Interesting Times

I am 66 years old and have survived a lot of things in my life including over a dozen US Presidents.  Except for the first couple (Truman and Eisenhower), I recall each of their terms in either lesser or greater detail.  Through all of their tribulations, I still recall many of their momentous decisions, good and bad in terms that caused my current political ideology to grow and become part of me.   I was a soldier in Vietnam when I voted for Nixon's first term and probably BECAUSE I was a soldier in Vietnam I could not foresee another minute let alone another four years with this person in charge of my future.   One President, Johnson, was so immune to the trappings of power that he chose not to seek a sure second term knowing that our involvement in foreign entanglements was so dangerous that the country needed someone else with a clearer understanding of those complexities.  I recall an old Chinese saying that explains how I feel now – "May you live in interesting times."  My father, a fluent Chinese linguist and cultural Chinese expert noted that this saying was actually more of a curse than a casual greeting.  He was right.  I have lived in interesting times some of which were so frightening and filled with anxious foreboding that I honestly believed at the time that my "interesting times" were rapidly coming to an end.  Through it all, I considered myself a true patriot willing to make whatever sacrifices necessary to insure the continuation of this nation's great promises to itself, its citizens and the rest of the world.  The funny part was that I considered almost everyone I knew to be equally motivated to work towards the noble goals of this nation.  I was never afraid of my government not because I was naïve but rather because I understood and firmly believed in the security afforded to my fellow citizens by the string and viable system of checks and balances.   I understood democracy and saw it as a beacon of hope for the entire world and the people lucky enough to live in this country.  There were scandals involving some of our elected officials usually involving greed or sexual misconduct but after we stopped tittering like school children we usually managed to take the appropriate steps to punish or censor these misdeeds and I trusted in the system to carry out these punishments on behalf of the citizens of the US.  I felt great distress for people forced to survive under "banana dictatorships."  I was amused at actual democracies having a devil of a time maintaining any sense of dignity as they elected and then ousted their leadership almost monthly.   I cannot actually ever recall watching a nation attempting to maintain its own form of leadership and laughing about their stupidity and blundering ineptitude.  I took all forms of government serious even the flawed ones.  They were NOT laughing matters because they, regardless of how small or large, affected us all.   Now I am witness to the greatest nation in the world doing its utmost to become the laughing stock of all nations, good or bad.  We are preparing to go to our polls to elect individuals to the "greatest deliberative body the world has known" and with such a great responsibility facing us, we have managed to assemble a veritable Barnum and Bailey side show of candidates and seem totally incapable of stopping this tragedy from occurring.  Consider that these dozen or so side show freaks have at least one thing in common – world class hypocrisy.  All of these dancing bears are vowing to hate big government and want to emasculate ot to something resembling a national level receptionist desk whose only function is to wait for someone to call and challenge us to war.  In the meantime what is left of the government should not have any voice in any matters pertaining to its citizens thereby forever burying Mr. Lincoln's belief in government of the people, by the people and for the people.  Yet these same pseudo-anarchist are spending literally millions of dollars each to insure they acquire a seat in this hoped for waddling eunuch that used to be a beacon of hope.  Just a quick review of what these dozen or so freaks and geeks are seeking:

1.      Abrogation of the US Civil Right Act and all legal precedence involved in this nations attempt to bring equality to its citizens. 

2.      The dismantling of the US Social Security system and its role as a safety net for its aged and disabled citizens.

3.     The dismantling of the US Department of Education and the ceasing of its role in insuring that even the poorest school districts receive assistance in educating our greatest assets – our children. 

4.     The dismantling of the Medicare system which currently enables our citizens the ability to receive at least emergency and necessary health care. 

5.     The dismantling of the US Department of Transportation thus eliminating this nations capability to move its commercial goods and security machinery across this great country.  

6.     Dismantling and in a couple of cases the actual elimination of the US national taxation system.  No money will mean no government.

7.      Eliminating or at least severely limiting the ability of emigrants to enteer this country thus stagnating our ability to learn from the great wealth of experience these cultures bring to a nation. 

8.     Elimination of any US national department or agency that does not pay its own way, inhibits any type of commercial ventures or does not actually add to the national GDP.   No support to the fine arts, national parks system, any programs overseeing potential pollution and quality of life issues.  

9.     All welfare programs (naturally) thus putting millions of our citizens out on the streets to fend for themselves, even those citizens suffering from mental or physical disorders that may well make them a danger to themselves and those around them.  

 Oh heck, why go on.  It's in all the newspapers.  I just have to imagine a junket to one of the NATO countries by one or more of these dozen or so clowns.  Imagine the Prime Minister of England trying to conduct a meaningful dialogue with the Belle Of Delaware and her past as a dabbling witch.  How would the Chancellor of Germany react to conversations with the Darling of Nevada who would try to explain the concepts of trading chickens for health care.  Well you see where this could lead.  We may well have to spend at least fifty years just trying to regain some semblance of dignity in the world.   Have a nice day – and please please please Vote!