Speechworld vs. Realworld

Here's Mark Steyn:

In Realworld, political speeches would be about closing down unnecessary federal bureaucracies, dramatically downsizing or merging others, and ending makework projects and mission creep. The culture of excess that distinguishes the hyperpower at twilight would be reviled at every turn. But instead the “hugely persuasive” orator declares that there’s nothing to worry about that even more government can’t cure. In Speechworld, “no hill is too steep, no horizon is beyond our reach.” In Realworld, that’s mainly because we’re going downhill. And the horizon is a cliff edge.

Jon Stewart noted that the topic of Obama's latest speech - the meager drawdown of a couple of surge troops from Afghanistan - was so inconsequential that he should have done a Facebook update instead.