Friday, August 03, 2007

holy crap it's hot again

inlaws are here so posting will be light if at all. it is hotter than hell here and hopefully today is the end for a while and it goes back to being seasonable. but there isn't any global warming, you see. anyhoo, the cats are half dead and so am i- and it is 7:30am and i am starting to sweat. sigh. see my previous post from a few days ago to see how i feel about sweating. i have thoughts rattling around- so i will get to posting.

folks have said to me that they think that the american people would stand up and fight if an out-in-the-open takeover of our government was attempted. other folks have told me that i sound like i am despairing and that i should have some hope and faith in people. well, the good news is- i am not sad and despairing and the bad news is- i still don't have faith in the american populace to do what is needed to do. that would take courage. that would take conviction to do what is best for people other than yourself. that would be looking at the bigger picture and not living in the now. that would be not passing the buck but taking personal responsibility- which not even folks on the left can quite get the hang of. i am critical of both sides. there's a reason that that bridge in minnesota collapsed- it's called negligence. the folks of minnesota didn't vote people in who said- hey- we need to upgrade our infrastructure so there may be an increase in taxes- or we have to reallocate funds to upgrade. no, the voted folks in who said- we won't increase your taxes- in fact let's lower them. to the point where we are today. they said- hey, i am not going to do anything because i want to get re-elected so- let's hope the damned bridge stays intact until my term is up.

my point is- this happened in what is commonly referred to as 'america's heartland' and if this is what our heart looks like- goddamnit! we are one heart attack away from sudden death. chuckles shumer recently had words about the state of america's infrastructure and he talked about bridges and roadways and byways- but not about the people. if you look around at what we have as a nation- poor health care, crumbling infrastructure, inadequate education system rife with fraud- and you look at our facade- you see a nation in decline. can it be stopped? i don't know. we haven't had the courage to stand up before now- as a whole- to do what is needed- what would lead me to believe that we would now?

9 comments:

Larry said...

I am pessimistic about people standing up if we end up in Martial Law, like it appears to be heading.

The people have stood by and voted the emperor in, sit idly by as thousands die, the economy crumbling at our feet, and nothing is done.

Sornie said...

I'd love to hear your take on the president's convoluted attempt at consoling Minneapolis after the 35W collapse, I thought it was downright despicable how he meandered directly into partisan bullshit as usual when it was billed as a speech directed towards the tragedy...

Unknown said...

I am an idealist, yet a realist at the same time. I don't kid myself. People act in their own selfish interest. It's actually a good predictor of what the people might do.

The same selfish motivation to elect "no new taxes" candidates, is the same motivator that would have them revolt if they thought their freedom to do what they want is attacked. They don't think about others, or future consequences.

That's where good leaders are supposed to step in and lead, unfortunately we don't have any good leaders.

It's a tradition that Americans wait until the last moment to act, but so far we have been able to not destroy ourselves. Someday we will get caught being to late, but is that situation upon us now? I don't see it that way, but I'm often wrong..

Chuck said...

Four shirt changes and two showers a day here- humidity at 125% by 8 AM. HA!HA!

billie said...

sornie- i can't imagine that he had anything consoling to say this time. he has done the exact same thing since katrina. i don't put any value on anything any of those 'people' say. he never speaks the truth nor from the heart. he doesn't have one.

Anonymous said...

i still don't have faith in the american populace to do what is needed to do. that would take courage.

Martial Law means the end of the United States, and it will not be the American people per se-it'll be that long-abused military. They'll go factional, and line up behind regional leaders.

People keep trying to compare America to Germany, and that dog won't hunt-the Germans were a monolithic race and culture. America is a hell of a lot closer to what existed in the USSR than it is Germany, and a Soviet end is a hell of a lot more likely. Does anyone besides me listen to people like Schwarzenegger and Ricardo Sanchez. They're frigging TELLING us what's going to happen.

enigma4ever said...

yeah Bush said that he is going to offer comfort and help repair the bridge like he did in NOLA- good lord haven't they suffered enough....shit...I guess the long run is that we ALL can have an abandoned Katrina Moment....but I have to say this- I think we as a People are tougher than bush...MUCH...and I know things have been Horrible and Neverending...BUT the repugs did not /were not able to steal another election in 2006....but I do think at some point we will have to Rise Up...How and When I don't know.....but we will....and I don't know how much more Incompetence we can suffer...Hang in there..don't lose Hope....not yet.....

enigma4ever said...

oh, and here is your hotass Holycrap cooling tip...I sit around with a bottle of lavendar water- yup a squirt bottle...and I squirt away....even stick a cube in it if I need it....and the critters get cubes in their water bowl too...

Daniel said...

Hey, Betmo, firstly the people have to see they are being trodden on then they will react. The pot is beginning to boil.

Stay cool!