An easily read citation in Wikipedia talks of donkeys having “a notorious reputation for stubbornness, but this has been attributed to a much stronger sense of "self-preservation" than exhibited by horses. Likely based on a stronger prey instinct and a weaker connection with man, it is considerably more difficult to force or frighten a donkey into doing something it perceives to be dangerous for whatever reason. Once a person has earned their confidence they can be willing and companionable partners and very dependable in work. Although formal studies of their behavior and cognition are rather limited, donkeys appear to be quite intelligent, cautious, friendly, playful, and eager to learn.”
Elephants are the largest land animals now living, Wikipedia says, and three main species still live today: The African brush, the African forest, and the Asian. Other much larger versions of predecessor Mammoths died out during the last Ice Age. Wikipedia notes that elephants are a symbol of wisdom in Asian cultures and are known for their memory and intelligence, thought to be equal to that of dolphins and primates.
And in an instant, it clarified a big piece of the puzzle.
There is a big difference between knowing what you don’t know and using education to shape future decisions, and knowing that what you think you know and relying strictly upon a belief system built upon memory without learning from it.
It explains, for instance, why the GOP only has the ability to try to re-write history to reinforce memory it wants to believe. It explains how Republicans, and their less docile Tea Party brethren, have worked full time to pretend that the issue around the debt ceiling came into being just in the past 2 ½ years under President Obama and how, as Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell continues to stress, that the PRIORITY for his party is in defeating Obama in 2012! It continues to ignore the fact that former President George W Bush raised that same debt ceiling seven times, and that Regan tripled the National Debt and the junior Bush doubled it. It ignores the $3 trillion for unfunded wars created by the GOP controlled House and Senate during the junior Bush years.
It is amazing and disappointing to continue to hear this rhetoric from the GOP. Their party leadership’s top goal isn’t to help devise a way to stem the flow of jobs out of the country, nor is it to help the least among us. It’s not to protect consumers, nor is it to continue to provide a safety net for seniors.
Indeed, the Republican efforts are poured into convenient forgetfulness. They praise Ronald Reagan, yet “forget” that he raised the debt ceiling 18 times and said this in 1987:
Congress consistently brings the Government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the Federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to
meet its obligations. It means we have a well-earned reputation for reliability and credibility – two things that set us apart from much of the world.
Continued focus on cutting taxes for the rich, who they call “job creators,” may have some truth to it. But they “forget” that the jobs that the job creators create are primarily outside the borders of the United States.
We've got to continue to understand the motives of both species, and remember that the Burro of Burro Days is a co-predecessor of the animals from the Spanish. They are thought of as being more sure-footed and dependable and interested in the social success of the entire herd, unlike the Elephant who during the past decade has seen considerable in-fighting within their own herds around the globe which some scientists attribute in large part to how the creatures deal with stress.
Charles Darwin pointed out a century and a half ago that evolution guides body and mind. The outlook for elephants and their long-term survival points to a dim future.
This column was originally published in the July 29, 2011 edition of The Flume, the paper of record for Park County, Colorado. The monthly column is titled "Democratically Speaking"
