I did not watch the State of the Union Address (SUA), for two reasons: I can't stand the pomp(ous) and circumstance of the congress standing and clapping repeatedly, for one; also, Southland was on. If you are not familiar with Southland (airs at 10pm eastern on TNT, Tuesday) then I suggest you become familiar with it. Unless you do not like police dramas, or graphic language and realistic situational violence, in which case do not watch. It is like watching COPS, but with the television edit turned off. The character development has been fantastic and the story lines are gripping. If you want to feel what you are watching, watch Southland. Last night's episode was out of control. That's all I'll say.
So I didn't watch the SUA, but I have read the transcript today. I can understand it better if I read it myself. Maybe. So I have read it and now I will make observations and commentary. Before I do I feel the need to express my total distaste for the television commentators. I hate the "us and them" speak, but they really are something different than me in some situations. I don't want to hear hate speech, but that's all that gets televised these days. It comes from the politicians, it comes from the journalists, and it comes from the opinion commentators. Every channel, every medium, every person. So why not me, too? I hope people don't hear me the same way I hear the commentators I'm referring to. I hope that I am speaking more from a common sense stand point that most decent people will understand. I don't think I am an elitist, I hope I am not. Elitism is what I'm griping against. To my "us," the elitists are the "they."
And this leads directly into my first observation from the SUA:
"Tucson reminded us that no matter who we are or where we come from, each
of us is a part of something greater – something more consequential than party
or political preference."
Really? That's what the shooting in Tucson a few weeks ago means? We didn't realize that already? It took multiple murders to remind us that we are all in this together, that we are all humans and connected? Maybe for you and your friends, President Obama, but not for me. It didn't take people dying to remind me that I am more than just part of a political ideology or party. It saddens me that there may be people who really did need a tragedy to remind them about this. Saddens and sickens. The only consolation is that if it truly has made an impact on people, and his saying this isn't just more of the same hate speak, then perhaps we'll start to see some changes for the better in our country. Changes where people are treated like people.
A lot of attention has been given to the fact that the Congress members were going to sit together, meaning, not in groups by political affiliation. Congratulations Congress! You have reached a pre-school level of learning to sit next to someone you disagree with. It's too bad it took the death of 6 people and physical injury to 14 others, along with the emotional trauma suffered by many others, in order to have Congress learn to sit next to someone they disagree with. In my opinion, the saddest part of all is that the attention is focused only on one, an elected official, when so many have been affected. She is one, a public servant, a representative. And don't try to argue that talking about her is a representation of the reverence for all of the victims, don't try to argue that because we know that isn't the case. The elitists are taking care of their own. They are sensationalizing to get the most attention. I don't think it is money they are after, although they are getting that along the way as well. No, it isn't money, but attention and control.
I notice the mention of the tax cuts that will put more money in the pockets of working Americans this year. Wasn't half of the government opposed to passing those cuts until they realized they were in jeopardy of being voted out of their jobs? Well, it is "we" that passed it now, or from our perspective, "them." But the economy is on the climb, the recession has been broken. The stocks are rising and corporations are making profits, but I still don't see people finding jobs.
"America still has the largest, most prosperous economy in the world. No
workers are more productive than ours. No country has more successful
companies, or grants more patents to inventors and entrepreneurs."
While this may be true, I'm still seeing "made in China" on a lot of my stuff. Prosperity to me means being beyond debt. To prosper is to earn above what is needed to simply survive. It is more than the bare necessities. Prosperity is more than. Debt is less than. Aren't we in immense debt as a nation? Let's say my friends all earn $50,000 a year. Somehow I get a bank loan for $100,000. Am I now more prosperous than my friends? I can show a larger stack of cash, but is it really mine? Am I prosperous?
Since when was the future a competition? Why do we need to out-do everyone else? We don't need to take advantage of our brother to get ahead in life. More elitist thinking. One person doesn't need to fail in order for another person to succeed. I guess when your life is politics and your financial welfare rests on races and winning you develop a certain mentality. Let me tell you, real jobs don't involve winning or losing them. Either you are able to do the job or you are not. If you can do it, and you get the opportunity, then you do it. If you can't do it, then you find something you can do. Not in politics, you race and you win. So you train harder and buy better exercise tools and fancy coaches. Figuratively speaking. Other countries of the world don't need to fail or lose just so that we can succeed. I'm not a supporter of one-world-order, I think cultural differences necessitate separate borders, but that isn't to say we can't work together in a spirit of love and peace. Key words there being "work together."
