Maybe We Need More Wingnuts
If you read any sort of commentary these days, whether in newspapers, websites or blogs, or listen to them on the radio or watch and listen on television (I think I’ve covered all the bases…), it seems that politics in the U.S. these days is driven by wingnuts and loose screws.
The question is which is better.
Think about it.
First, let’s consider the wingnut. Wingnuts are nuts with wings. That means you can loosen or tighten them without tools. Granted, sometimes they may get rusty and you might need a tool or oil or something to loosen them up, or sometimes you might want to tighten them a bit more and use a tool to do it.
But, the basic function of a wingnut is to allow assembly (or disassembly) without the use of tools.
And, that can definitely be a good thing. For example, if something is loose, you can fix it right then and there. Just turn the wingnut a little. Tighten it up by hand and—presto!—it’s fixed.
If it were a regular nut, sure, you might be able to turn it a bit with your fingers, but chances are it’s still going to be loose. And, that means going to the garage or basement to grab a wrench. And, that may mean putting it off, until later.
And that means that the nut stays loose, which could pose a safety hazard. Maybe it’s not a big safety hazard—after all, if it were, you would have went and gotten a wrench. But, maybe it’s something minor. You just have to remember not to sit in that chair until you’ve fixed it. Maybe you’re on your way to see a movie and are running late, so you’ll fix it later.
Well, after a movie and dinner and maybe some shopping or something, you’ve forgotten all about the chair. So, you get home and sit down.
Crash!
You find yourself on the floor. Hopefully, you didn’t hurt yourself.
The whole incident could have been prevented, of course, had the chair used wingnuts instead of bolts.
Likewise for a shelf, a TV stand, etc.
So, a wingnut can definitely be useful and save you from getting hurt. It can save you money too, because, otherwise, your chair could be broken and you’d need to go out and buy a new one. Or spend a lot of money fixing it.
All of which could have been prevented by a wingnut.
On the other side, we see loose screws. What use is a loose screw?
A loose screw is always a potential hazard.
The important thing here is to distinguish between a loose screw and a screw. Properly tightened in place, a screw is good. But, then it’s not a loose screw. A spare screw, that is, a screw that is not in use or installed, is not a loose screw. It’s a spare screw. A loose screw is a screw that is in place but not quite right. It’s too loose to effectively hold things together.
So, a loose screw is a potential hazard.
Mind you, if something is held together by many screws, one loose screw may not pose too great a danger. However, as the number of loose screws increase, the hazard increases potentially.
The bottom line is that too many wingnuts is rarely going to be a problem whereas too many loose screws is a dangerous hazard.
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