Gee, Pesto, you sure are an optimist!

Jonah Goldberg is trying to write a column about the upside of the current crash.

Donald Luskin beat him to the punch (via Ry).

This is the way American politics seems to work now. The Optimist Party party insists that 2 + 2 = 5, up is down, and that it's always "morning in America." They then borrow money and tear up government policy like there's no tomorrow. The other party warns of the dangers of doing this, but the Optimists ridicule them for being gloomy pessimists who hate America. And then as soon as the economy goes south, the voters get angry, throw the Optimists out, and bring in the Pessimists to clean up all the wreckage. Which the Pessimists do clean things up - ridiculed every step of the way by the Optimists, for reducing the deficit or implementing prudent regulation or any other necessary killjoy policies - the good times come back, and so do the Optimists, saying "See, we told you everything would work out just fine, now let's kick these Gloomy Gusses out and have a PARTY!" And the cycle begins again.

How much can a country get done when half the time we elect Baghdad Bob? There are absolutely no American troops in the city! Look how sunny and Optimistic we are!