The Long March

This is the title given a dream by St. John Bosco in which he foresaw a time when the Church would seem to march away from Rome, then resolutely, and victoriously, march back.

It is the name given to the Chinese Communist Army's 1934 escape from encirclement, which traversed thousands of miles of rough terrain and enabled the eventual military victory of Chinese communism. Both of these marches represent heroism, spiritual in the former, material in the latter.

For me, the Long March is acquiring another significance, however, one of indecision, vacillation, temporizing and expediency. We are not even a hundred days into the new presidency and already I'm exhausted by the lack of direction, the lack of principle (except on abortion where Obama is resolute), flip-flops, testing of the political winds, Pelosoisms, Reidisms ... My God, America, Bush was wrong on Iraq, but at least the guy had principles, could make a decision, and then stick to it.

Let's see, 62 days down, 1398 days to go. Please, Lord, let it be over!

SPQR