Did you catch when he mentioned space? In case you don't know, I think space exploration is unnecessary. Millions of people are without food, homes, personal safety, but so what? Let's go to space. Does anyone else think that, perhaps, if we were to cut out the extras then there would be enough for the essentials? Maybe if we left governance to people and communities there would be more resources to survive? When the country was full of people succeeding and failing based on their own merit, there was freedom and success. When it became the tail to a power-hungry head the freedom and success was lost. If you are walking along the road and a motorist (good word, eh?) stops to offer a ride, make sure you know where they are going before you get into their vehicle. I think there is a faction driving this country and they aren't concerned where the majority of the people want to go. Despite our pleas for them to just pull over and let us out, they keep driving. But we'd gladly walk the rest of the way to our destination, whatever the cost, because it means we'll get closer to where we want to go, even if we don't make it, we'll get closer to where we want to go than if we stay in the backseat of their joy-ride.
The government should never be the starting point for innovation. They should not be the venture capitalists for start-up businesses. But they are. And that is a problem. As a side bar from my railing on the President and his cute speech, I give you this:
"And so the question is whether all of us – as citizens, and as parents – are
willing to do what's necessary to give every child a chance to succeed. That
responsibility begins not in our classrooms, but in our homes and communities.
It's family that first instills the love of learning in a child."
Hey! I agree! The responsibility to teach children does not begin in the classroom, it begins in the home. I'll add that it does not belong to the classroom much at all. Parents and family should, yes, I am saying should, shape the child. If you take the steps necessary to create life it is your responsibility to provide the best you can for that child. If you don't like that, ask God about it. Think about the science fiction movies and comic book stories. The creators of monsters and killer robots are always responsible. If you create life you have a responsibility to teach that life how to live. Granted, there is agency. After all, God created us and yet we do some pretty horrible stuff. He still has a responsibility to teach us, and he fulfills it perfectly, if we are willing to seek out and hear it. That doesn't mean going to church, it means praying and honestly listening. He doesn't out source his responsibility of being our father to someone else, so why should we outsource our being parents to the schools? I think the primary objective ought to be to allow for no child to say "I didn't know." They should be taught and allowed to choose, but they should be taught. You are right, there is no way to teach that all before they start kindergarten. Well, who says kids should start school when they are 5? Who says formal education as it stands now is the best way to go?
Why do all of the debates need to be difficult and take time? Why can't anyone get over themselves long enough to think about what makes sense and works to serve the people the best? We are making it harder than it has to be.
You can't fly an airplane that doesn't have an engine. Without an engine it won't get off the ground. I don't get the analogy. Whoever wrote that line needs to take advantage of the tuition tax credits and do some studying. Petty? You bet!
O, taxes! What is so hard about simplifying taxes? Everyone pays the same percentage of income. Case closed. There is nothing more fair than that in my eyes. If a bare-bones government can't do what it should be doing with that money then it isn't bare-bones enough. While the President is asking the wealthiest Americans to give up their tax cut, why doesn't he ask the public "servants" to give up some of their $160,000 annual salary? Why not ask them to give up some of their other perks? If it comes down to taking money away from schools or asking the wealthy to give up their tax cut, why don't we reduce the pay of the "servants?" Elected officials, from what I see on a general level, do not serve anyone but their own elitist caste. Everyone pays a flat tax. Government reduces to a frame of guidance, not a control entity.
Government is not the answer. We don't need a shinier government that has downloadable apps. When you take autonomy and personal control out of a person's life they lose the ability to act for themselves in a healthy way. If you always make my lunch for me, or always tie my shoes for me, when will I ever learn to do it myself. Personal control and autonomy atrophy if not exercised. A controlling entity prevents personal exercise and leads to atrophy. Be careful .
This posting is already longer than most people probably want to read, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I'm not a fan of politics and rhetoric. I think if we call things what they are and try to be as honest as possible, even when it hurts, perhaps especially when it hurts, then we can live happily. We can fix the violence problems in the world, we can feed everyone, we can follow personal goals, we can create great things. But when everyone is trying to get ahead at all costs we'll never see progress, we'll never see real prosperity. The President called for the blessing of America by God. I hope he means it. I know that God does bless us, whether we deserve to be blessed or not. He will guide us in the right path if we are willing to listen. We have to choose. God will not live our lives for us, that defeats his purpose. He wants us to learn and grow. He has given us the tools and opportunity, and he stands by to offer encouragement and guidance, but we have to pick up the pencil and sketch the blueprint, then we need to pick up the saw and the hammer and start building.
The state of our union is that we are selfish, some of us more than others, and always in some areas more than others, but it is there in all of us to some degree. I know I am selfish more than I'd like. Eliminate selfishness and the rest of these problems will fade away with it.
for the text of the President's speech: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/State_of_the_Union/state-of-the-union-2011-full-transcript/story?id=12759395&page=3
2 - 25 sheets, or so it says. This is one of the nicest staplers I have ever used to fasten paper together. It has a nice weight and balance to it when you heft it. You can't tell in this picture to the left, but it has a metallic blue metal flake color scheme. The stapler is fantastic.
