while we're tuning up this engine, let's talk politics. it’s like working with a classic car, taking apart those old, preexplicative assumptions to see how they really run. now, the manual often gives us directives, telling us exactly how to reconstitute the pieces for optimum performance. but you know, sometimes, to really understand the machinery, you've got to devalue those directives, dig into the parts they say are off limits. it’s the only way to discover what’s been deliberately hidden from us, secrets cloaked in layers, much like the unsanctioned modifications that turn a standard ride into something extraordinary, except in politics, uncovering what's off limits might not always be in everyone's best interest.