WOW! Yeah...all these thoughts running through my head and the only word that seems appropriate is..."WOW!" And so we greet November. People are busily posting on facebook all the things they are thankful for. Hmmmm...no one has mentioned that they are thankful for the media! Wonder why? Okay...back to my current thought. We are almost to the end of 2012 and amazingly more people are not focused on whether the world will end in December as the Mayans predicted or not. Well....I take that back....there were a lot of people mentioning the end of the world and hoping that the Mayans prediction would come true on election night. I am sure for most it was tongue and cheek...but I know there were those that were on their knees praying that we are in our last month on earth. Myself....I sincerely doubt God is going to let any of us out that easy!
Yes the election! We cannot forget that every four years on the first Tuesday in November...if you are at least 18 and legal to be in this country with no felony convictions.....you can vote for our countries president. I have been around for a few of these elections in my life time and I have watched a lot of men come and go from that office. Some did nothing, some did a lot and others used it as their own private brothel. Some brought our country together and some have caused division. Some came in during peace time and had only matters of our country to deal with, while others had to deal with wars, death and terrorism which trumped all other matters. It is a thankless job and yet a job that Americans fight for. They fight to the point of spending millions of dollars on campaigning and ads and often aren't above lying to be top dog...errrrrr...candidate. Why? It certainly isn't for the paycheck. Granted there is money involved but there isn't enough money printed that would be worth having the weight of the country on my shoulders. And anymore it is not for the people either. More and more especially over the last few elections....I have come to the conclusion that the reason people want the job is for the POWER! When men become power hungry...then all bets are off.
Today a good day and a half after the election....peoples emotions are still running high. In the past we have had two separate but equal sides (the Democrats and the Republicans). In school we were taught that both sides wanted the same end game....they just had different ways of achieving that goal. The Democrats were traditionally low to middle class America and their goals were less military and more social programs viewed as vehicles to take care of those who couldn't or in some cases wouldn't take care of themselves. On the other hand Republicans were traditionally middle class to upper class America who wanted military spending, and wanted big money in big business. They supported capitalism to the fullest and felt that each should take care of his own. Of course both parties represented more than just that but according to the media....that was their essence. On election day...win or lose...we knew what we were getting for the next four years and people quickly got back to daily life. Families and friendships remained in tact and life went on. Jump ahead to now though...and never in my life have I seen the emotional tilt a whirl that I have seen because of this election. Before the election, tensions were high and people were losing friends and family because the country was picking sides. Now...a day and half later and nothing has changed. People are still angry. The democrats (many not all) take pot shots daily about Obama's win, while many Republicans are heart sick over the loss that they feel will ultimately destroy this country. There is no common ground to be had and there is no getting back to normal because we lost our normal on 9/11.
I have been watching fb postings and since I have a mix of friends and family (still.... believe it or not) on both sides of the fence...it has been interesting to watch. I have many conservative friends pounding their heads against a wall wondering why black and white seems to slip into shades of gray for so many. I will say that for the most part...those of my friends and family who I know voted for Obama have been fairly respectful (yes I pick my friends well) if not somewhat baffled that conservatives are still so upset. I think they were expecting that once their candidate was elected that life would go back to normal and all the political stuff would be old news. I have no doubt though....had the shoe been on the other foot...they too might still be feeling the sting of the loss. This was a high stakes election after all.
I understand how my conservative friends feel. And make no mistake....I feel every bit as strongly as they do that this election will come back to bite all who voted for this man in the hind quarters, but now is not the time to fall apart. It is also not the time to quit speaking out. I simply choose to do it in my blog (and sometimes on fb) with facts. You can never go wrong with facts. We also need to remember....you can feed a horse facts....but you can't make him use them if he is in denial!
Since the election I have done a great deal of thinking about what this all means to us as a country. So far I have come up with nothing good but I have come to the conclusion that we all might need to be schooled a bit in terminology to fully understand our current administration and what could be in store for us in the future. So I thought I might start right here! Here are a couple of terms that once had one meaning but now have a completely new and different meaning since our current administration took office.
George W. Bush: Old meaning: The 43rd President of the United States (not to be confused with father George H W Bush who was the 41st POTUS). GWB who is also known to many as simply just (Bush), had the misfortune of being elected just prior to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and sent our military to war in Iraq. GWB spent the better part of both terms with our soldiers abroad. He began the huge federal spending (much of it on the military and the war) and also the bailouts in which he racked up almost 5 trillion in federal debt in 8 years.
New meaning: George W. Bush in the last 4 years has become the whipping boy for ALL things wrong in the country. He has been blamed for everything from the 6 trillion dollar debt that was incurred in Obama's first term along with the job market that fell and never ressurected in Obama's first term and the astronomically high cost of gas during Obama's first term (see a pattern?) to natural disasters and world wide plagues. Yes folks...it is true. Not only was Bush a president...but since leaving office his powers of magic and mayhem have given Obama an out for every mistake "he" has made. Apparently George W. Bush in current terminology is far more powerful and has far more control than any of us ever knew!
