Not to worry, this blog isn’t about Attention Deficit Disorder nor is it an advertisement for some new wonder drug to manage the condition. The condition I refer to is infinitely worse, being more difficult to diagnose and treat, but can actually be caused by the aforementioned affliction itself. To this date, there seems to be no cure for this devastating illness, and its debilitating effects are beginning to reach epidemic proportions. Almost every American these days has been impacted in one way or another by this deadly disease; a very few positively, but the vast majority in a negative way.
Washing your hands won’t prevent it and there is no vaccine for it, although they do have plenty of drugs that may soothe away the resultant pains to some extent – if you don’t go postal at some point. Perhaps the worse thing about this virulent new strain is no one seems to be working on a cure.
As a field service representative for a computer company, I spend my days mostly driving the highways and byways of amazingly beautiful upstate New York. Yes folks, there are people here. We even have cities. The one I hail from is called Utica, whose only real claim to fame is being the birthplace of Annette Funicello. Syracuse is about 45 miles to the west and Albany is about 90 miles to the east. Some of you may remember Woodstock ’99 being held in neighboring Rome on the former Griffiss Air Force Base, 12 miles to the west. Now that was crazy.
So I have plenty of time throughout the day to ponder the mysteries of life. I’ve tried talk radio but couldn’t really stomach it. How annoying is Laura Ingraham? I’d rather drip battery acid into my eyes than give Rush Limbaugh any consideration whatsoever. I’m not a big fan of audio books. Radio isn’t an option because I’m constantly in and out of coverage areas, which is really annoying, and the commercials are almost as irritating as the ones on television. I simply refuse to pay for XM.
So that leaves my trusty iPod or the occasional blessed silence. I’ve got five days of music on my iPod and that’s not enough, but thankfully it’s only half full. One band I frequently turn to is Los Angeles-based System of a Down. SOAD’s wildly unorthodox, often haunting musical style and powerful political message appeals to my own rebellious, unorthodox nature.
Some of you may remember not long ago a debate in Washington concerning the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Being descendants of survivors of the genocide, SOAD band members have been unrelenting, outspoken activists in raising awareness not only through their music but through political activism.
Although many of their songs like Holy Mountains revolve around the Armenian Genocide of 1915, other political and personal messages abound in their music. One such song, and the inspiration for this blog, is from their 2002 release, “Steal This Album!” entitled A.D.D. (American Dream Denial).
We fought your wars with all our hearts
You sent us back in body parts
You took our wills with the truth you stole
We offer prayers for your long lost souls
There is no flag that is large enough
To hide the shame of a man in cuffs
You switched your signs then you closed the blinds
You changed the channels and you changed our minds
We don’t give a damn about your world
With all your global profits and all your jeweled pearls
We don’t give a damn about your world
Your remainder is an unjustifiable egotistical power struggle
At the expense of the American Dream
Of the American Dream
Of the American
I’ve always had an appreciation for good writing. As I find with my own feeble attempts, it’s always easier to think than it is to translate those thoughts coherently to the reader, much less in a powerfully creative way. Sometimes I’ll read one of Doug’s Rants and the subject matter will invade my thoughts periodically throughout the day, only to have them scatter to the winds when I sit down to offer my opinion.
What strikes me with this particular ditty is the obvious inference that the fabled American Dream is dying because we’re either not paying attention at all or we’re constantly distracted by the endless procession of issues to digest. Like the real A.D.D., focus becomes difficult under the sheer weight of everything gone haywire, struggling for mental clarity amid the din of the punditry and politicians. We either tune out, remaining ignorant but by no means blissful, or we find ourselves scatter-brained and weary from the unrelenting onslaught of perpetual crisis.
The focus right now should not be healthcare, it should be the economy. Passing a monstrous spending program in the face of looming depression – oh I’m sorry, a jobless recovery – is simply not the smartest thing to do at this particular moment from an economic standpoint alone, much less any of the other crazy plundering schemes packed into an ever-growing piece of legislation.
The government has to get this money from somewhere. Since the government doesn’t actually produce any thing – other than pain and suffering, that is - that leaves good ole John Q. Public footing the bill for this wild experiment. That’s you and me, folks. To think otherwise is pure fantasy. It’s simple mathematics. They’re already spending more than twice their income. A luxury to be envied for sure, but it can’t last.
Oh they say they’ll only tax this group or that group, cut spending on this program or that one, but in the end the costs always trickle down to the lowly masses. Already fees and taxes are rising on just about everything. In New York alone they’re considering forcing us to buy new license plates every year for $25.00 in a “deficit-reduction plan,” with an additional $20.00 fee if you want the same tag each year.
