The illusion of choice makes us feel in control, and gives direction for blame in times of failure, perceived or real. Just as all your cans of Del Monte come the same field the Kroger brand does, we are addicted to the illusion we are in charge of our own destiny. Now as so many things seem to be falling apart, we find ourselves face to face with global helplessness, and truth. They say you find out more about a person (or people) in bad times than you do in good. When the gloves are off, ones true capacity for evil surfaces.
Most of us don't really know who our real enemies are. Not that we don't know who doesn't like us, but those who quantified us each into a price point on a chart. Most of us have the same enemy, which is why we have (or had) a middle class. It is cliche to say our worst enemy resides within, but that doesn't make it untrue. Most of us resign early and never pursue riches and fame. Unless riches find us, this is how we will stay until we are motivated enough to buy our way out of redundancy. Not that our nemesis really matters, after all the enemy of your enemy is your friend, right? Both sides need you to have a job to continue the status quo.
I keep reading about how companies have lots of money, but just won't spend it. Won't hire people because they want a more stable economic outlook before they'll make that plunge. We (as our government), just gave many of them a mulligan, and this seemingly simple concept, is somehow lost in some bizarre equation that leads companies to not do recalls of products if the 'out of court' settlement amount is less than the cost of the recall. Oh goody. They deserve us, as we will all be on the same playing field soon. At some point in starvation, the value of paper money loses it's power. Now we're Russia after the cold war. Ok, a bit much, but the idea is not so far fetched on this path.
In that moment the short one runs into the office/bedroom and smiles. "What are you doing?" I ask gently. She only smiles bigger and climbs onto the bed, reaching for the sheet to pull over her and hide. I ask her, "Do you need help?".
"No.", she whispers with a smile.
Her mother called her from two rooms over. Much like a deer who hears a car, she stops, and looks away. "She said my name", she whispered again, while putting down the sheet to answer the call.
Sometimes a chaos break is necessary to keep you on your toes, I think. When all else seems to be falling apart, your vision becomes clearer concerning which has not fallen into bedlam. We all know something is wrong, but so many distractions keep us from seeing clearly. It is during these times that our collective conscience is more acute, and ready to make a leap in social political evolution. Fight or flight almost.
We could cut out the red tape and allow stupid actions and decisions to suffer the consequences, thereby removing large amounts of formalities and red tape, which prevent progress. Drug companies spend billions testing products to be approved ultimately, but invariably get sued, and the products stay on the shelves with hiked prices to compensate for the losses. Marijuana is illegal, and to my knowledge has never directly killed anyone. The FDA would not approve the usage of marijuana, but history says it is up to the user to accept consequences for usage. So far, to my knowledge, only those who imbibe other chemicals as well, have had bad reactions, and that is typically not due to the marijuana.
We create a platform for crime with intolerance. Controlled acceptance has at least the benefit of knowing who is getting what, and taxing it. Sex? Tax it and monitor it. Drugs, tax it and monitor it. Gambling, seeing a trend? People will do what they want, within social constraints. Some, without regard to these constraints, suddenly have no crutch or excuse to justify commit crimes. Drug wars are people wars, OVER drugs, not actually a war on drugs. Couldn't we deflate the value of black market vices, by making it easier to stop by a gas station and pick up a six pack and doobie? What would be the point of killing anyone over it? It would no longer hold a coveted value to the have not's. The entire war on drugs in Mexico could be avoided, and Mexico could increase their GDP. We won't do anything that forward thinking, however. Is it because we are tied into the UN, thus we have a moral code we must uphold to the world, or does it have more to do with the traditional excuse offered by Du Pont in the 1920's?
Doctors who give the best information they can in an effort to honor the oath they took somewhere before their degree, but we sue them. Not to open the who is at fault can of worms, since we all know someone else is to blame when things backfire. One thing we would gain, by not suing everyone when we drink bleach, or break chairs with our needlessly obese body's, or spill hot coffee on our laps, we could find the real issues. Clear away the obfuscating excuses that keep accountability in the fray.
the senate, voted on by us, has behaved poorly. What do we do about that? Vote locally. Without using democracy, we allow it to be purchased. Lobbyists, though this is a simplification, seem like legalized bribery. When we vote unscrupulous members of local committee's and official positions into office, the age old adage about absolute power corrupting absolutely seems unavoidable for some. Remove lobby-ism, and follow the system the founding fathers set up. Elected officials were not to make a career of their position, it creates a conflict of interest. Our fore fathers had companies, and continued to run their businesses in order to maintain their standard of living. Now politicians make a life style of jet-setting around the country with millions of dollars in funding paying their way to sleep in nice hotels, and eat nice food. They are celebrity's.
Sarah Palin came from no where* to become a political celebrity. Now she is the voice of someone, or something. How did this happen? How many people would pay for her wisdom? She was a parlor trick gone wrong, but now there is no stopping her. How many poor politicians do we have? How can they even begin to make choices for us, the expanding middle/lower class? Having legal issues does not make one a layman, it makes one a criminal. What makes any of these elected officials more deserving of a spot in congress than someone who works, lives, plays, spends, and relates with the general public? Many of them have long and illustrious careers navigating the quagmire of our political system. That knowledge alone is enough to know they are not who I want making decisions about daycare policies. Look at the democrat laden congress and tell me why they can't get anything done? Politicians have political things to do, and cannot be bothered with the details of a collapsing economy, would be my guess.
Thanks for all who read these. I apologize for not putting more time into making a better story, like I originally intended. I will leave you with the end of a $60 birthday for a 3 year old little girl for video.
*- Ok, Alaska isn't "no where", but few outside of Alaska knew who she was until she was tapped by McCain.