Straws in the wind?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="What">What</span> <span word="does">does</span> “<span word="toss">toss</span> <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span>” <span word="means">means</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>?</p><p><span word="If">If</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="value">value</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="lead">lead</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="knowledge">knowledge</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="not">not</span> <span word="toss">toss</span> <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="drifts">drifts</span> <span word="farthest">farthest</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="blowing">blowing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Bob">Bob</span> <span word="Dylan">Dylan</span> <span word="sings">sings</span>.</p><p><span word="Literally">Literally</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="answer">answer</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span>.</p><p><span word="Straws">Straws</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="light">light</span>, <span word="loose">loose</span> <span word="ends">ends</span> <span word="of">of</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, <span word="dried">dried</span> <span word="wheat">wheat</span> <span word="stems">stems</span>. <span word="If">If</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="toss">toss</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span>, <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="blow">blow</span> <span word="away">away</span> – <span word="wherever">wherever</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="them">them</span>.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="situation">situation</span> <span word="hardly">hardly</span> <span word="imaginable">imaginable</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="kids">kids</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="experience">experience</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="country">country</span>, <span word="you">you</span>’<span word="ll">ll</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="tossing">tossing</span> <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="another">another</span> <span word="folksy">folksy</span> <span word="way">way</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="wind">wind</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="blowing">blowing</span>. <span word="Farmer">Farmer</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="wisdom">wisdom</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>. <span word="An">An</span> <span word="American">American</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span> <span word="apparently">apparently</span> <span word="alludes">alludes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="age">age</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="farmers">farmers</span> <span word="everywhere">everywhere</span>.</p><p><span word="Politically">Politically</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="toss">toss</span> <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="voters">voters</span> <span word="want">want</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="America">America</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="instance">instance</span>, <span word="public">public</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span> <span word="polls">polls</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="often">often</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="straw">straw</span> <span word="polls">polls</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="surveys">surveys</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="speaking">speaking</span> <span word="toss">toss</span> <span word="straws">straws</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wind">wind</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="which">which</span> <span word="direction">direction</span> <span word="voters">voters</span> <span word="lean">lean</span> – <span word="toward">toward</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="Democrats">Democrats</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Republicans">Republicans</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="top">top</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="question">question</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="criticized">criticized</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="failing">failing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="opinion">opinion</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="own">own</span> (<span word="because">because</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="great">great</span> <span word="lack">lack</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wisdom">wisdom</span>, <span word="which">which</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="uncommon">uncommon</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="government">government</span> <span word="around">around</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>). <span word="All">All</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="conduct">conduct</span> <span word="straw">straw</span> <span word="polls">polls</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="find">find</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="voting">voting</span> <span word="trends">trends</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="then">then</span> <span word="follow">follow</span> <span word="voters">voters</span>’ <span word="direction">direction</span>.</p>
页:
[1]