THIS WORK, POLITICS & ANGST

Commentary #031

September 14, 2008

 

Those of you here in the USA or those closely associated with this part of the world know that the U.S. population is in the throws every four years of trying to determine who the next USA President will be. Many of you around the world probably could care less. On the other hand, if some of you do follow our election processes to any extent, I can only imagine what you must think of this American population, our media, our leaders, and all the incredible relentless manipulations and misdirections.

I have never had the slightest interest in being in politics but, as I do in many things, I do have an interest in following it and have done so for decades. Don't worry, I'm not going to identify names or attempt to support or cut down anyone here. What I am going to do though is make a few observations and put my two cents in just a little from the reaction and feelings point of view.

Not that I'm an example of much of anything myself but even I am appalled at the low base level to which this proud country of my origins has sunk. Expediency, mediocrity and mendacity reign supreme along with extremely shallow fluff social behavior as well as greed and self interest prevalent everywhere and where truth has little place. It has become so bad that a presidential candidate for example cannot and will not take a stand on real issues for fear of the very real risk of offending and alienating too many voters in the public who are perceived as not wanting to hear about unpleasantness or deal with it.

Many of you even now would prefer that someone like me not delve into this subject matter and for many that likely has a lot to do with the fact that we really don't want to hear about it. However, the fact is that politics has a direct impact this space exploration subject matter and the secrecy that surrounds it in a big way. Further, it has a negative emotional impact on someone like me trying to hang in there and do the right thing as I see it.

As just one example this country is up to its eyeballs in and has settled down to the bottom of the deep end in debt to the tune of well over 9 trillion dollars as seen here at one of the rapidly climbing National Debt Clocks (slow loading) that is impossible for the current generation to pay off and will be nearly impossible for future multiple generations to pay off. Yet, no one will talk about that as though it is a big secret and will mention it only briefly in passing to the tune of just a few billion dollars of debt as though not mentioning the real larger debt and that misdirection will make it and the crummy legacy to our children all go away. Further, a huge bulk of that real debt is owed to countries that historically may not have this nation's health and welfare in mind.

Meanwhile, presidential candidates are talking about what they're going to provide for various segments of the population, which means big additional spending no matter how one colors it or which side delivers, just as though that impossible debt isn't there and just as though we had the money to spend without digging the hole we're in more impossibly deeper. It reminds me of my first trainer in the insurance claims handling field. He was an old guy (now I'm the old guy) just about to retire telling me humorously to "just hold them to their demands." Fortunately, I understood his dry humor.

A country is no different than an individual, it just will not work in the longer haul if you don't live within your financial means because severe consequences are certain and pretending otherwise is destructive as can be. There are many exceptions but the American general public too often just floats along and herds in behind the most basic simplistic concepts that they do prefer to hear about. Candidates must pander to this preference psychology in order to have a chance at getting elected. Once elected, they've made so many compromises and false promises along the way that essential ethics, values and performance have long ago been sold down the river and are never going to happen when faced with the impossible realities.

This same principle applies to electing the many congressional leaders as well. There are exceptions but for the most part they are the biggest bunch of do as little as possible people that follow their self interest and ignore the welfare of this country and its people even while giving lip service to serving. Worse the people let them get away with it so that inequity breeds yet more inequity due to lack of consequences. Therefore it can come as no surprise that manipulation and misdirection dominate the electoral processes deciding the fate of a great nation and afterwards everyone congratulates themselves on a job well done regardless of any inconvenient truths.

Frankly it is sickening and here I am trying to bring some ultra important planetary truth and awareness of a greater environment into this mix. I have to ask myself who is it that wants any of this? Certainly not the mainstream general public now conditioned so deeply into carrying only about shallow social issues like Paris Hilton and BFFs of the moment, etc. When this public election process starts unfolding here in the USA, I always come around to asking myself why in the world am I trying to do this? Further, why would anyone else out there in the greater environment want to eventually fool with us? It is very hard not to become disillusioned.

Then I have to remind myself that it is going to happen anyway whether I do anything or not. Ultimately, change is primarily driven by the general forces of advancing technology, not just something like this work. This work is itself just a symptom of it. Further, there are those of you out there that are independent thinkers prepared to forge ahead into change and this work has a responsibility to you as well. Finally, there is a chance that this work can make the landing softer for all than it might otherwise be.

So there it is, this work and my occasional angst once again brought on by constant reminders of the typical incredibly sorry USA national election process and its multitude of crummy sickening manipulations and pretense. Let's face it, doing this is not easy but, hey, after all I'm only human.....well.....uh.....aren't I.