Damn it's great to be back. It's been nearly 2 months, but get over it. I've been busy. Beyond busy. I'll do my best not to let it happen again, but it wasn't really my choice this time either. So dry your eyes, and let's begin.
To recap what I've missed: The Middle East is in chaos, the rights of women in America are being viscously assaulted, civil servants are being demonized, the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, the Republican Party has started the circus side-show roll call for 2012 presidential candidates, education funding is being gutted, Japan is pretty much done for, the global economy may actually be getting worse, houses won't sell, corporations won't invest, the US is engaged in 4 wars that we can't afford, the Hope and Change Guy seems to be offering neither of the two, I'm sure there are things happening in Europe too (but let's face it, we don't really care), and on top of it...the planet we rely on for survival seems to be shaking us off like a bad hangover.
F*ck.
I'm gone for less than 40 days and you guys let this happen? It will be a long time before I feel comfortable leaving you to your own devices again. Let's address it all, shall we? Someone's got to clean up this mess.
The Middle East - it's long overdue for these guys and gals. Let's just hope it all goes in the right direction when the dust settles. Lots o' pundits asking why it isn't happening here. Answer? Running water. Most of us still eat pretty well, still have access to entertainment, basic freedoms haven't really been hit any harder than Bushy Jr. hit them, and we like blowing shit up. But above all, we have sinks toilets and showers. When that stops, the rich are screwed. Until then, volunteer in your community for a few hours a week and vote. Do what you can when you can.
Pro-Life v. Pro-Choice - one day I will address this in a poignant essay that will be reprinted in magazines, newspapers, and aggregated headline feeds across the western world. Today is not that day. Today I will point out that abortions have been happening since ancient Egypt, and probably before then too. Why make a woman do this in a back alley with a coat hanger? You can't stop abortions, and with modern pharmacology you probably won't even reduce them, you'll just make them less humane, which in turn will affect the fetus even more negatively. The only thing worse than death to you religious types is a slow and painful death. Until my essay is composed, please see Freakonomics and The Cider House Rules for more comprehensive emotional and rational reasonings.
Rich getting richer v. poor getting poorer - Stratification limits opportunity. This is going to screw us all over. I say this from my comfortable house in my quiet and crime-less suburban neighborhood. For you Reaganonimicists, trickle down isn't working. For you socialists, get better at PR. The American Dream has us all convinced we are just temporarily not uber wealthy. 95% of the world makes less than I do, and I'm not even in the top 25% in the USA. Does this situation seem tenable to you? Me either. Which do you think is temporary? Yup - the lots of money one.
2012 - The best hope that any of us have for the 2012 election is that an act of god/buddah/gaia/whatever will delay campaigning for as long as humanly possible. The shorter it lasts the better we will all be. I'm thinking October 2012 will be the next time I flip to a news broadcast on TV.
Education funding - We need teachers. They deserve to be paid very well. If you don't believe this, please find the nearest gun and chew on the barrel while pulling the trigger. We all need food, water and air, and you don't deserve any if you don't recognize the value of public servants.
Japan/The Earth - Show Japan some love. Nuclear power is still the best thing we've got (which sucks, but is true), and we need the Japanese to continue advancing technology for us, cause we're not getting it done. Global warming is real, it is happening, it is getting worse. Take a bus, walk to the store, use a fan in lieu of the A/C or an extra blanket in lieu of the heat. Cut back by choice before we have to cut back by force.
Houses/the economy/corporations - It's time to go medieval on these corporate punks. Hire. Hire and people will have money to spend on the crap you sell. Like houses. It's win/win. If 'trickle down' is so successful, the turn on the spigot, bitches. If it's not, which seems obvious at this point, let's do some redistribution in the form of hiring. Don't want the feds to do it for you? Do it yourself. The best defense against socialism is successful capitalism. Go. Hire. Win.
Obama/War - The only reason the supporting Libya is coming under fire is because we are over-committed elsewhere. I'm disappointed. I expected more from you, sir. As did everyone else that cast their vote for hope and change. You have at least a year and a half left and I hope you spend it wisely.
Europe - whatever. I still ask, and have not received a satisfactory answer: If America is better than everyone else in the world, why do we work so many more hours and years of our lives to come out with less for ourselves and each other? I want health CARE not health insurance. I want to retire someday. I want what so many others have, and I work for it, but will likely never receive it. Are we resigned to mediocrity? It seems so.
More later? Yes. Until then, think.