Benghazi: Old meaning: Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya. Of late it has been the site of many violent protests where the people were going up against the military as well as mercinaries.
New meaning: As of September 11, 2012 it was the site where a terrorist attack was launched on the U.S. Consulate there killing four Americans. Our President and Hillary Clinton knew what was happening and yet CIA operators were denied requests for help. This tragedy was then blamed on an American youtube video as Obama and Clinton refused to call it an act of terrorism and as the POTUS apologized to the very terrorists who attacked the consulate. Since then...there has been a complete media and administrative blackout on this subject. No one speaks of Benghazi and it is as if it never happened.....well except for the families of those killed....oh and the millions of people who watched it all happen and refuse to let those Americans killed die in vain.
Yes...I have only hit upon a couple but trust me...the list goes on and on. I simply don't have the time right now to cover them all. But fear not....I will be back. And just a note: I do not hate my country. I love it, but even good things can go bad if not respected and taken care of. I do not hate anyone who voted differently than I. I may not understand how or why you could vote that way and I, like many may be confused how black and white to me could possibly be so gray to you but in the end...we are still a democracy and everyone has the right to vote their morals, their beliefs and their conscience. Don't expect me to call you names, tell you how stupid I think you are or scream insults at you for seeing things differently than I do. However....DO expect me to continue to use my 1st Amendment right to speak out on things I feel are wrong and things that I feel will damage this country as a whole. We are currently a nation divided because we do not have a leader that makes it his job to unite us. As long as we are divided....so is our power to make real change. Until the day we find at least a middle ground....We the People will no longer be the power in this country and government will step in and strip us of our rights, our freedom and our country....and you better bet....our current administration is counting on that!
I'm not a Rush fan, but I feel he nailed why the election went the way it did. "How do you vote out Santa Claus from the White House?" Good question.
ReplyDeleteIn a few generations we have gone from the greatest generation that saved the world, to the lamest generation that votes based on what politicians promise them if elected. My mother was one those people saved and liberated on June 4, 1944 by the greatest generation the world has known. She dreamed of becoming an American. And she did. My father served our country and retired with honors and now rests in Leavenworth National Cemetery.
It may surprise many that know me, but I grew up in a liberal home. But both of parents loved our country and asked for nothing from our country beyond freedom. They taught me the old fashioned values that you can do anything if you work hard and dare to dream big. I believed them and have realized my dream. No one gave me anything. I worked and I dared my way to success. Despite my government's burdens.
My dad voted for Obama 4 years ago. But a few days before his passing, my dad admitted he made a mistake and was angry at what was happening to his beloved country. A few days later my dad took his last breath as taps played from one of his favorite CDs.
And like my parents I love my country too. But sadly, I am ashamed of what our country has become. This election day mandate was clear: we want to spend more, receive more and reject the old fashioned values of hard work, self-reliance and independence.
Those that want more government now outnumber those that want less government. And at some point the Santa in the White House will run out of working elves that supply the gifts. I am one those hard working elves.
I was really hoping that once the election was over that so was all of the political talk. I am politically talked out. I guess though that things are not good in this country and as you said we are very divided. I hadn't really thought about how deep the divide was until you pointed it out. Maybe a little reminder now and then to the government that citizens are watching is not a bad idea. Good blog.
ReplyDeleteReading your blog today I was thinking about how much we have changed as a country since Reagan was president. I remember feeling as if we were strong and could not be beaten when he was in office. I was proud to be an American and I felt safe. Now I don't feel safe. I feel as if the government does not have the American peoples back and people are blind to this because they are being lured by the promise of freebies. We are so gullible and this scares me. I long for the days when I felt safe and felt safe for my children. Now I just pray my children have a future.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen such whinny losers in my whole life. It was an election. Your guy lost. Deal with it and move on. One man cannot destroy an entire free nation in just one or two terms. This gloom and doom are getting tired. Obama won and you still woke up the next day. The sun still shined and the world will continue to keep on turning.
ReplyDeleteWorcester, MA
You speak. I listen. I do not always agree with your politics but because of how you say it, I will always listen. At times you have even made me think. Maybe you are right and there are country damaging things going on in the WH, and maybe this is why so many conservatives are coming undone. Still, if you want me to listen don't tell me that I am an idiot, a liberal scumbag or deserve to die. When you do I shut down at your first utterance. Tell me what you think and why you think it. Back it up with facts and treat me with the same respect you expect and we you just might get my attention. You are always a class act and I love your blogs political and non-political.
