What's Going On?

Sing it Marvin.

Whenever I see a film about Nazi Germany or one of these countries in Africa where up is down and everyone is behaving like they live in a loony bin, it brings into focus what really counts on a macro level.

And that is one of the things we look at here (sometimes).

Germany's workings in the 1930's is a wonder in itself. It's easy to look back and pronounce Hitler insane, but remember, this is a whole modern country that embraced lies and distortions (and lived them out) for years.

These little nations in Africa, where neighbors are wiping out neighbors on a regular basis (in between starvation from droughts, etc.); we can rationalize this insanity all we want, smug that nothing like that can happen here.

Right?

I want to talk about levels of functionality. Sorry for sounding clinical, but that is the best word for it.

We like to interact with people who have it together, know what they want, care about fairness, and can guide their canoe down the middle of the river. These people don't get much attention in general, but god love 'em, they are the backbone of any family, community, or nation.

This is what I've liked about Obama, he gives thought-out answers to hard questions and not just some doctorinal spew. People that are attracted to that sort of being need to become the wave of change, not the wingnuts on T.V.

Let's look at the current state of our country. Who are the people getting the attention, making millions on their opinions, selling the books, etc? - Just the sort who might succeed at steering a quorum in a direction that could lead to a national insanity similar to what we've seen in the past.

I feel like I got a dose of that at the beginning of the Iraq invasion. Sorry, but I was very vocal and upset that my country was invading some small dictatorship on the other side of the world. This does not fit MY paradigm for what the United States is.

In a fit of patriotism, my fellow citizens fell right in line and the flag waving began.

Uttering descent in mixed company could lead to heated arguments, people withdrawing their children from your music school, or just a general avoidance of your company.

As a child, I remember this in the 60's when all the hoopla around our good work in Viet Nam began to fade. Anybody talking about peace was a dirty rotten traitor. Makes you wonder if there ever is any learning, or are we to just keep repeating the past?