Messy Democracy

De-moc-cra-cy - a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections.  We like "democracy" in the U.S., don't we?  I guess the current situation in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East, where people are just plain fed up with dictators, will be the proof in the pudding as to just how fond we are of it.  It seems that history shows that we are all for it within our own borders, but outside it really doesn't matter that much, as long as our interests are being served.  Is this another one of those instances?....we shall see.  Yes an unstable Middle East does pose a threat, as did an unstable Latin America.  But the issue at hand is not the price of gasoline or whether Al-Qaeda might find some new and friendly training ground.  The issue is freedom of ordinary Muslims of the Middle East, just like ordinary Christians of, say, Kansas.  And those ordinary folks have had enough with Hosni Mubarak, just like ordinary citizens of Nicaragua had enough of Somoza and ordinary citizens of Cuba had enough of Batista. Will the U.S. support freedom even when it comes as a potential threat to our economic or security interests? I hope so, but the tarnished history of our support for dictators in Latin America gives rise to a healthy degree of skepticism.  I heard a speech once by Obama that presumed that we would, but lately I have heard some insinuations to the contrary.  The truth is that freedom doesn't matter only within the borders of the U.S.A.  It matters everywhere.

A Shout Out for the Street Fighters of Cairo.....

Caught Up

Haven't been blogging much lately because I just don't seem to be able to find the passion to do it, or the creativity, or the time.  Well, that last one is just me lying to myself.  Because, of course, we have all the time there is, now don't we?  No, really lately I just seem to find myself "caught up" with the mundane things of life, like making a living, managing sometimes messy and unmanageable personal relationships, and taking out the trash.  With all that going on, who has time to be creative?  It is easier just to succumb to all the busy-ness of the business of life and just be, well, responsible.  After all, writers are in general the most irresponsible blokes among us, aren't they?  Of course, nowadays, you don't have to be a writer....you can just be a blogger and still be responsible.  Well maybe you can, but I seem to have a great deal of trouble managing these two conflicting courses of action.  It would be nice to find some degree of symmetry amongst the two.  However, one thing seems to be evident in being in the throes of "caught-up-ness."  That is, that a life without passion and creativity can be awfully, to use a forbidden word, boring!  Right now I do feel a bit bored, god forbid!  So here I am at the keyboard trying to bang out something that might be enlightening to myself or to some poor chap that might actually waste the time it takes to read my rantings.  Being creative, being passionate and at the same time, being responsible.  Anyone out there have a clue how to accomplish that feat?  If so please let me know what you know, because I don't.  But here's a promise, to me and to you....I pledge to keep on looking for the answer.  I pledge to keep on trying to avoid the horrid state of being "caught up."

People Said He Was Crazy

But he did write this.....

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

Imagine that....

Obama Snare

The State of the Union Speech proved once again that Obama is the coolest cat on the planet.  Far cooler than John Boehner.  I mean who in recent politics even comes close...Bill Clinton maybe.  Although his choice in women tends to damper down his coolness a bit, wouldn't you agree?  What did I really think of the speech?  Well, it was cordial and upbeat.  It was refreshing to see Republicans and Democrats holding hands and kum-ba-yahing at every applause point.  Obama did seem to have some specific ideas in mind to get the economy rolling again.  However, all of this talk about making "America" more competitive is a bit disconcerting.  I just don't buy into the idea that the only way for the U.S. to get out of its current economic slump is to figure out how to clobber other countries, from an economically competitive viewpoint, that is.  Why can't the idea be more along the lines of being cooperative, as opposed to competitive.  However, competition is ingrained in the U.S. psyche.  From a kid's first organized sports exposure, we are taught that competition is the way to excel, to achieve. We must win...which means someone else must lose.  It is ingrained in our politics as well.  Despite the show of cooperation, the competitive spirit immediately reigned supreme with not one, but two, speeches delivered in response and in direct opposition to Obama's.  Borders are a fictitious and often malicious construct of man and the idea that one nation has to win at the expense of all others outside its own borders is in my opinion destructive of the collective good.  And by collective good I mean of us all....everywhere, regardless of invisible borders that so often have us at each other's throats.  So, while I always enjoy an Obama speech and this years State of the Union was no exception, I would like to hear more words of global cooperation rather than just a shallow and hollow demonstration of it that probably won't last through the first opportunity for the Republicans to clobber Obama in his feeble and politically motivated attempt to appease them.  Obama care may ultimately become Obama's snare if he keeps that up.