Change America - The Pandemonium of Politics
by Susan Haley
‘Change America’ is the new hue and cry everywhere today. We see and hear it on the air waves, the television screens, the Internet, newsprint, and soon the sign litter will be inundating the store windows and roadways of the communities. “Change” is the new rage.
Following Barack Obama’s ‘stunning’ win in Iowa, all the candidates, affiliation not withstanding, leaped on the “change train”. For the purpose of thought food, I have no intention of biased imposition, here, I decided to address the political issues as a service to ‘my fellow Americans’ as it seems all the political pundits are beleaguered with the massive undertaking of analyzing whether Hillary cried when she couldnt’ve, or Obama smirked when he shouldnt’ve, and do Nevada’s culinary workers carry more clout than Nevada’s teachers? My desire is but to offer encouragement for all citizens to carefully think things through as we are battered and barraged with more information than NASA is collecting from all of the Space probes. Take time to visualize some ‘big pictures’ that will develop well after the headlines have faded into the latest “breaking news” story. Hillary elected on basis of cleavage alone! Or, McCain was deemed too old to wage war! Obama (insert Romney/Huckabee/Guliani) sheds doubts cast by devotion to Islam/Mormonism/Gawwd/Pope and wins amidst the rousing clamor of “We want Change!” Course, not to worry, I’ve just been informed that the Diebolt voting machines have everything under control. I’ll be glad when these pressing issues are decided so I can get back to less important trivia such as out of control federal debt, a crashing economy, Global warming, Middle East revolt, and invasion of the Yellow Dragon into our banking systems and toys!
With the Planet in a state of peril (if anyone viewed the recent CNN Documentary) it seems a bit moot for those imploring for the privilege of ‘leading us to ‘change’ to promise they will institute a vigorous healthcare system with affordable services to all, a balanced budget, and world peace on their ‘first day in the oval office’. But a vigorous energy program reducing emissions by 80% by 2050?? That’s the big one! By then, most of us will be soaring in greener pastures ‘elsewhere’ and the small pockets of our descendants who’ve survived the wars, unemployment, rebellions and revolts, Jihads, Christian soldiers marching to war for family values, droughts, food shortages, and the floods will have returned to tribal rule and survival of the fittest! Oh yeah, full circle, boomerang, what goes around comes around justice, folks!
I was brought to a semblance of attention, however, during the last round of debates on the eve before the ridiculous ‘no delegates awarded’ Michigan primary. (I love it – fiscal responsibility at its best, the state at the bottom of the economic barrel pays to run an election that awards no delegates in the archaic electoral college system) Anyway, I digress, my attention was somewhat grabbed when one of the candidates actually had the audacity to suggest a bit of ‘personal responsibility’, parent involvement, and belt tightening by the citizenry to stave off environmental, educational, and fiscal disaster. Is he nuts? Give up creature comforts for a bit of energy independence, knowledge, solvency, and maybe save a tree, too? Who needs trees anyway since the birds and bees are disappearing? Did he, this young whippersnapper with no experience, forget how many years we’ve worked and labored to develop this addiction to the finer things in life? We’ve strived diligently to rise from a ‘chicken in every pot’ to a cell phone/ipod/text- messager/multitasking/satellite-radio at every ear! Who needs a quality, parent-involved education with a hand-held computer balancing the joy stick in every kid’s fists. Parents are busy picking up dinner at Boston Market or McDonalds, for Pete’s sake! But, I digress. Again. . . . (must go with the job of reporting the issues)
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Allow me to close, with a bit of serious thought food to ponder. There are crucial issues facing us in these times. Not just domestic, but Universal, as in Cosmic. The Powers that Be and the Planet don’t recognize our man-made borders and nations, our man-made doctrines and dogma. When a rain forest is devastated in the Amazon valley, the drought spreads world wide. When a river is polluted and an ocean poisoned, it affects everyone. When a species is annihilated for human consumption or expansion, the balance of Nature is violated. When spending beyond our means, lust, greed, power, and profits are elevated over a healthy, productive environment and a financially sound and energetic work force, recession, depression, then collapse, is inevitable. When irresponsibility breeds broken systems and broken families, poverty and dysfunction is invited. When the populace looks to the government for every provision, ingenuity is lost. When a government looks to war then bolsters it with fear, anarchy results. When religion looks to suppression for credence and predominance, disaster prevails.
I’d urge everyone to invoke clear, critical thinking in these events and elections facing us. Vote your conscience, not your wallet or your ego. Separate the chafe from the wheat, look beyond the next term, the next unkeepable promise, the endless rhetoric of the politicians and the media, and think long and hard about life on this Orb ten years from now. If that doesn’t work, look to the past, the distant past, and the powerful empires that fell to these same attitudes and dilemmas that seem so innate in humanity. To ages, cultures, and species long since extinct. I wrote somewhere in one of my books . . . ‘the Planet will survive with us or without us’. But, it’s a painful trip down when we’re supposed to be evolving and ascending to new horizons of intellect and function.
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Susan Haley resides and works in Sarasota on the Gulf Coast of Florida. She is supporter of the Fox&Quill by generously providing articles and poems for our enjoyment. |
Susan is a fine author and her book "Rainy Day People" can be seen on her website at: Sucarha.com. Susan is also a fine poet. Check out the article index for 2007 Fox&Quill issues. Now get out there and vote!
Thanks Susan for the essay... John Wolf
