But the mudslinging just came up small potatoes. The influence to effectively control the people’s Congress was just given to special interests. This is a conservative leaning Supreme Court that just turned over our democracy “by the people” to industry. It is Republican’s (and some left) that will attempt to block financial reform because of it’s “big government” appearance. What a joke. I hear, “Damn you Washington for bailing out banks.” (even if, had it not, the economy would have collapsed). “Damn you Washington for letting the banks to get out of control” (even though Republicans basically were responsible for demolishing the financial protections that were in enacted after the Great Depression that would have keep them in control). “Damn you Washington for your big government ideology” (even though government would have been able to better protect us from unscrupulous bankers had the Republicans not diminished the ability for government to function correctly).”

It’s as if I’m watching a delusional sociopath. Someone so committed to blaming someone else, that they can’t even see that they’re largely responsible for the disaster that we’re in and getting deeper into. So, please, continue. I’ve always had an interest in reliving the whole Mad Max series.

The American government when run using the model that was intended isn’t really the great satan that it’s made out to be. However, government that’s effectively run by the rich and for the rich is. Unfortunately, that’s what we’re now facing. We can elect Presidents and legislators that claim to represent us until we’re blue in the face, but if even 10% of these politicians are the lap dogs of the corporatocracy, the people of this country will continue to be led under false pretenses. That’s almost the perfect definition of fascism.

I love Barack. Still. With all the noise, and yelling and complaining, I still think he’s doing as great job as can be expected in such an annoying time. I’m TRULY trying to complain about some things. I’ve been whining about the fact that Larry Sommers and Geitner were partially responsible for not regulating the financial industry during Clinton’s eight. Why the hell are they now attempting to regulate it. Turning over a new leaf I suppose. Keep your eyes wide. Then, I don’t like the whole “here’s Obama to entertain us with lofty speeches” b.s. But that’s not really his fault. I’m hearing a lot of criticism, some great questions and some crazy (literally crazy) banter, but I still think he’s kicking ass. Recently, the heath care, Afghanistan and global warming debates have reminded me of the last months of the campaign when everyone panicked when the poll numbers started to slide. Friend’s were emailing me with angry rants, the word “terrorist” was being thrown around like hand grenades and people were “mad as Hell and {weren’t} going to take it.” And Obama, with his typical grace, just waited out the storm. Someone sent me this that made me laugh. Still think it’s suiting:

...and he did.

However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe, just maybe, we’re all starting to pay a little more attention to how we’ve been doing business. The experiment of the last 30 years has failed. Making money, while important, is suddenly playing second fiddle to being a good citizen. Maybe this most recent financial slap in the face has been the wake up call we all needed to stop feeding this beast of consumerism and helped us to get back to living as needed and not as the advertisements tell us we need to. I’m sick of constantly being told that I need to buy more in order to stimulate the economy. Maybe the problem is that we were already buying too much. Maybe we were rewarding an economy that merely made us spend more but didn’t enrich our lives and this great economic failure is more a great correction of decades of decadent opulence.

I say “Here, here.”

Love,
Charlie

But I’m not so sure anymore.

It’s easier for me to say than I would have once imagined. Over my short life, I’ve made a science out of self-reflection and it’s integral to how I operate. I always make mistakes and have frequently said the wrong thing and frequently, to put it simply, not looked before I leapt. But I’ve almost always recognized that I was mistaken and tried to reconcile or do better the next time. For this reason, it amazing how difficult it is to fathom that other ways of doing things aren’t necessarily total collapses in reason, but could, quite possibly offer us the perfect solution to many of our problems.

We’ve been watching for decades as the experiment of capitalism has taken a fledgling democracy into a thriving and rich society for many. From America’s inception, the dreams of many a small farmer or immigrant to better themselves has been in full flourish. At first, the rules were simple, you find it, you claim it, you exploit it and you prosper. Capitalism had almost driven the buffalo from total existence while we moved west. Capitalism made many white landowners very rich on the backs of slaves. Capitalism drove the natives from the lands so that Americans could make better use of them. And in the more recent past, capitalism has continued to offer a certain level of prosperity for enough of us to remain docile, while there’s been a staggering accumulation of wealth by the few through oil, the military industrial complex, healthcare and the financial markets, just to mention a few. These few are the great scientists of capitalism and, have over many decades, built up their arsenals, in the form of congressional coffers, to effectively run government in their favor (on both sides of the aisle).

