Stung to the Core

March 25, 2006

Back to the blog, I have missed it.  It was much easier to get to it when we were in Rome seeing so much that we had never seen before.  Still I keep thinking that I have lots still to say so when the muse strikes me, I will blog. 

Because I have never voted for a winning President since Jimmy Carter with the exception of Clinton’s first term I feel that I have been politically alienated for a long time.  I have resisted talking politics even of the most egregious events in Iraq or our lousy mano a mano energy policy, even Dick Chaney has kept my speechless.  But, I am stung to the core by this administrations ineptitude and I am afraid it affects so much of American life that I am now forced to vent my feelings.

How much destruction if the environment does it take to get a 21^st Century energy policy.  Can these guys read.  What is required of a superpower before it unilaterally goes to war in a place halfway around the world without a thought of the consequences? Is our statecraft in such disarray that we can not consult the United Nations.  Our our spies so inept that they can’t interpret the data or do we just use electronics to do what real spies used to do?  Did we learn anything from Vietnam about guerrilla warfare now called the Fedayeen ? How many hurricanes does it take to get Homeland Security and its stepchild FEMA to learn what they are supposed to do? How much of our childrens' money do we have to spend on Congress's pet projects before we understand that we are stealing our own patrimony?  How many rich guys have to get richer before we fix our tax laws.  How many illegal immigrants have to come in before we work toward a policy that is fair? Our President is immature and a terrible manager but his zeal and righteousness seem to make him invulnerable.  What will the Democrats do to squander this overwhelming  dislike that we are feeling about the Republicans?  They have shown themselves capable of throwing away their advantages in the past. 

Just a short list for today.  I am also unhappy with our Olympic team (not a team but a bunch of individuals who never got the team concept)  How about that guy who wouldn’t skate with his team or the kid showboating before the finish line in the snowboarding.  Or even our fascination with Bode Miller, an obvious non team player.  Or how about our inability to win the World Baseball Cup because our players never got together until 3 days before the event.  Some of the better players either chose or were not allowed to play for their country for fear of injury.  What is that about, that could never have happened in the America that I grew up in.  Call me old or call me unrealistic but I do understand what our flag flies for and what millions gave up to make this place the envy of people all over the world.  For some reason I thought we had pride and that it would overcome greed at some level.  I must be wrong.  As a nation, we need to rethink our priorities, jettison our hubris, get over ourselves and show the rest of the world that this formerly shinning democracy has some values that we will stand behind that don’t have to do with our oil supply or SUV’s. Spend the money that we use to enrich our already wealthy upper class and help our people who need us as well as people all over the world  in need to meet our obligations to ourselves, our country and the citizens of the world. I have more to say on these matters so I guess I will keep on blogging.