Another year, a bit of a rambling rant...
Well, here I am a year later. Not everyone made it, just how it goes. Birthdays are no longer about parties, birthday cake (don't need the extra calories, fat grams or tooth decay) or even presents (do I need an iPad or a nicer TV? Nah.). Birthdays are good days to reflect on where we've been in the last year and where we want to go in the coming year. I feel neither guilt from the past or worry for the future. So what about the past? And what's next?
I feel a little better both physically and mentally. Want to feel better and save money? Eat less. Eat out less often. Replace screen time with cooking. Pay attention to what you put in your body. Okay, enough preaching. I'll eat cake and drink beer again, just not too much, hopefully. Over-all the covid blues are fading in the mirror and history books. It was not the first pandemic, nor will it be the last. Next time, tell 'em Obama wants you to NOT get vaccinated! I doubt we'll have the good, common sense to not politicize something as simple and straight forward as a vaccine. The powers that be need to take politicization into account when creating a response to the next pandemic or disaster. So what else?
Biden will probably never recover from the debacle of our Afghan pull-out. It does not matter that Trump made that deal or a 100,000 got out for a shot at a better life. Yes, too many were indeed left behind. Please tell me, oh great generals behind the screens and keyboards, what specifically what you would have done differently? Send in our great grandchildren and their kids? Simply steal the vast mineral wealth? I'm all ears. It was a shit-show from the get go with no good ending possible (except all the contractors, middle men and security goons who got rich).
Now the freedom crowd is crying about high gas prices and inflation. Suddenly, they want government action! No, no, no- this is the Capitalism you love so much at it's finest. Let the market sort it out. The energy giants are laughing their collective asses off while banking your money. Spell it with me now--- R-E-C-O-R-D P-R-O-F-I-T-S. That's not a bug, it's a feature. Production's down and demand is up, simple supply and demand. The lack of even basic understanding of economics is astounding! Look, it runs in cycles and this will pass.
The world looks on as Russia slowly tries to grind Ukraine into dust. Russia has gone from respected power to a pariah state almost over night. A pariah state with the world's largest supply of strategic and tactical nukes must be dealt with carefully but dealt with none the less. Keyboard generals, tell me what else Biden can do? Just keep fighting Ukraine, you cannot lose.
Our epidemic of mass shootings continues unabated. The knee jerk reaction is take away the guns. While that's a nice thought, it's not happening anytime soon. Can we return to a time when guns were just guns and not symbols of toxic masculinity, right-wing hate and pretend bad-ass Cosplay? Can we stop making mass murders instantly famous? Can we hold parents / guardians of minors who commit man murder criminally accountable? Can we reimagine schools as more than pre-jail for prisons and the corporate workplace? Can we rebuild our mental healthcare system (one that does not lead to bankruptcy)? And yes, bring back the assault weapons ban. Given long enough, it will have an impact. Vote out the lunatics that like guns (gun lobby money) more than safe theaters, schools, churches, bars and restaurants.
Yes, we are going through a period of rapid change with no plan, no known destination totally in the dark. I'll share what my Dad told me decades ago, "Freedom means freedom to fail also. We're free to totally fuck up." We can also help bend the arc towards justice. It is never too late.
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