I know that of late my poor little blog has suffered. I know that. I’ve seen the number of daily hits go down. But, between the quite encompassing demands of my job and the demands on the home front, my poor little blog has gotten squeezed out a bit. Couple all of that with the fact that I am a bit down and, well, the blog suffers as my motivation to write declines. I’ve had some time, this week. Not a lot of time, but enough time to think it through a bit and here’s where I am, here’s why I haven’t been writing. I have been feeling fey. Quite down, actually. A feeling that I am communicating with only great difficulty here. I’ll explain.
I am feeling overwhelmed by the idiotocracy. The feeling that the forces of stupidity are beating the forces of good. The sense that, looking at the world, we are not in a good situation at this point. True, there are sprinklings of good news here and there. See, e.g., recent elections in Canada as a ray of hope. But, by and large, it looks bad and it has my down and too tired to keep fighting the good fight. If you are unsure about what I am referring to, let me give you a non-exhaustive list:
*Venezuela – Chavez is a nutburger with oil money and strikes me as being a menace.
*Bolivia – Morales. Need I say more? If so, let me note that the Cubans and Chavez’s people have taken over security for him and he has dismissed the entire army general staff. Not good. We need our secret equipment back.
*Jimmy Carter – Hasn’t met a terrorist he can’t empathize with. As for his election to the Presidency, I demand a recount!
*Al Gore – Put a sock in it, Al. Telling the Saudis that we abuse Muslims is so beyond the pale that you, sir, are committing treason in my book.
*Israel – Looks more and more alone every day and seems unjustifiably to inspire more hatred and fear than anyone out there. I fear for her future.
*Jews – The world looks not so good for Jews these day, truthfully. I wonder if there has been more naked anti-Semitism in the world at any other time, WW II excepted. I worry about what I am bringing my kids into.
*Cartoons – Free speech and the great tradition of Western Liberalism has just been shot in the head and buried in a ditch behind the Mosque. Bravo to the Danish Government and brickbats to the craven Norwegians who officially apologized for free speech.
*Islam – This a religion of peace, are you kidding me? This is a religion which seems fundamentally incompatible with world peace and with anything approaching Western values. Why are we tip-toeing around on this? The Islamic world sure isn’t. Am I really the only one who thinks we are in a full blown ideological conflict, the biggest one since the Cold War ended?
*Europe – Further to the point above, by the way, I think it don’t look too frigging good for Europe. Pity. As one comedian once said, “Nice country; we beat them in world war II, you know?â€
*Kids, today, or Moral relativism / Multiculturalism – What passes for the willingness to entertain a dissenting point of view today on our college campuses is nothing short of admirable, if your name is Josef Stalin, that is. Colonel Boyington and the University of Washington, springs to mind by way of example. Don’t know what I’m talking about? Google it, rinse and repeat.
*Media – Big media is no longer worthy of trust. Can you believe the amount of ink spilled over Cheney’s hunting accident? Tell me, honestly, that the media has become one huge partisan hack. You can’t; because it has.
*Politicians – of either party. All they seem to be doing is scoring points on each other. They are not doing the people’s business. I am totally disgusted. When will we get politicians who govern instead of this lot? Maybe we get the politicians we deserve, but I’d like to think we deserve better than this lot.
*Africa – Repression in Zimbabwe, so bad that I have ceased trying to record it since the world clearly does not give a fuck. AIDS in every other country. Corruption. Starvation. Everyone dying and no one caring.
*Iran – Are we really gonna let these nice people get a bomb? Enough said.
This list could go on and on. But it won’t. One more point, though:
*Truth – I leave off on this point. When was the last time someone actually stuck to the truth in advancing an argument? When did everything become spin? This is the last casualty. I am so dispirited by the lies.
No wonder I can only find energy to write about my kids, lately.
Posted by Random Penseur at March 10, 2006 02:22 PM | TrackBackIf you think things are worrying in the US, think again. It's much worse in Britain and ten times worse than Britain just across the Channel in Europe. Remember: in the Netherlands there are politicians who are forced to live on military bases, along with their entire families, because of the current threat. Imagine if John McCain or Joe Liberman were held up in Fort Benning, GA along with wife and kids, all normal existing coming to an end. There are many people, both in Europe and America, who are willing to be exceedingly brave personally, but the mere thought of harm coming to one's family is the most frightening thought. Being a family man yourself you can no doubt sympathise with them.
Posted by: Andrew Cusack at March 10, 2006 03:15 PMI agree with you RP. What has this country come to?
Posted by: jules at March 10, 2006 04:05 PMThis post resonates with me, and I know exactly how you feel.
BUT, I also try to remind myself that history is replete with turning points that, more often than not, ultimately bring this old world to better place.
