Don't Dwell On Despair; Seek Silver Linings

Rather than dwell upon the sad points of current events -- disappointment among Pittsburgh's parking privateers, apprehension among Democrats throughout the nation, dread of prison among those who imprison innocent children for profit -- why not consider silver linings?

• The Not-So-Great InsolvenCity Parking Garage Sale seems lifeless; the parking privateers have largely abandoned attempts to persuade decision-makers to accept the mayor's plan, focusing instead on increasingly bitter recriminations among themselves. The out-of-town privateers are describing Mayor Ravenstahl, Yarone Zober, and their local greasers as lying incompetents to anyone who will listen -- a group that apparently does not include Ravenstahl, who reportedly refuses to take his former privateering partners' calls. The loss of huge paydays from a mispriced deal obviously smarts. But while attempting to establish direct relationships with council members (privateers) or fruitlessly trying to identify something worthwhile to do next (Ravenstahl, Zober, Kunka), the disappointed privateers could embrace a silver lining -- the capsizing of the transaction substantially reduces the likelihood of indictments, convictions and terms of imprisonment.


• Democrats are dispirited, and consequently bracing for an improbably rapid comeback by the discredited ideologues who broke our country Republicans poised to take advantage of expected low turnout among Americans who hold sensible and majority views. But instead of dreading a revival of gay-bashing, abortion-banning, immigrant-hating, science-disdaining public policy (which is not going to occur so long as Barack Obama is president), Democrats should take heart from the silver lining of the Republicans' undeserved resurgence -- it likely guarantees a second Obama presidential term.


• The predictable news that former Luzerne County judge Michael Conahan is a likely beneficiary of lessened punishment for his sentencing of innocent children to incarceration in exchange for kickbacks could generate outrage among decent people. But that view would overlook the underlying point that former judge Conahan has begun to cooperate with law enforcement personnel, providing an insider's account of the corrupt scheme and agreeing to testify against co-conspirators. The silver lining -- more of those who paid bribes and profited from infliction of misery on innocent children seem likely to be identified, prosecuted and punished -- could be large enough to stretch across the Commonwealth, from its northeastern corner to the southwestern.

Infinonymous is pleased to perform a public service by directing attention to the bright side of current events.