I go to Twitter to try to catch up on the latest gossip and news around the web. It’s only one of several sources I frequent but too often it is becoming a waste of time.
Granted I do still learn a few things. Most of the time I just end up shaking my head at the ridiculous comments and ideas being tossed around out there. Still, it is entertaining.
I have now reached that ‘certain’ age where I can no longer be surprised at the idiocy and the ignorance of many of my fellow citizens. Twitter and the anonymity of the internet in general have been instrumental in allowing these two flaws of humankind to grow exponentially.
But it’s the short sightedness and unnecessary meanness that truly blows me away.
America is over 230 years old. While we are a young nation compared to almost all other countries, we are still experienced enough in how to run a country to know better than to do a lot of the things our representatives are doing. Hell, we have a track record that proves this nation knows how to be the most powerful country in the world. And I’m not just talking about military power.
We have been the leader in pretty much every arena we have ever been involved in. That is until the last 30-40 years.
People, we are losing it big time.
Our politicians, our corporate leaders, our mentors, are all quickly becoming second and third rate compared to the rest of the world. We are really only very good at one thing, we can blow the hell out of anyone and anything with a precision and ferocity that would make any military figure in history proud.
I personally, don’t think this achievement is much to be proud of. Now, I’m not putting down the men and women who serve our country. Many in are in the position they are in because there are no jobs in the US and the military was truly the only option they had. I know, I was once one of them. I back them all 100% in the task they have been trained to do. I truly wish the world was a place where military was not needed at all for any country. But that is a dream that will never come true.
The bottom line is that the United States is not number one in anything that really matters anymore. And it is a direct result of the American people. Honestly, we cannot blame anyone else for ending up in the situation we find ourselves in today.
Looking at the United States as a whole: we don’t have the class we used to have. We don’t have the pride we used to have. We don’t have what it takes to pull together as one nation to defeat our enemies. Our politicians have become a bunch of finger-pointing, ass-covering, second-guessers, who have dragged this once great nation to the brink of ruin.
Look at the economic situation we find ourselves in, our credit rating has fallen from the very top, pristine, most coveted position anyone can aspire to. Democrats and Republicans blame each other for our inability to hold on to this position. Citizens align themselves with one party of the other, step in line with the party rhetoric and draw battle lines. All of this finger pointing and condemnation consumes almost every tweet on twitter and every comment on every political webpage and blog.
We as a nation have a long history of having faced the same problems we face today and no one seems to want to look at the solutions that got us through those. Our leaders and representatives place more importance on posturing themselves for the next election, not so they can altruistically ‘better serve’ this nation, but so they can keep, what has turned out to be for many, the most lucrative financial position of their lives. The welfare of this nation and its citizens, it’s taxpayers, are no longer their number one priority.
The many problems this nation faces did not start with the most recent presidential election. All of these problems were present on inauguration day. Likewise, these problems existed on the previous inauguration day, and the one before that.
The many problems this nation faces become more and more compounded with each new president instead of being worked out. Yet many members of the political party that does not hold the presidential office will tell you in a heartbeat that it all started with the current president.
As I said, this nation has enough experience that we should be able to pull a solution out of the history books for every problem we face. And if Washington truly cared about the direction this nation is taking these problems would not be as daunting as they are.
We are a very stubborn nation. We are too accustomed to being number one in everything even despite the fact that every close examination of our position proves we have not been number one for a very long time.
I call it pride that prevents us from toning down our unsupportable lifestyle. I call it stubbornness that prevents us from reversing the destructive trend of always raising prices for every product in an attempt to make more money. We can prevent our downward economic spiral by declaring a moratorium on price increases, job wages, benefits packages, etc.
Sustained and collective sacrifice by all Americans will go a long way to reinforcing our foundation so that this nation can become solid again.
It is necessary for the sake and sanity of every member of this nation. We are all in this together. It is up to each and every one of us to get in our heads that saving this country is worth it and that it all begins with each of us.
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