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Friday, February 15, 2008

Glimmers of hope that the times have changed

One thing is for sure. The status quo lasts as long as the moment. Just because it was does not mean it will and must be that way forever. And even if too many Americans have been “dumbed down” in an educational sense, Americans still have their common sense, a desire for home security, and a wish that their children’s lives be better than their lives have been so far. All this is pretty much generic.

That we have so many Americans who are educated fools and suffering from advanced educations with little life experience or too often little intelligence is finally their problem. After decades of going along with these elite types, the vast public is finally showing signs of leaving the latest ones holding the bag, so to speak. In a musical chairs idea, they are left standing. The status quo is changing, and other alternatives to our public’s future are now being seriously considered to dig our way out of the terrible mess we are in. Fortunately, we the vast public still have ways to do this, locally, state, and federal. And fortunately, we don’t have to resort to revolution or civil war, though we can.

That so many, actually most, of the present federal candidates and the media don’t even discuss and debate this is a sign of avoidance and denial of the most basic and obvious threats to our future. Hopefully they are not just stupid. Like the dinosaurs before they declined suddenly, let them bask in the past and the status quo today. The vast public is moving on to their future as they reluctantly take the time out of their busy schedules to figure out how to vote.

And vote they will. Here are some signs of glimmers of hope for our American future.

The enormity of our financial problems are now more publicly aware. As an example the voting public is not as accepting of promises from candidates of even more benefits without knowing how it will be funded.

The American psychic personality to help our less fortunate is now also followed with questions of personal responsibility. In other words, our poor and “victims” no longer get an automatic free pass. Help is a two-way street, and some demonstration of self-help is expected in our future.

The friction of funding basic government services like schools and infrastructure and home security wherever we live competing with benefits as an ever growing aspect of government budgets is slowly being recognized. The most pitiful discussion focuses on the federal social security and even closer in time federal Medicare promises and insolvencies, but the discussions must extend to our state and local promises, all too often retirement benefits for fellow Americans who joined government unions in the last two decades or so.

Most buy the idea of free trade and competing. The frustration is when foreign trading partners take advantage of environomental rules, and put fellow Americans out of work.

There are courses of action that offer hope beyond financial collapse and “cold turkey” and generational warfare. These courses are very American, and normally use the scheme of being incremental. After all, it took decades to get where we are today.

The basic question still remains. Where are the politicians who offer glimmers of hope as to our future? We certainly need them at all levels, local, state, and federal. And some of these politicians may not even be running for office today.

The present national parties have had their chance over the last decades, seven or eight many think. They are now part of the problem. Glimmers of hope suggest other national and state and local courses of action are underway for Americans to be better Americans. Many American political dinosaurs will suffer, but then America is about us, not them.

1 comment:

Lookingfornobility said...

Since you call yourself "marine" I will first say: Thank you for your service to our country.

I would like to respectfully suggest that you reconsider. Politicians are not the answer. Change, of the kind you and I desire, must come from individual Americans. Each of us must commit ourselves to personal honor and integrity, things no politician could ever provide.

No one could have said it better than Reagan, "the scariest words in the English language are 'I am from the government and I am here to help.'"

Change will not come from Washington, Marine, but from the winning of individual hearts and minds. Like you are doing right here on this blog. Keep it up.

Semper Fi