Virginia Advanced Medical Directive

This clip is a bit worrisome, and reassuring at the same time. To recognize that much of the adamant opposition to healthcare reform is uninformed and rooted in something else makes this newly enacted law even more important. Maybe, just maybe, after the smoke has cleared, some who blindly followed the dishonest rhetoric of many of the people who claim to represent them will realize that they were the ones being led down a false path and will reconsider their alligiances…

What should get people’s asses off the couch are all the other reasons.

Let’s pretend global warming or “climate change” is simply a motivational item—perhaps a giant American flag floating above one of our greatest cities while the camera slowly pans by. What a beautiful sight that is. It represents independence and self-reliance. It represents power and prestige. It truly represents what all Americans hope for our country and often perceive it to be.

Unfortunately, being a beacon requires constant reassessment and soul-searching and we, as Americans, have a terrible time with this bit.

Right now we consume 20,680,000 barrels of oil a day. That’s 66% of America’s oil being imported from foreign countries. As oil goes, we’re dependent, not independent. One way to fix this, is to invest in serious alternative energies. Build solar, wind, hydro and nuclear and begin to phase out coal and oil.

On another note, when we consume so much oil from foreign countries, we are effectively not only dependent on, but beholden to, foreign countries. Our addiction makes us much less safe because without foreign oil, our country would grind to a halt. No oil to run our cars, trains, or planes. No oil to run our military. Take a second to ask yourself, what do we do when the oil that we depend on is in the hands of our enemy? You could reckon back to the Iraq war and realize that we’ve already explored what we’d do. It’s an unfortunate reality to continuing to be the most powerful economy in the world.

These oil reserves are quickly being lapped up by other developing countries who have many, many more consumers than we could ever imagine. It’s only a matter a time before we are faced with a market that is unsustainable. There will simply be too much demand with a finite supply. We should start considering the consequences now, because if we don’t, we face being consumed ourselves.

I love being American. I love the freedom that I have and I recognize that I’m fortunate to have been born here. But being born in a great country does not give Americans the right to think that greatness is a God endowed right. Greatness is built and sustained by smart, forward-thinking, dare I say, progressive agendas. Simply sitting back our laurels and depending on WWII victories as a ticket to an unending splendor, is delusional. Right now we need to be making ourselves the true independent people that we see ourselves as. Right now, we need to focus on what it is that we need and how to best provide it for ourselves. Alternative energy infrastructure could easily shift us from a consumer driven society by building a new foundation for America’s working class producers. This and, of course, the fact that we would no longer be begging for our next black, slimy, grimy meal.

It must be so easy to rail against big government and taxes and effectively kick the serious issues that face this country down the road. Anyone could win if they promised over and over again to give you all the candy that you wanted for free. It’s an affliction that seems to be quintessentially American. “If I want to eat as much as I want, I will, and no one but me will suffer…me and the tax payers that will end up paying for my Medicare bills when I’m bed ridden with heart disease. If I want to drive the biggest car I can and I will, no matter the origin of the oil that fuels it and the inability to provide that fuel for myself.” Aren’t Republicans all about self-reliance? If so, wouldn’t it figure that energy bills that help to make America more self-reliant would be a great thing? Or are corporate profits more important than the difficult task of building a strong country with a sustainable healthcare system, a self-reliant energy grid, a military and inclusive social fabric.

That is unless they really don’t believe the things that their entire platform is built on. It seems to me that there are many smart people in the Republican party. Smart enough to recognize that most people are sheep and are easily manipulated. It takes a true coward to twist trusting people’s thoughts and feelings into passionate ignorance. It takes real guts to make the hard decisions that are absolutely necessary for a sustainable future. We’re a very myopic bunch. We want what we want and we’re used to getting what we want at the speed of light. That’s why the idea of less taxes makes us shake with anticipation, but also keeps us from the reality that huge, unnecessary wars, tax cuts that wipe out revenues, out-of-control military spending, a failing healthcare system all begin to take their toll on American education, economy and security. I’d be willing to bet if Republicans had not done some of the unsustainable things that they’ve done over the last 30 years, we’d not be being strangled by a powerful and ever-growing China.

Why take on the tough decisions when it’s easier to rot America’s teeth slowly with loads and loads of candy that tastes great but, in the long run, leave you sucking on a straw and licking the wounds your once powerful self.

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.