How about a deficit-reduction plan that involves reducing the amount of self-important, pot-bellied bureaucrats lording over us like so many feudal barons? Give them a little taste of the fruits of their labor - in the unemployment line.
We need to bring prosperity back to this country. That starts with ending the destructive policies of the Federal Reserve and their whipping boy in the Treasury. You can’t do any thing unless you have a stable, transparent currency. We are very close to realizing that goal. This would be a massive victory for every man, woman and child in this country, not to mention the rest of the world.
There are still some good men and women in the House of Representatives, as evidenced by these videos...The grilling of Timothy, Part I Part II.We need to voice our support for what they do and urge our own representatives to support these positions. We need to urge them to get behind H.R. 1207 and S. 604 in their original form. We need to actually resolve something for once.
And that takes focus.
Technorati Tags: 
Dear Griff;
I hear the minstrel resolve in your heart.
Might I offer Woody Guthrie;
Too, inflame the savage breast?
And you've got the heart of a poet, with the skills to match. I always admire your way with words.
Thanks griff for sharing a bit of who you are; ie. your core persona and thoughts as to how you feel the "worm turns". I'm with you 100%+...:D
You, myself and thousands of others are savvy to our impending national demise and the dark forces that are responsible; but, we are essentially wasting our time trying to enlist the support of others in our campaign for "true liberty" for all men and women in our times.
Public forums give us a way to vent our frustrations; ie., our spleens; regardless, this nation is headed for disaster. : (
Only out of such grave circumstances shall we survive or perish as a nation.
Dont' think for moment that I think my writings will make a difference, its simply personal catharsis.
You write quite well my friend in thought. Quit feeling so unsure of your abilities to influence others with your fine writing supported by a keen, well-researched intellect. : )
Carl Nemo **==
Thanks Carl. I harbor no illusions as to the efficacy of our musings, but I do sense a change in the tide. I see thousands turning to millions. Whether or not that will translate into anything substantial remains to be seen, but I can only hope to provoke a little deeper thought.
A waste of time to be sure; but as you suggest, at the very least a mental pressure valve. Besides, I can't play my drums after the wife goes to bed.
Strangely enough, my biggest influence in writing style - if you can call it that - happens to be Stephen King. I used to be a big fan of King, Koontz and the like, but I find politics to be far more terrifying than anything the master of horror could conjure.
Like you, I'm more at ease commenting on other stories, but I do find inspiration for the occasional blog. In fact I have several that I just can't seem to finish properly. It's actually a rare occasion when I can pull one together completely.
Perhaps I suffer from a touch of A.D.D. myself.
"This land is my land, this land is your land" We sang that Guthrie song every Saturday during rehearsals at the Will Geer Theater.
Carl and Griff. Every word you write will influence the rest of us and we will fight back when necessary. These public forums are as necessary as anything we take in during the years. I learned that people will not accept my words as long as I am not a Christian. Wow, I will never get over the shock. It gave me a whole new look at American Values and how out of touch true liberty is displayed.
Yesterday at Reader Rant they gave the day in recognition of the "Gettysburg Address." But what part of "Equal" has been redefined as for only White Christian Straight Men?
I only wish that we would fight back before it becomes totally necessary, but I guess that's the way it is. We need to take a page out of Dubya's playbook and adopt a pre-emptive strategy.
Griff, we are fighting back. We are honing our tools for action with our dialog. From these forums and information sites, I learned that I was wrong in blaming religion for dumbing down the American people. Once the human soul is convinced that a higher being (whether a god or government) is accepted as the final authority, nothing will ever be considered equal, rational or ethical.
I threw in the towel when I realized that only when a new authority is offered to the American people, will they move off their apathy. I comes down to designing a new boogyman.
I realized I was never going to see freedom in America again. I've been drawn back to CHB and suddenly I realized a new brand of Americans were searching for the freedoms too. My focus is now with a new movement separating the church and state. I will not mention the organization again as it would seem I am pandering for members. Doug is right, keep this out of CHB.
Sandy
"We are honing our tools for action with our dialog."
Sandra, can you please tell me what that means?
Almandine, it means getting a team together to discuss seriously how get our nation back under our control. For the first time, I can see the use of the internet to correspond with others who are as pissed off as the rest of us.
When I worked our district in Los Angeles County we used post cards to distribute information.
