Herding cats in the New World

The status quo is the worst sort of example of how things should be. Certainly we USA types are different today than our ancestors at the time of the Constitutional Convention in the late 1700’s, for example. Said another way, personal experience, and even sincerity, even revolutionary fervor, may put blinders on us, blinders that keep us from seeing all the things going on around us. Yet we always vote our instincts and experience and life to date, because that is all we can do.

Thank goodness for election cycles that inconveniently ask many to think about things, to include the status quo. Have things always been this way, or are they more transitory? Much of this can be imagination, amplified by a little history.

One does not have to accept what are presented as givens so often today. Givens such as globalization, ever increasing federal income taxes, ever increasing borrowing because even federal income taxes are not enough to meet all the voted upon demands, ever increasing foreigner numbers to loan us money in perpetuity, and even more local things like school boards (fellow American I may add), telling us how to raise and teach our kids the basics, like sex, the golden rule, and the basic American history. And in fairness to the local issues, many Americans don’t let this happen, as in they control the school boards that dictate what the teachers must do.

Back to the theme of the status quo being such a transitory point, at best. And “at best” is the hope for our collective American New World future. We are not bound by our ancestors’ pasts. We may be driven by our own self interests that both ignore the Old World and exploit our New World for the sake of ourselves and our kids. When push comes to shove, our own National Interests should win out. This idea can be expressed in our votes for candidates who think this way. What’s wrong with taking care of ourselves first? And with the future so uncertain (what is new), candidates who are status quo and so formula seem like the dinosaurs they have become.

While the cats may be out of the bag, most voter’s still live in the real world. This post suggests not accepting the status quo, and challenging ideas like globalization as the accepted routine today. Some of those who accept globalization, then even suggest maritime strategies that have the USA enforcing sea lanes as part of making it happen. While the ideas are good, and even noble, maybe we can’t afford it, either from a simple tax or borrowing point of view, or even a National Interest point of view. This post suggests this is a voter decision, as much as to the theory as to the financing.

For voters too busy to get down in the weeds, here’s a suggestion. Rather, during your time in the voting booth, consider voting for candidates (local, stare, and federal) that impress you as having integrity, as in telling you and me what their core values are. And then hope for the best. And I hope our National Interests come out in all this, both domestic, and foreign. Whatever the case, tell your friends and connections as in spread your word. This is so American.