Where the cliche 'Pyrrhic Victory' comes from
Let me get this out of the way first; congratulations, Mr. President!! You won! Just as you won the presidency in 2008, and were so quick to tell Eric Cantor, Republican of Virginia, early in your administration.
I guess that makes you a winner.
Let me tell you a story.
There was a king in ancient Greece named Pyrrhus, who was renowned as a great man and a great general. He was ruthless and fought ferociously to completely vanquish his enemies. In 280 B.C. he defeated the Romans, and he defeated them again the next year.
These victories were so costly that he lost most of his own forces and he was reported to have said "One more such victory and we are lost."
His victories were so costly that he was forever weakened and never won again.
Mr. President, savor your victory while you can, because I believe you have set in motion a collection of actions and reactions that will further divide the citizens of this great country and set them against each other.
There will be lawsuits, higher taxes, cost shifting from Medicare to the newly entitled, higher deficits, more intervention into the private sector and a weakened economy.
There will be decreased prosperity.
There will be continued unrest across America for years
This victory comes with a high price. The cost is greater than the benefit.
As Pyrrhus discovered, you may have won, but you and the Democrats in Congress lose.
This will be your legacy.
"We the people" have two choices. We can give up and allow our selves to be treated like farm animals; managed, controlled, and subjected to a humiliating existence, or we can begin a long term fight to regain our representative form of government.
Let us hope there are enough of us to effect the latter.