ReplyDeleteWhat worries you conservatives so much about this man? Is it that women now get their birthcontrol paid for? Is it that Obama is willing to take care of those in need and help this country out from within? Is it that he points out that Christianity isn't the only way? There are millions of non-Christians around the world and he won't discriminate against any of them? Or maybe and I think this is probably the fact. Most people who don't like Obama can say it is because of this and that but the real reason deep down is the color of his skin. Lily white America finds it a tuff pill to swallow when a black man wins not one but two terms as president and does a better job than all the presidents before him. That is the real problem. You need to come out of the slavery days and come into the 21st century where a man is no longer judged by the color of his skin. It comes down to racism and there is no denying it.
ReplyDeleteRACECARD ALERT. RACECARD ALERT.
ReplyDelete"Lily white America finds it a tuff pill to swallow when a black man wins not one but two terms as president and does a better job than all the presidents before him... You need to come out of the slavery days and come into the 21st century where a man is no longer judged by the color of his skin. It comes down to racism and there is no denying it."
Please. So lilly white Americans need to quit being racist? No one mentioned race in this blog until you did.
Flashing the race card when to win an argument when race wasn't even the issue is pathetic. I'm just surprised we weren't labeled homophobic as well.
And yes, one can destroy a country. Wasn't that the argument of the far-left when Bush was in office? Now that O was re-elected it will be interesting to watch if he stops the blame game and finger pointing and start to accept responsibility.
Just last week Iran fired upon an US military aircraft. Will he take a firm stand against the rogue nation or just continue his his strength thru weakness foreign policy?
Race IS the issue. It has been since day one. The white capitalist was terrified of the black man taking the highest office in this country. Since, conservatives have nitpicked at every turn. You want him to fail but he hasn't. I know this just drives you all crazy and I love to watch you go there. I only "play" the race card because it is true.
ReplyDeleteThe race card, like insults, name calling and rudeness are only pulled out when a person has no facts to back up their words and when they have run out of anything else intelligent to say. I would say that is the case here as anonymous has laid out no facts and is using only media insited buzz words and terms to cause an argument. No argument is necessary. My thoughts are my own. Race does not now nor has it ever played a part in my view of the president. His track record, his surpassing congress, the Constitution and the law to get his own way and Benghazi are why I feel as I do and all of this is documented fact. I don't care what his race or color...any person who intentionally does this to a country neither deserves my vote nor my respect. Race has absolutely nothing to do with it. And THAT is a fact!
ReplyDeleteWe want him to fail?
ReplyDeletePlease. I'd love to see him do one right. List one thing that he has succeeded at besides spending over $6 trillion in 4 years, increased unemployment from 5.5% to 7.9%, increased the number of people on food stamps to the highest level ever, called on the Navy Seals to eliminate Osama and when they called he ignored them in Benghazi? And let's not forget the 420 point drop in the stock market since he was re-elected. And then there is the whole Obamacare fiasco. Employers are already hitting the flush handle and cutting employees so they can pay for their remaining employees. Greatness is not a label I would put on the chosen one.
And that makes him better than ever president before him? You grade on a far-left curve that is based on fiction.
Liberals are even sore winners.
Your not a racist? You are anti woman and pro war or you wouldnt have voted for Romney. You want big business to take over keep the poor working class poor and working. You want people with out insurance and women having back alley abortions. This is what you voted for. It is hard not to believe you are racist too.
ReplyDeleteForward...please refer to my last post. I think it covers your post too. You are reaching into thin air to pull out fiction. As a liberal representative....you do them no favors. You might remember that and check some facts before you post again.
ReplyDeleteBy the way Forward...you said "You want big business to take over keep the poor working class poor and working." Ummm isn't working a good thing? Isn't that the goal and if big business can supply the jobs isn't that also a good thing? It sounds to me like you want the poor....poor and not working, so they can live off the government. Your thinking is a bit skewed but I think your true thoughts actually came out. I am thinking though you better quit posting before you single handedly give away the entire liberal agenda!
ReplyDeleteWOW. This has gone from rationally to pathetically funny with the far-left race baiting card being flashed again, again and again.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping that isn't a view into what the next 4 years will be like now that the left has inherited it's own mess to to try to cleanup. You won! Be happy! Do a little dance. Hand out some condoms. Go out on a date with Sandra Fluke. (See, I'm not homophobic. You could be a female for all I know.) Something besides the race card. Yawn.
Or do you not know what to do now that you won something? I'm really hoping that insults and race baiting are not the pinnacle of the liberal dialog. This could get boring very quickly.
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ReplyDeleteI didn't know blogs could be hacked! Time to change the password. BTW I saw the comment before I deleted it and let me just say...you say "that" like it is a bad thing!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDelete1Must have been a racist that hacked your blog.
ReplyDelete