Cargo cultists believed that goodies will fall from the sky if only the correct ritual is performed. Democrats believe that health care will be better, more affordable, and better managed when the federal government massively increases its control over the system. The difference, of course, is that the cargo cultists actually had some empirical evidence to back up their strange belief. All the same, we have in both cases a kind of magical thinking, though as Virginia Postrel points out, in the case of Obama the magic is called “glamour.” Fortunately for the country the sheen has been steadily wearing off this particular idol and The One seems poised for defeat. But the election is over two years away, and cargo cults are resilient phenomena. So, not being a magical thinker myself, I’ll believe it when I see it. Time for some Steely Dan:
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