A warning and a spoiler. The post that follows is a rant. Some of you have heard parts of it before.
Actually, it’s the kind of pedantic posturing that blog-owners do. Just because they can, because no one edits them… sorry.
The stream-of-consciousness ramblings of a man with too much time to think…waiting for a weather window
You should probably skip it and wait for the next post. You were warned.
***********************************************************************
I’m writing this on a day late in early November…just days before the Election. And yes, I voted last week.
There is a spectacular sunset tonight, I know it’s sentimental, but I can’t help thinking it’s a message from Cathy. That was her mantra: “All you need is love and a sunset.”
But I’ve been kind of depressed today, because I am worried about the state of my ship.
Not Freedom. I mean the Ship of State – the United States of America.
I’ll declare myself up front – I am a Centrist, (at least by my reckoning), and I have been frustrated my entire adult life by our inability to steer a rational Centrist course. (in my humble opinion)
Our Social Contract
In particular, I am wrestling with the question of our Social Contract. It’s a profound question, and smarter people than I – people like Hobbes, and Locke, and Rousseau have debated it for centuries. In general, it means that we cede certain of our individual rights to our government in order to enjoy life in a stable, lawful society.
At its most basic, that’s it: Take as little from me as possible and protect my life and my property.
I am certainly on board with the property protection. Riots and looting are not part of the democratic process. They are unlawful, and I simply don’t think they should be tolerated.
But I believe that our Social Contract should be broader and deeper than simply a law-and-order mandate.
The Declaration of Independence talks about the pursuit of happiness, and the Preamble to the Constitution talks about Promoting the General Welfare. But (at least to my eyes) there’s not a lot of specificity about what these phrases really mean.
Hence, the struggles between our two political parties, seeking to define a consensus, which doesn’t seem to exist. Instead, we are polarized.
This is where it gets painful for me, because I believe that government has a moral obligation to try and better the lives of ALL our citizens.
Some of our fundamental policies already support this view. Social Security. Medicare. They are bedrock social programs.
It’s also why we have a progressive tax system: if we make more, we are taxed at a higher rate, and these funds are spent on programs to make life better for everyone. Sometimes investment in infrastructure. Sometimes social programs.
Unfortunately, I believe that these programs – which essentially constitute an income redistribution process – are failing. Proving my point, the U.S. has far and away the highest rates of poverty in the developed world. That saddens me. And it baffles me. So many well-intended policies that don’t really work.
Jobs
And that makes me think about jobs. (Employment, not Steve)
If you were a leader of the Chinese Communist Party, and I told you that you could destroy America’s manufacturing base without dropping a single bomb, would you be interested? All you need to do is produce steel, or plastics, or whatever, for just a few pennies less, and America will shut down its factories and buy from you.
Because somewhere along the line, we decided that the only way to measure a corporation’s worth is return on shareholder value. So, if the corporation returns more profit by sourcing overseas, great! We put no value on the jobs that were lost. But, if there are no jobs, entire cities are transfigured. (Bethlehem Steel). If there are no jobs, why finish school? Why not just sell drugs?
We gutted our own manufacturing base, once the envy of the world.
The CCP beat us at our own game. And that’s the failure of capitalism. It has failed to consider the social impact of its decisions.
I have to admit that I was seduced by the logic of Globalization. A lot of folks were – going all the way back to Reagan (thank you Kate for that insight.)
Universal Healthcare
In the confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, it was obvious that the Democrats’ biggest concern is the over-ruling of the ACA. I give President Obama and his party a lot of credit for getting the ACA approved, but if it can’t withstand judicial scrutiny, then let’s write a version that can. The key is reaching agreement that universal health care is something we want and need, and that we have the means and the will to make it work. This is a tough issue, because there are some HUGE players (like Big Pharma and the insurance companies) with an economic stake in the outcome.
Racism
While we’re at it, let’s talk skin color: God’s cruelest joke.
Skin color is the first thing I see when I look someone, but it doesn’t tell me a thing about their character or the quality of their mind.
If God wanted skin color to count for something, he should’ve made it more obvious.
• Green = Greed
• Red = Anger
• Yellow = Cowardice
• Purple = Pretentious?
Instead, it doesn’t mean a damn thing. All men are created equal. And yes, ALL lives matter.
Roe v. Wade
I’m already deep into my rant, so why don’t we tackle the next third-rail issue? Abortion. if all lives matter…
If life is sacred, abortion is murder.
Can we make exceptions for rape and exceptional medical circumstances? Of course.
Can we agree that women have a right to control their own bodies? Of course.
But that comes with responsibility. If you don’t want a child, don’t conceive one.
In my mind, this whole debate seems to be anchored in the past. Don’t modern birth control methods require that we re-visit this amendment? (the Pill? Plan B Pills?) Is Roe v. Wade still relevant? Honest question, not a conclusion.
The Death of Our Planet
While we’re talking about Social Contracts, what’s our obligation to protect this planet for ourselves and our children? We need a totally fresh vision for how to live sustainably on Earth. Yes, without hydrocarbons. Duh.
I have to say that on this issue alone, the Republicans have lost the right to lead. They are on the wrong side of history.
**************************
I would like to make America great again, but my definition is somewhat different from others, as you can tell. Yes, it includes the rule of law, and restoring our manufacturing base. But it must include concern for all our citizens and for our planet.
I am heartened by tonight’s sunset. I hope and pray we will find our way.
Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures 