02 January 2011

Another year, another mess

Well, it is a new year folks. Yep, old 2010 is gone. Welcome 2011. 
Big deal. Yeah, I know, where is they "happy new year" from the old cynic? Well, what is there to be so happy about? We are still stuck in endless damn fool wars of choice with the very real prospect of more endless damn fool wars to come. The economy is still in the dumps. 
Oh there has been a bit of "good" news of late. Since I now have had TV since late May, I catch a bit of what now passes for "news" on the tube every so often. According to one "news" item a few days ago, we should all be happy as the new jobless claims are down. Well of course the new claims are down, there are so few who have any jobs now. Most businesses have cut their staff to the bare minimum so that means fewer folks still employed and fewer to be laid off or fired. Just wait a week or two, those temp jobs to get through the "holiday" shopping season will be unemployed so the new claims will go up soon.
Oh yeah, Gobomber gave a "new years" speech where he claims he will now be working for the "middle class" this year. Oh joy, where the hell was he the last two years? Working for the rich? Well, he sure aided them getting a totally un-needed tax break. Oh joy. I see where some of the "left" are over joyed at the speech and are saying things like "here is the president we voted for". Sure, just count me a skeptic. I'll believe that he is working for the real people when I see some serious actions. I remember being told many times as a kid that actions speak louder than words. I will hold Gobomber to that same standard. 
How am I to be expected to seriously think he is now for the working class? The elephant gang now has control of the House. When dear leader had large majorities in BOTH houses of Congress, neither he nor his own party managed to get anything worth while passed. Where is a decent national health care program? Not in America. 
How many of the banksters who caused a global economic melt down are even charged with any crimes? Only in Russia, where Mikhail Khodorkovsky has been sentenced to serious jail time. It seems that the Russians are the only folks who have the guts to go after the banksters and other super rich crooks. On the subject of high level criminals, when will we see any investigations into the war crimes of Shrubbie and his administrations?  Best not hold your breath waiting for that to happen. Remember, Gobomber said he doesn't like to "look back". Yeah, just let those who are guilty go free, no trial, hell, not even a charge nor an investigation. And yet we really think the country can recover without this? Somebody explain to me how this country can ever seriously recover if we allow criminals to go free. this sure blows what I was taught as a kid out of the water. I was taught that you had to pay for your crimes. Now it seems that if you have a high enough rank, you do not have to even admit to any crime, let alone get punished for the crimes you commit. America, what a country.
When we allow those in a high ranking position to escape any punishment, any investigation, we send a message to the world. We even send that message to our own people, if you have any power, you can get away with anything. Wow, what sort of morality is this? Some lessons we are "teaching" to our children. And still, a large number of Americans keep telling me that this is a "Christian nation"?  Yeah, well, it looks like I will continue to be a heathen/pagan then. 
I'd really like to be able to sit here and write about how this new year will be so much better than last year was. I'd seriously like to believe that. Well, I do not live in a fantasy, I live in the real world and the new year does NOT look so grand. It looks like more of the same old bull crap that we have had since the days of "saint" Ronnie of Raygun. And by the way, this year marks the 100th birthday of the dear sainted Ron. Yep, I caught that bit on some web site early today. No doubt we will be bombarded with a flood of programs telling us how "great" a man the guy was. What a "great" president he was. Sure, he WAS our very first acting president is what he was. End of story. During his time in office, the country really started the downhill run we have been on ever since. Thanks loads there Ron. I mis the guy like I miss the plague, not at all. 
The only bright spot regards Ron is that his birthday is in early February so maybe we will not have to endure much of the crap about him after early March, I hope. 
How could 2011 be better than 2010? Well, for starters, Gobomber could pull ALL troops AND mercenaries out of Iraq. Yeah, I know, he pulled the "combat" troops out last year. Big deal. "We" still have over 50,000 troops plus many more mercenaries (aka contractors) still in Iraq. Speaking of which, the new prime minister wants all our troops gone by the end of this year. No doubt Gobomber will find at least one excuse why that cannot happen. Bets are that they already have a few on hand now. Got to be prepared you know. Yep, smoke and mirrors. Some things never change, like government lying. Yeah.
Funny, the environment is a mess. The economy is in the toilet, we have no decent health care. All these are as they are because we have no money for those things. And yet, "we" always seem to find plenty of money for damn fool, useless wars of choice. 
Well, there isn't much profit in a decent national health care system.  There is no profit in schools that teach our children to be critical thinkers. There is no profit in cleaning the environment. There is no profit in decent unemployment benefits. Ah, but there IS big time profit in war. Huge profits indeed. Just grab a copy of War is a racket by old Smedley Butler. Now, he was talking about the profits made by various businesses in World War One.  Even the companies that made socks and under wear made money. Well, sure, those troops need clothing. And food, and vehicles and all sorts of tools, blankets etc. The list goes on and on. War is big business and until we figure a way to take the profits out of war, we will, unfortunately, have more wars. And yet, some folks still tell me that America  is a "Christian nation".  Yeah, "we" sure do follow that commandment to "love your neighbor as yourself" don't we? 
I honestly do think that if each of us would try and treat everybody else as we want to be treated, that we can make a difference. Just give it a shot. Next time you go out, any where at all, just try it. Treat all you come in contact with the way you would like them to treat you. No, there won't be a great uplifting, no flash of light, no clap of thunder. Nope, no "special" effects at all. But, maybe, just maybe, you might feel a bit better for it. Hey, you might even make some other person feel a bit better also.
I keep reading different comments on various sites. Some folks are looking for a "magic bullet" or something to change the world. Some think we need a new leader, a new Gandhi or some such. I don't buy that. WE are the change that we are looking for. It has to start with each of us. True, nothing much will change any time soon, but if we all just try, it could be a nicer place for all of us. Maybe I am totally wrong here, but I refuse to be completely negative.  Yes, I am very cynical and very sarcastic at times. Still, I think that each of us has the ability to make this a better place for all. It won't be easy. Not everybody will respond positively, but don't quit. Hell, failin' Palin is a quitter.  
Have the best possible year you can have.
p.s. Please stop by a blog I found. I think you may like it. It is "Dangerous Creation". The blog is by David G. and he really has much worth reading. The link is in the link section on the right side of this blog.
semper fi

8 comments:

gesneri said...

Hey, happy new year, Charlie. Your comments about ours being a "Christian" nation made me remember something I read recently: "You don't become a Christian by sitting in church any more than you become a car by sitting in a garage." Whole lot of church-going so-called holy people need to think about whether their god would be happy about the things being done in his name by their country.

charlie ehlen said...

gesneri,
Happy New Year to you.
Those folks you mention are the ones I call xtians. They go to church as a social club, not for the message to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".
That is not an exclusive idea to any particular church/religion either. It is a part of many different creeds/philosophies/religions. Even the old pagan peoples.
Funny how few actually even try to live according to the teachings.

Tao Dao Man said...

Happy "Next" Year my friend.
It's gonna be one hell of a ride.
Fasten your seat belts.

Mike Whitney said...

Hi Charlie,

Happy Festivus.

I like your idea of trying "Do unto others"....

I just hope it catches on...

We've really gotten ourselves into a fix, haven't we? This mess is really too big for any politician to clean up (even if Obama was sincere about change--which he isn't)

I hate to say it, but it's going to take grassroots movements and a a lot of time to get back on track...and I don't see any sign that that's about to happen.

Maybe we'll see the first glimmer of light in the new year. I bloody well hope so!

David G. said...

Hey, Charlie, nice of you to mention my blog.

If we could get a number of blogs working in with each other we might have more impact. And there's safety in numbers in an increasingly right-wing world!

With the Rethugs holding power in the Congress, the U.S. will take another step backwards. Soon it will be the most backward country on the planet.

charlie ehlen said...

Mike,
Thank you for your comments.
It will take a real grass roots effort to make any difference. Once it gets going, we have to make sure it doesn't get co-opted by the powers that be. The "tea party" could have been useful, but they were taken over by big money and turned into a monster. Typical of the "too big top fail" gang. All they know is monsters.
O would like to see everybody giving the "do unto others" take off. It isn't hard to do and it can make this a nicer world.
Sure, it will take time, but I think it is worth the time and effort.
David,
Thank you sir.
Good idea, have a group of blogs working toward the same goal. I think that would be a good idea and I am willing to try. I linked to your blog as I think we see things in a similar way. We want a better world for all.
We are in for a long bumpy ride here in the USA for sure. The rest of the world also, if things keep on the way they have been lately.
Whatever we can do to make the world nicer, I think we owe it to ourselves, at least, to try.

Anonymous said...

Happy New Year Charlie! It's great to find a real person out there. Nice to find your blog.

My Christ wore simple garb and his cathedral was the stars and sun of the desert. He taught us in cruel times that God is a loving Creator. The Romans - ahem - the Vatican - and the crowds of people killed him and they would have to kill him again if he showed up because He would rain on their gilded parade.
Second Coming sounds too much like a magic show which I leave up to the illuminati.

This is where the division bell sounds for me. I believe and yet I just can't seem to get into a church.
I am way too much of an Earth loving pagan type to feel guilty either!

Good Planets are hard to find.

With any luck we will stay in harmony on this one.

Grace

charlie ehlen said...

Anon,
Welcome to my small corner.
HAppy New Year to you also.
I agree that just being a decent human being is all any of us need to do. If you feel comfortable in a church, go for it. If not, just join those of us who no longer belong to or follow any religion.
I agree about the Christ and his cathedral that you mentioned. What better place of worship can one have besides the natural world around us? Go to the mountains, the forest, even the desert and you have the best ever. No need for fancy buildings and colorful windows. Just get out into nature and you have what we could never build. Just be respectful of the other living critters around you.
The second coming does seem a bit like magic or maybe like waiting for Santa Claus.
This planet is all we have. We had best take good care of it. While we have not done so, we best get started doing so or we will be very sorry.
If we ruin the earth, there is only us to blame, no "devils" or "demons", WE have made the world what it is.
Personal responsibility. Yeah, I know, that isn't the "pc" thing to say. Well, I think it is what we need.