It really is all about humor (or the lack of it). I have often assumed that many ultra-conservatives get there because their own lives turn miserable. Generally there's a direct correlation between conservatism and age and the consequent health problems and looming end of life.

I can feel the tug in me as there become less years left than I've already spent. I want to maximize the pleasure in my life in the remaining years but there's a price to that. For me to have more, someone else has to sacrifice. It's how societies work. If I decide I want more time to myself, my kids and my wife have to give up time with me. If I want a huge nest egg to ensure my survivability and comfort in the waning days, I have to cut down on the outflow of my assets. You start thinking about taxes and how you're paying for people that you have nothing to do with.

The trend is that every political issue becomes more about what's in it for me than how do I fit into society and what defines an ethical life. Others become scapegoats for being the obstacles in the way of your new goals. The illegals are clogging up my hospitals causing the cost of healthcare to rise. The inner city whores are pumping out kids like there's no tomorrow and limiting my options.

That's where the humor probably changes. Suddenly it's easy to get a kick out of pummeling the downtrodden cause gosh darn they slow down your commute each day. Kids start looking like burdens instead of joyful future humans. They're noisy and no other parent knows what the hell they're doing.

And then there's sex. I think of the two major political persuasions, the liberals are probably getting it a lot more. Seems to be a baldness thing going on with old Republicans along with a rotund shape compared with the jogging and granola-eating Democrats.

So why should we expect there to be rational humor in these old, bald, overweight, and cranky bastards who's pricks never stand on end without expensive medication? If they're going to be miserable, so should everyone else and as for the sex, well that's a sin unless you're bringing new little Christians into the world.

So I feel the tug towards the dark side but luckily have this loud voice still inside me saying the journey to the end just isn't worth it unless you've been a part of a world you can be proud of and that you know you've added more than you've taken. As far as the joke that says "He who dies with the most toys wins", I get a decent laugh out of it but I don't buy into it.

Art