I can't take it anymore---politics, that is. I used to enjoy it all, but it's getting curioser and scarier all the time. Now we have the S&P (Standard and Poor credit rating system) warning us that our credit is in jeopardy. No kidding---I'm surprised they haven't said so sooner. Maybe it's a conspiracy to keep us all dumbed down until it's too late. We're almost broke, and about to raise our debt ceiling into oblivion. No surprise either that Obama shook his oratorical finger at S&P for having the audacious nerve to announce this bit of unsettling news---just after his speech which was supposed to lift our spirits, and set the stage for his re-election. We're really in trouble if S&P or anyone else not directly under Obama's thumb must seek permission before speaking out to the public. Last time I checked, that is their job---unless we are becoming an ipso facto dictatorship. Perhaps that's too strong a term. So far, the most visible punishment to those who incur the presidential wrath is public humiliation, the latest victim ,that of Paul Ryan who was invited to Obama's ho-hum speech, only to be excoriated for his revolutionary 2012 budget proposal, while sitting in the front row. How dare he upstage the president---does he not get it? Obama won.
So, let's take a little break from it all---and decide to look at the bright side. Uh, where would that be exactly? We're in debt up to our eyebrows and no one is even going to want to loan us any more money. The USA is now thought of as a bad credit risk---sorry, Uncle Sam, but your debt to income ration is, well, in the tank. What does this mean? Will we have to go begging, print more money, or sell ourselves off to China and start learning to bow in more ways than one? We could all move to Denmark, as a suggested better place by one of our readers--but before long, I'm afraid we might start a revolution,because we wouldn't be able to stand the lack of variety and challenge. We need motivation, incentive, and risk. to be really good. It's called competition and without it, excellence usually takes a back seat to acceptablity or mediocrity.
But just when I'm craving peace and quiet-- along comes Donald Trump---yes, the Donald! Who in the Sam Hill does he think he is, anyway?? He's not a politician,at least in the strict sense of the word, and he's not even a community organizer. What he is, however, is a very successful business man, uncannily likeable, unless you don't like his hair cut and his swagger, but then a bit of swaggering often comes with earned confidence. He is also a celebrity of sorts, a sort of popular icon, due to his high profile business acumen, not to mention his TV show, "Celebrity Apprentice", and his relentless branding of the Trump name. Like him or not, Mr. Trump has now garnered a lot of attention and is one of the current poll favorites for a possible run as presidential nominee for the Republican party or possibly as an Independent. This man has Chutzpah--who else would dare to take Obama on as he has, bringing up the old birth issue and saying that Obama may be the worst president in history? If he's not careful, he could find himself sitting in the corner of the Obama classroom. Whether he has what it takes to be president or even a respectable nominee remains to be seen, but it makes for good political theatre, and is a refreshing break from the every day political predictability and constant media down playing of the Republican party. Donald Trump says we still have the power to make a come back if only we will assert ourselves by demanding higher paybacks from the Chinese and other governments with whom we do business. In other words, he's claiming that we still have the bigger stick, and we should use it, while we can, and not be so concerned with being thought of as big bossy Americans anymore. Interesting approach in this day of diplomatic ultra-nicey-niceness. Whether this brash man will be a wild card among the professionals and trump all, split the party ala Ross Perot, or simply be a 15 minute distraction, nobody knows just yet, but Mr. Donald Trump of "you're fired!" fame is all over the news, and his numbers are phenomenally climbing.
I once met the Donald at a charity ball. He is an imposing man, polite, and rather--- well, extra confident, but what did I expect? Mr. Trump does not believe in false modesty. We had a very short visit, but I gathered my nerve and suggested he use more women on his show, which at the time, was predominately populated by men. I'm not even remotely insinuating that that is why you now see an even number of both sexes on his show---I'm just sayin'. Anyway, I liked him---I still do. Anybody who has the courage to speak up against popular power and media slant, and has some new ideas, gets my attention---maybe not my vote, but definitely my attention. Who knows? Perhaps he'll even change that comb-over hair-do if he decides to run for president,and that could make all the difference. The temptation is to follow a man who acts like a leader; the caution is to make sure he isn't just acting.
So,as we prepare for an Easter week-end, may we pause to reflect on what we do have, rather than what we do not. One piece of very good news this week was that the oil disaster of last year turned out to not nearly as devastating as once thought---things are returning to normal quite nicely. The earth takes amazingly good care of itself, in spite of our dire predictions and over wrought concerns. Now let's get rid of the moratoriums, resume pumping our own oil--- and watch the price of gas go down. There is still time to work out our problems and become financially healthier. There is an election coming up, and we can still vote our minds. There is also the outside chance that luck will play a part in our destiny and either the present leaders will experience an epiphany moment and be blessed with uncommon wisdom, or someone will come along to lead us out of the wilderness. After all, it is Easter weekend.
President Obama, perhaps sensing the collective despair, seemed to "get religion" this week and spoke of Jesus Christ and how "there is something about the resurrection" and vaguely left it at that---not sure what he meant, but at least he was trying to infuse our spirits with a bit of inspiring spiritualism. Maybe that's our best hope for finding a brighter side---there's always room for a miracle, a re-birth, a salvation of a nation who at the moment seems terribly lost.