Surprisingly, this is in no way meant to be my way to dissuade from capitalism. I make my living in a free-market and am very happy that I’ve been given the opportunity to run my own business and make my own money and support myself through a system that rewards talent, diligence and ingenuity. Where I part ways with capitalism is when it begins to reward unbridled greed over the greater good for society. For example, The Supreme Court is currently debating a case that questions wether or not government can create legislation that makes it unlawful to sell videos of people crushing small, living animals with their feet for people’s viewing pleasure. The question for the court is wether or not this legislation would infringe on freedom of speech. The question for the producer of these videos, I assume, is more about being able to make money off of a defenseless animal’s agony and ultimate death.

I’m a bit stunned.

Is this as good as we can do as a society? Have we created a system that is so uncontrollable via greed, that we can’t recognize the inherent evil in it? Is it possible that many of the aforementioned industries have been so focused on filling their pockets with as much cash as possible, that they’ve neglected, even crushed and abused, the society that has made them possible?

It’s O.K. to recognize that we can do better. If that’s Socialism or Communism, then so be it, but I would be willing to bet that mixing in a bit of policy that was created to serve and protect the people that built this nation on their backs, was without a profit motive and recognized that privilege is not only for the few at the top might not be a bad thing for America.

It was a bit sad to wake up nine months later and realize that I had been dreaming.

In my naivete, I had neglected to see that the sharp dividing lines had merely been blurred for a moment by the exhaustion of a long campaign. Nonetheless, I felt motivated, rejuvenated and ready to get down to business. We had a depression to avert, a drunken financial system to regulate, a war to wind down and one to reassess and recommit to. There was a broken healthcare system, a crumbling infrastructure and a devastating addiction to oil that had America dealing in the back alleys of the world for another hit. Iran was threatening the world with nuclear war, schools had cut PhysEd and other curriculum because of underfunding, obesity ran rampant from a food chain built on a high calorie, low content menu; there was a a bit of mending fences with the world and, last but not least, there was taking back just a little bit of control from the corporatocracy that has slimed its way into every nook and cranny of our elected officials lives and voting records. In other words, our plates were full and we were finally going to change the world. We had all dreamed it from when we were wee pups, but now was our time to do it.

Shame on me for being so idealistic. Idiot. The real shame is that these last months have made me sour. I’m sick of it. I don’t feel beaten necessarily. i don’t feel defeated. I still have faith that many of the things I’ve pushed for will become reality, but I’ve lost a bit of faith in humans. I’ve been watching Ken Burn’s documentary series “The National Parks” recently. It’s been such a pleasant distraction. The constant, mindless and pompous chatter of pundits on both sides, the disrespectful, and hateful sneers and jeers from both political camps have finally taken their toll on me. I’ve been constantly asking myself if this is what I worked so hard for? Will waiting patiently for my fellow man to try to be better be a good use of my time? Or should I just tune out the noise and do what I know is best in hopes that the man yelling me down in a town hall will see what he’s done and try to reconcile? It would be the neighborly thing to do.

There’s got to be self-reflection, right? Everyone goes home in the evening, and eventually realizes that maybe they were a little emotional. Maybe things were said that reflected poorly on themselves and, maybe, just maybe, they feel a little guilty about those things. We eventually realize that, no matter our political objectives, respect is more important than any healthcare bill could ever be and that being quality human beings trumps all, right?

This is what I’m struggling with. Is this where we are as a culture? Has our own intolerant and spoiled wants trumped our basic principles of respect? Or are my thoughts being invaded by blatherers that are merely twisting my idea of reality? Are we still a good people, with the goal of advancing our society for a common good or are we turning into angry, greedy and self-centered society? Somebody please let me know. Because if it’s the latter, I’m headed into the woods. You can have at it.