In the struggle to establish justice and to secure freedom and opportunity for every man and woman blessed to be born into this rediculous wonderland, there are going to be bold advances, measured steps and setbacks. But the struggle goes on not toward some silly idealistic Utopia, but toward a world where the struggles are for success in life, not simply for life itself; a struggle to make the most of one's freedom, not for freedom itself.
We seem to be at a turning point upon which hinges the future of freedom and the value of life itself. Will the champions of freedom and the value of life defend them with all vigor, or will they cower and give up the struggle because it's too hard, or doesn't seem to matter to anyone anymore?
I'm not frightened of the future. I believe that we are seeing a three-way confrontation between the forces of oppression, tyrany and intolerance on the one hand; the forces of freedom, optimism and security on the second hand; and the insidious force of apathy on the third hand. But, it's always been this way!
There does seem to be a lot more shamelessly callous "spin" these days, but there's also a lot more exposure of that rot. F'rinstance, no DNC chairman before Howard Dean has ever said something remotely like "I hate Republicans and everything they stand for", but, then again, no DNC chairman before Howard Dean has ever looked so rediculous.
This technology at our disposal has shoved the tribulations of every corner of the world into our faces, but it'll also bring the wisdom from every corner of the world to every other corner, and we'll be better for it, I trust.
The times they are a-changin'. I've often said that we're strong because we're rich and we're rich because we're free. Tyrants, therefore, always lose. They may kill millions in the process, but they always lose.
It ain't over yet. Not by a longshot. Keep the faith, my friend!
Posted by: Tuning Spork at March 10, 2006 10:24 PMOh, I do so understand. The Republic of Kathyland looks better and better everyday. You and the fam can come and join us if you want. The smokes and booze will be duty free and everyone will mind their own business if it kills them.
Come on Powerball!
;)
Posted by: Kathy at March 11, 2006 01:54 AMHey RP. I haven't been around much due to my own lack of feeling very gregarious lately; sorry. It hasn't been due to any lack of fine posting on your part. :-)
But I do relate to your State of the World impressions.
It's why I'm glad/sorry my sister gave us a year's subscription to "The Week" magazine. Now I'm all up to date with how we're all going down the tubes
....yay.... :-(
Posted by: Amber at March 13, 2006 03:16 PMI've been pretty much the same, RP I completely sympathize. I don't post much about the world, because it's too damn scary and depressing these days. The thing is, events are turning out like I predicted they would and I don't like it when my own predictions come true because I tend to be a negative bastard.
I think there are a lot of people sitting back waiting and hoping for normalcy to kick in, but I don't see a future where it will, or at least not the kind that we are familiar with. I was hesitant having children and even now I worry about their future.
I don't agree with you on the recent election here in Canada, the only positive thing about it is we are seeing the real Stephen Harper now that he's in office. One example, his plan to dump the ethics commissioner when he found out they were going to investigate his own actions. I feel like both our countries are being run by the great deceiver, and that there are blinders on many of our eyes.
Posted by: Oorgo at March 13, 2006 04:41 PMHear, hear. It got to where I couldn't even be a freakin' Pollyanna at my site anymore due to raging stupidity.
It's enough to make me wanna cry. But I'm not gonna.
And besides. . .there are a lot of free blogging sites where I can be incognito. Right?
Please don't give up, sweetheart. You're one of the Good Guys.
xoxo
Posted by: Margi at March 14, 2006 02:05 AMI am so dispirited by the lies.
I think I'll go back to watching the news. 'Cause that line pretty much sums up every day in *my* life with the 17 year-old from hell. Your headlines up there are very nearly...refreshing...in comparison. Or at least they remind me I'm not the only one who's got it bad. Or something.
Posted by: Jennifer at March 14, 2006 10:46 AMYeah, what you said. Then I look back at the moments when Great Events happened, and the times before them, and I think to myself "I wonder if this is how people felt before X happened, that sense of an impending change, that I may be seeing a possible Great Event on the horizon." Almost feels like tornado weather--immense pressure, uncertain winds, and the possibility of something touching down that you can just make out in the distance. I don't think it's the first time in our history that the kinds of events listed have happened, but it doesn't make me feel any better.
Posted by: Mandalei at March 15, 2006 09:26 AMI know. I just... I don't know. Focus on the good things, I guess.
Posted by: Hannah at March 19, 2006 09:34 AMYou hit the nail on the head. The silver lining on my cloud o' "too busy" is that I only get 2 to 3 hours or so of news coverage a day now (in the car whilst driving). It has done wonders for my outlook on life.
My new favorite bumpersticker: "I'd rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than driving with Ted Kennedy."
Posted by: Jim at March 21, 2006 05:32 AM