A stream of thought way to think about today’s times

A stream of thought way to think about today’s times

It is probably fair to say we are constantly bombarded with “today’s problems. In most cases we try solve these problems, too.

And this post focuses mostly on the new world USA where I presently live, though as a Marine I have both lived and been deployed around the world during my own lifetime so far. I’m age 67 right now and live in rural east Tennessee, USA.  I’ve even fought on foreign shores along the way. Being shot at is not fun. I grew up in Hawaii, Tennessee, Southern California, and the Washington, DC area. I went to Georgia Tech.

Where do I start.

I have lost trust, faith, and confidence in many of our leaders, both in the Executive Branch, and even the other two branches of government in the USA, the legislative branch and the judicial branch.  I still believe in the idea of “we the people” and “the rule of law”, and that all are obligated to try follow these guidelines as best they can. Change does take time pursuing this process, too. I am not a serf who is supposed to work to pay taxes for our leaders to then use as they deem fit. I pay taxes so as to have trust, faith, and confidence in my own future, and that of my loved ones and Friends. And many of our present leaders are trying to do a good job, in my mind. Practically speaking, that means oaths and the rule of law trump idealism, every time. Words do mean things, at least to me. The Presidential Inauguration is not a quaint ceremony to me.

For those who say someone is “ahead of their time” I offer a reasonable alternative. That alternative is that they are not living realistically in the present time, and threading all those needles that must be threaded best to go forward. Even using “lying as a way to rule” short changes trust, faith, and confidence in the long term. We the people have to possess these faiths for a good path to go forward and sustain. 

Now it appears that liberalism and being immoral are flourishing at the same time. But I don’t make a reliable connection these days. Maybe later, but not now. My obvious example is that we humans are probably too many in numbers for our earth to sustain reliably, and many solutions to this both present and amplifying problem, is beginning to legitimize too many immoral solutions, some even being promoted by the present ruling classes, some elected by the way. Said even another way, a good politician, and all societies benefit by moral leaders, can use those that don’t go from A to D directly, but thread the needles through B and C, too.  The obesity epidemic in the USA provides another such example, too.

And central planning at best has shown short term gains, but generally long terms losses. But here we go again, it seems. There are too many factors to plan for is what usually happens. There is no one size fits all. In my opinion, that is one of the qualities of we humans. We are different, thank goodness. And that includes the two sexes, males and females.  So even given the enormous losses from wars and pandemics, we are still thriving on the earth. There is something good going on I would suggest. It is also another problem to be solved, and it will be solved, in a way we the people can do it and support it.

Even money-grubbing people and power-hungry types and charlatans at best return short-terms gains and often long-term losses to “we the people”, who after all, get stuck with the results.

That leads to another point. Obvious war is subsiding, like formal declarations of war. But people still start wars and the usual clash of different societies and values and often misunderstanding or misjudgments still occur, like it or not.  The usual solution is war of some sorts, and death and destruction, which in the end can be summarized by me as muddling through as best we can. Even weapons of mass destruction have lifetimes.  And along the way we the people go forward. And often along the way megalomaniacs assert themselves, too. And along that way often even nations follow these people, which always astounds me. So back to lack of understanding about different people and societies on this earth. That is a probable cause for one reason we do fight, and that some start wars.

And will lawlessness behavior increase in the USA. Probably, but like most I hope not much before we correct it. I am proud of what we have achieved so far. I did not happen overnight. And I think most know all societies have their criminal class, like it or not.

And as to racism, I still buy the argument, spoken as a Marine, that we should always support success, and not failure. That applies to this subject, too.  And there are too many successful Negro leaders and fighters to support this American argument. Said another way, our well intended federal laws that broke up the black Families, beginning in the 1960’s, has created too many broken Families where the father is no longer home to guide, often in his own way,  these growing young males.  Said even another way, is it racial, or is it tribal? And given the circumstances, the performance and sacrifices of many mothers in raising these young people deserves our accolades.

So am I optimistic? NO!

But will we humans muddle through, probably. Our ability to suffer and die always amazes me.

What is the future, then. Your guess is as good as mine. But we all love our Families, and in that we will sort out the best future and methods for all of us, both those alive today, and in the next few centuries. Or so I suspect.