Easter is all about taking a break from the mundane, second chances, and realizing there is a much bigger picture, but we must not speak of it too freely in public places. There's a viral internet story going around about a Seattle school who, in the interest of secularity, re-named Easter eggs "Spring spheres"---how very self-consciously anti-religious. Guess we're above and beyond any kind of religious association as a nation---much too sophomoric--- and certainly asking for heavenly help these days would be seen as weak, but I'm grateful that every presidential speech, including Obama's, still ends with "God bless the United States of America"---I hope He's listening. But I wonder how long before somebody removes that phrase from our speeches---and replaces it with, "May the Force be with us", or "May we get really, really lucky".
Have a happy Easter--may your proverbial cup of joy over floweth, and may your baskets be filled with lots of colorful, spring spheres!!!
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Are you familiar with the writings of Ayn Rand? Her first novel, ATLAS SHRUGGED, is due to be released as a movie shortly. Alan Greenspan was a disciple of Ayn Rand, and finally had to admit in 2008 he had been wrong. Paul Ryan has said he went into politics out of his admiration for Rand's books. This is unfettered free market stuff, what I call running amok. That is my worst case scenario. What's yours?
ReplyDelete"Atlas Shrugged" is playing now in Fort Collins---I have never read this much talked about book, nor seen the movie, but it's kind of nice to know there's actually a book which I understand praises the free market system--as there are so many loud voices out there tearing it down these days. I have heard Alan Greenspan say he feels he misread the danger signals leading up to the recession, but not necessarily that he has dis-avowed the whole system or the total ideas of Ayn Rand. What you call running amok, I would submit that the amok can happen to any system, including Fannie May and Freddie Mac who were largely responsible for the mortgage disaster, and all headed up by those in the govt. who felt even those with shaky credit and incomes not able to meet a traditional loan standard, should be able own a home. In other words, it wasn't the system that failed, as much as it was the people who twisted and torqued it until it wasn't able to perform as designed. I plan to go see the movie---will you?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the amok can happen to any system, which is why I love this country with its mixed economy: those things done best by the free market done by the free market and those best handled by government done by government. I guess you'd call me a pragmatist--like Benjamin Franklin.
ReplyDeleteFrom one teacher to another...addressing the school in Seattle - Sounds like "they" need to put a little more thought and research into something before renaming it. An egg is not a sphere. All points on a sphere are the same distance from the center. I say let's stop trying to change and rename things.. Stick with Easter eggs, Not "spring spheres". Merry CHRISTmas, not "happy holidays.". Etc., etc. Let us not forget the ideals this country was founded on. In God we trust. Amen!!
ReplyDeleteThank you both for your comments and for being brave enough to join in the conversation--you have restored my hope and faith that we can actually discuss things that really matter to us, civilly and intelligently--and that the loudest voices arent't always the only voices. Keep talking and contributing---
ReplyDeleteThe US Dept. of Treasury states "the motto IN GOD WE TRUST was placed on US coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment during the Civil War." The first time "In God We Trust" appeared on our coins was in 1864 on the new two cent coin, and by 1909 it was included on most other coins. During the height of the cold war, on July 11, 1955, Pres. Eisenhower signed Public Law 140 making it mandatory that all coinage and paper currency display the motto. With the respectability of atheism growing in the US the future of the motto is in question.
ReplyDeleteLong may it live---there are far worse things for a country to put its trust in, including nothing--which one may argue is better than ascribing to God,whom not everybody believes in. But Atheism is in itself a religion of sorts. So as long as the majority wishes to seek the blessings of the God of our founding fathers,in Him may we trust--and long may the majority rule, not a minority who imposes their will upon a majority in the name of---nothingness. Division of separation religion vs. state? No, I don't buy that argument--it was never meant to be taken to this extreme--is this turning into another blog?
ReplyDeleteWhat can be more American than the Bill of Rights, and it was written to protect individuals from the majority. This country is run by the rule of law. Should atheists dare to challenge the motto in question in the courts, they may well win. E PLURIBUS UNUM was the first motto, and the "many" was meant to include minority beliefs, including those whose trust is in human reason. I am not an atheist, but I recognize that some of the contributers to our culture have been. Another blog? Yes! I say let's go back to The Donald!
ReplyDeleteSince you don't enjoy politics anymore, how about treating us to one of your exellent nonpolitical essays?
ReplyDeleteCan we forget about Trump's antics now?
ReplyDeleteYou can, but will everybody else who rather enjoyed his "antics"? Trump is taking credit for being the one who finally prompted Obama to come up with the goods---why the refusal to do so much earlier?? Hiding breeds suspicion.Now we can move on to much more serious issues---and there are many.
ReplyDeleteErasmus, one of the great figures of the Reformation wrote the wonderful IN PRAISE OF FOLLY. He failed to close the chasm between the reformers and the Catholics, but his attempts have gained great respect recently. He had a sense of humor at a time when everything seemed deadly serious on all sides to everyone else. Donald Trump at least afforded us some comic relief!
ReplyDeleteLove it---but comedy, like beauty can sometimes be in the eye of the beholder---or the media, who loves to portray anyone who would dare to question Obama's integrity ,a clown, or a racist, or a fool. I think it is too early to write Trump off as any of those just yet, just as at one time it was too early to write Obama off as a brash, immature, empty suit. Donald still has a lot of "splainin' to do as to why he could be President, but I would say he's more interesting at this point than comic.
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump used the F word twice in a speech in Las Vegas.
ReplyDeleteHeard that---shame on him! But his numbers are still way up there---go figure. He's resonating somehow. People like his fearless, go get 'em style, I guess, and maybe---are mad as ----Perhaps his perjoratives match their anger. Stay tuned.
ReplyDeleteWhat's your opinion of Mitch Daniels?
ReplyDelete