out where ideology is it's self the issue, how do we proceed? And what lessons can we take with us from that much smaller arena, a small town in a very big state?

Politics demands that there be whiners, screamers and complainers.
However, these are rarely the people who accomplish anything.



Does any of what I wrote make sense to you? I hope it does, but I also realize that there will be those for whom all this is just a rambling story with no point.
That too is how it's supposed to be.

Personally speaking I wouldn't do business with someone I knew to be dishonest, and being the resourceful soul I am I would build myself a bike out of an old pram rather than add to the already overwhelming problems the planet has to deal with!

Under ordinary circumstances, changing the story to better suit the need would be admirable.
But that's not what this story is about, and though I know that you know that,
there are those who will grasp at anything to live in denial, or at least their own defined truths.

If I were in that same situation, I would also not do business with someone I know to be a crook.
In a small town, what you need a car for anyway?


The analogy is still valid.

So's mine! Vive la revolution! (Aka, make bikes out of old prams)

But I will take your point and bow out gracefully, thereby making way for the personal abuse and mud-slinging to begin.

Wrastling with you is much more fun.

I don't doubt that for a single second.

Holy crap! I think I have lived that day! I live in a small town in a big state, and its a 4-5 hour drive to Salt Lake, and an hour or so to the next town that has more that 1,000 people