TIME FOR A MATH LESSON

If I tell you I purchased a table, you would have a general image of what I bought: a flat top surface, supported by legs or a stanchion on which smaller objects are placed. What you don't know is whether I bought a conference table sitting 20, a dining room table sitting 6, a card table sitting 4, a night table sitting 0.

If I tell you I was driving fast in my car this morning, you would have an image of me moving quickly, but you would not know if I was driving 70 mph, 100 mph or 180 mph.

The reason is that English concepts omit...measurement. That is the function of mathematics. Numbers give precise measurement to imprecise concepts.

Neither the Dems nor the Reps know math. The Dems write a health care bill, now a regulate Wall Street bill, that run in the thousands of pages. Why so long? Because they omit measurement and include mostly vague generalities subject to various interpretations. What will those bills cost, precisely? Who knows? How will they be paid for, precisely? Who knows? Ans, perhaps more onerously, they think, who cares?

The Reps talk night and day saying they are for less government involvement in the economy and lower taxes. How much less and how much lower, precisely? Who knows? And, perhaps more onerously, they think, who cares? Talk, talk, talk.

Einstein's Theory of Relativity relating to the entire Universe: E = mc squared.

Pythagorean Theorem: A squared + B squared = C squared.

Newton's Law of Universal Gravitatiom: F = GM(1)M(2) divided by R squared

They all knew math.

Now along comes the Tea Party and apparently its adherent don't know math either. Words like "too much regulation" and "far lower taxes" and "more freedom" abound. Palin's meandering commercial-like speech at the TP Convention was a perfect indicator she doesn't know math either. What she should have used her hand for was not more words but what all kindergartners use their fingers for: to count. If the TP were to be precise about their principles and programs, it would be refreshingly appealing to the many who are rejecting generalities from any source.

We are at about a $15,000,000,000,000 debt in this country...that's a precise number (as is the balance in my bank account and the cost of my children's college education, and the monthly mortgage payment, and and and and). But notice what you hear about the 15 trill by politicos of all stripes: "That's so large I can't even imagine it". Get rid of it, back to the indefinite, imprecise, inexact, unspecified, now-you-see-it now-you-don't garbage.

So, it is time for those of us who learned our addition table to teach the math mastermindless ones some number stuff:

"One plus one is two, two plus one is three...and three is one less than four, and you lose the election, you are out, you are done, adios, arrivederci, adieu, aloha, sayonara, hasta la vista, auf wiedersehen, ciao, shalom, cheerio, vaya con Dios...and if He won't vaya with ya, just va it alone."

I'll bet you they know those words. They like words.