Sisyphus At Rest

Destination Unknown

The year 2006 has begun with fortitude. There is an air of optimism in the United States, a self determination, that it can’t possibly get any f-ing worse. I feel the same way. I caution as well, but we are trying to stay positive Moriarty!

Always with the negative waves Moriarty, always with the negative waves.

To stay in focus and to keep in mind the issues is the bulkhead that we need to contemplate. Like most Americans, I crawled into my holiday cocoon and tuned out the rest of the world for the holidays. But as we slept… the guilty pleaded.

When this Administration was decided in 2000, the Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan hailed that the grown ups were back in charge. No more dress down Fridays for The White House. But I have always likened it to be more infantile. When the toddlers are quiet one must peek in to see what is happening. I imagine Georgie boy to be sucking on his big toe, and I always expect Dick to be sticking his wet finger into an electrical socket.

And since Hollywood is in a remake mode, I too will pick up on one of the recent titles…

HAVE YOU CHECKED THE CHILDREN

A new generation of babysitters will now become nervous mothers. I beg the question, shouldn’t we; the American Public, become nervous parents?

Since I’m at it, I’ll poke the bear a little more. We speak of the Founding Fathers of America with some spirit, Washington’s Crossing is a continued tradition in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; but those guys are dead and no matter how we think of them, to the video age, they leave an impression of the cliché. Founding Fathers of America, who are they now?

We are 230 years old as a democracy. We are the Moderns, in the historical sense. American history is when the world changed for the better or the worse. The New World! The birth of a nation! The New Egypt… should I dare? The New Mesopotamia! We are the model of the civilized world! Five hundred years from now they will be talking about the internet, Moon landings, planet exploration and cell phones… yes, The Information Age has replaced the Industrial Age! Ben Franklin and Tommy Edison can relax and go to heaven.

We have given the world many things as Americans. We have used our pioneering spirit to overcome and overwhelm. Our compassion and loyalties have been welcomed around the world. We have been fairly decent about Imperialism, but that seemed to die with our revolution. We have pragmatic questions that will be a defining flip in our historical recognition. Those questions are: What of Iraq? What of the political conscience?

It is my feeling that not enough of the people are paying attention. I think someone could light themselves on fire in front of The White House and it would only be a short story. Of course new barriers would be put up, protections for the President etc. A brief biography of the person who did it… always a quiet person, hardly knew they were there… blah blah blah.

Don’t get me wrong, I know I am monitored on this site for the content I write about. The hoopla over the wire tapping by the NSA is not lost on me. It is not hard to get on a list. It is scary, but at the same time I don’t generate a crowd. I am no John Lennon or Allen Ginsberg, nor could I ever be. All the fuss over the war is not fuss as much as it is position. A vortex, a lot of energy… going nowhere. Give Me Liberty or Give Me Latte!

Sorry Starbucks, I really didn’t believe anyone would blow up the store, funny that there is a song out there saying as much. His sales will be monitored… cash only!!

My opinion is this; Iraq was the dumbest thing I have ever seen happen in my personal history. The debate was reasoning on the absurd. The political consciousness of the country is at its lowest point. Our leaders are snow blind, self serving and grandly disappointing. We had an old blind Appaloosa a few years ago; I had more confidence in him finding the door to the barn at dinner than I do our country pulling its head out and getting focused in the right direction.

Third party politics has been an ideological wasteland. The Right and the Left are bound to politics for the sake of politics. I don’t recall anybody saying that they feel represented. So what about these Founding Fathers? Without representation we are bound to hubris. My concern is that we are foundering without fathers, that our lack of concern and the powerlessness that Americans feel is not something we get used to. It is expected of us to just get used to it, like $2 a gallon for gasoline and propane. The discerning action that is compelling is; SOMETHING will fill the vacuum. If we have anything to fear, that is who is calling and are they in the house? We need to have accountability. We need to have a responsible government.

I have a few rhetorical questions to leave you with.

Why are they trying to change your mind? Why are they trying to convince you that you don’t see what you see?

Are you aware enough of political conscience of your Representatives? Are they looking out for your best interest?

How are we going to change the direction of the country if most people are of the belief we are going in the wrong direction? Are you willing to stand up?

Are you asleep or are you awake? Do you even care? Can you become empowered?