Pearls of Wisdom and Foolish Mutterings

A Country at Half Mast

It’s all heating up again and no matter where you turn, people are getting really snippy and confrontational. Yes, I’m talking about the political arena. The 2012 elections are bearing down on us and there seems to be no escape from the constant chitter-chatter and sniping back and forth. It’s enough to make man or woman wish for a remote control to fast-forward through all the impending mayhem.

Just so we all know where I stand on this matter before I take off on this rant, allow me to state unequivocally that I am not excited about ANY – I repeat, ANY – of the choices looming before us. Nay, nay. I am downright fed-up, disappointed and ready to wash my hands of the entire mess. And what a mess it is. Yes, indeed, and not a fine mess either. No, this is a mess of epic proportions, the likes of which have not been seen since the Great Depression. A muddy, sloppy, scary, monstrous mess.

From my perch here on the mountain-top of myopic self-interest, (and don’t give me that hairy eyeball, either; like you don’t sit on the very same perch) what I see looks a lot like a recipe for certain disaster. I don’t know about you, but my mother always taught me to take responsibility when I broke something. Fess up and make it right, she always said. Frankly, I can’t remember the last time one of our illustrious politicians (who are charged with representing the people who voted them into office and with working for the common good of the people) stood his ground and said, “The buck stops here. I broke it, or helped break it, or maybe didn’t even break it, but I’m here to fix it. No more blame game, no more political spin, no more jockeying for position. I’m here to roll up my sleeves and get to work on solving this problem.”

You can’t remember the last time either, can you? Of course you can’t, because it hasn’t happened any time in recent memory. Now, let’s name a few names, just to make it interesting. President Barack–hope and change-Obama. His rallying cry has been that he inherited this economy from President George Bush. Fine, great, no problem. But almost three years later, I don’t think anyone could successfully argue that the country has experienced any hope; a lot of change, sure, but hope? Not so much. So, when does Obama plan to step up and own this economy?

Next name: former President George Bush. I made the statement once that Bush spent us into oblivion. Obviously I completely underestimated what that term actually entailed. I do believe we’re seeing it now.

Another name: Tea-Partiers – words almost fail me. Do we really need another extremist political group wreaking havoc in the middle of the most unstable political and economic arena that the majority of us have ever experienced?

Where are the men and women who are willing to go against the surging tide of Us vs. Them and find a way to cobble together viable solutions? Where are those who truly want to see this country be great again; enough so that they will put aside personal ambitions and personal gain to forge a path through the wilderness in which we now find ourselves? Can the US even produce that kind of public servant anymore? I question whether that is even a possibility.

And that, my friends, scares the living daylights out of me.