It would be wonderful if this writer knew where to begin. We have a guy who was a community organizer and a guy who knows how to bring a return to investors. Both have a very small group to whom they answer. Neither created jobs. Private Equity firms respond to their investors. Nothing wrong with that but it is not about engineering or about invention. Community Organizers respond to folks who think (or mayhap "feel" is a better word) that they have what was once called "the short end of the stick". Again a group who have a limited focus on their aims. Neither group has any idea of the bigger picture. Nor should they.
The political parties are busy pretending that the President will lead us to truth, beauty and salvation. Most of them have not read the constitution. When ever that word comes up folks think of some whacko who believes the BLACK HELICOPTERS ARE IN THE AIR! This stops all rational conversation.
I have come to have a great deal of respect for Tom Coburn from Oklahoma. Even if he is an Okie. So were Woody Guthrie and Will Rogers. He (Coburn) says that in private all the senators know what the solution is on many problems but they are afraid to say it due to not being reelected. Tom is also a Republican who wants the possible. Sounds like Clinton who had the last balanced budget.
Legislation is done in secret. If the bill is long enough it is impossible to determine what is in it. 2,700 pages is too long. It is twice the length of Hillary Clinton's health care bill. The news media colludes in this process by refusing to read the bill front to back. If they are too accurate they will be denied access to officials and access is the mother's milk of television news.
I sometimes think the only way to get the truth out of congress is to water board them all. This should be legal as it is not torture. Even then it would not matter as truth when coerced is incompatible with a democratic republic: it is essential that both sides bargain in good faith. It is about the lack of ethical behaviour in our public life. The truth is relative unless one party punches his opponent in the mouth. Then the truth becomes absolute as the lip begins to swell. It is impossible to have an encounter leading to progress under these conditions. Human relationships are based on an underlying assumption that the other person can and will tell the truth.
We have long since given up teaching civics in school. It is too dangerous. Parents do not want children who can think for themselves: they want clones. They will be angry with any educator who encourages an unbiased inquiry into life and the political system.
We have been told "Be Afraid, be afraid! Be very afraid!! They are coming to get you." The Republicans meant al Quaida and the Democrats meant the Republicans. It is nonsense. I find I cannot have a meaningful conversation with anyone who believes in parties. They are in collusion.
"A Republic Madam, if you can keep it." Franklin
It is twilight. No one is going to save us. We must save ourselves but that requires work and honesty. Those two things are scary. We would rather sit in the closet and whine about who will save us.
Peace,
Out
"Human relationships are based on an underlying assumption that the other person can and will tell the truth."
ReplyDeleteTelling the truth is something neither party is willing to do. There are lies, damn lies, and election year promises. Unfortunately, this is an election year. There will be nothing but bullshit on TV for the rest of this year.
"We have long since given up teaching civics in school. It is too dangerous."
Free speech isn't free any more - and critical thinking has been outlawed in more ways than one. It's been at least 50 years since critical thinking was made a social crime. After 1970 - it was all over - anyone capable of critical thinking was ostrasized.