Hi Sandra Price,
All the team talk and work in the world cannot change the course of our nation and its failing societal paradigm.
One man, one woman, one silly vote each is all we've got!
Corporatists have commandeered our nation at the highest levels. They control their Congressional puppets with their contributions year around whereas individual Americans are only "allowed" to indemnify the corporatists' selection of candidates who've been proffered to us by the MSM also owned by the same corporatists.
The only thing that might turn things around is an asteroid incoming, a Yellowstone Basin eruption or a massive solar flare destroying electronic infrastructure; forcing our nation to retreat to its shores along with a collapse of the "New American Empire" that's been relentlessly trying to force its will upon the world ever so incrementally since WWII. The U.S. has become a planetary "pest"!
Concerning the ultimate outcome in terms of our way of life; "We're toast"...! : |
Don't waste the last precious years of your life playing noisome, ever so busy, "team games" unless it's your recreational endeavor.
Carl Nemo **==
Couldn't have said it better.
Any other options are way beyond the intestinal fortitude of our brethren. In fact, most Americans are clearly happy with their political lot... for at least another year or so. Then it won't be elections, but societal collapse that rings the bell, clears the head, and wakes them from the stupor. Hunger is a powerful force. Mayhem even stronger.
A few pols are beginning to get the drift of where we're headed. You can sense the fear in what some of them are saying about healthcare and cap-and-tax. Right now it's only their jobs they're worried about, but I believe they know deep down that they will be called to account at some point. By then, "hang the bastards" will be a well-worn rallying cry.
Who hasn't thought it already?
Hear! Hear!
Aye! And seconded!
Think back two years ago when the campaigns for nomination were hot and heavy. Who in their right mind would have seen HOPE come up with a black candidate from the notoriously corrupt Chicago? That win was a lighted flame for me to believe that the people can rise up and change the system.
In this case, HOPE failed to make instantaneous corrections. We have seen his plans and we have seen them plowed under by the good-ole-boys on the hill. Do we give up, go home and whine?
President Bush got us into this ridiculous war based on well thought-out lies and it is up to us to pressure the White House to get us out. If the GOP had not fallen into a form of religious crusades, they might have given a little thought on how to stop the corporations from moving off shore. The GOP has changed from fiscally conservative ideals to forcing Christian laws on all the American families. In my world they have to be thrown out of office. I came from 3 Conservative forums who have turned into war machines in the name of Jesus Christ. My opinion is that if they are going to use and abuse their God, they try it using his words, not Rush's. Dump the damn Republican Congress and bring in other Representatives. I see nothing wrong with "Independents" as long as they can work to get our jobs back, our kids educated and survive with a separation of church and state.
We need some spine in our government with an oath to stop the corruption. Tell the Lobbyists that anyone accepting their bribes will be punished. It wouldn't hurt to have a leader who when pulling our troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan that any reaction to our leaving will bring a bomb making their cities molten glass.
However, it appears we did not elect a leader with a spine or balls. Is there anyone here who can remember the Korean disasters and the Vietnamese mess? We are being threatened by Islam and it has changed the American people into war lords.
The voters will listen to their preachers whose only purpose is to make more Christians.
We have a team building here at CHB and we are not war lords but people concerned with the American people.
I still have my share of intestinal fortitude. I've been add it for 50 years.
Sandy
Wow I won't even attempt to respond to any of this but to suggest you find yourself a nice liberal forum on which to voice this craziness. You're all over the place yet nowhere. Honestly I don't know what Doug was thinking.
Tone it down griff. If you want to question my thinking, direct the comments to me.
It's my comments that have upset him. I am out of line searching for a team of thinkers to inspire some hope for our future. I have not a drop of Liberal blood but there are enough Liberals as pissed off with the system as I am. I will not again try to inspire anything else.
I would like to think that when all you find yourself in your last decade and realize how little any of us contributed to the desire for change you might want to do something about it.
Sandy
First of all I'm not part of any team nor do I have the desire to be. Secondly your comments don't upset me in the least - they sadden me. Thirdly you inject the same rantings into every comment regardless of the subject matter. While you may consider it inspiring, I consider it a personal vendetta.
Okay, it is time for a time out. I need a break too.
We went from white picket fences to burned out shacks in 60 years. An honest days work has been replaced by which con-man can score the largest fraud. It's a free-for-all for tax payer money and mom and pop are crying on the curb of Main Street wondering where their home, retirement, and soon health insurance went. But young Billy and Sally still have lots of options. They can either join the military or the civilian corps!