Happy birthday America!

  

It took a little while to digest my hamburgers and hotdogs. Happy late birthday? 

Yep, July 4th has rolled around yet again! Of course, we know what this means- hot dogs, hamburgers, apple pie, and of course fireworks! It is just as good a reason to get sloppy drunk as any other reason you can come up with. I've seen fireworks before and they are beautiful. I'm no longer into sitting around waiting in the heat wondering what kind of lunatics are around me, and getting stuck in the most epic traffic jam my city can produce. Still, the fractals produced in fireworks are among the most beautiful things I've ever seen. Yeah, watching fireworks online or TV is not the same but it will do for now. Other than the aforementioned foods and blowout sales on Dodges, Fords and Chevys, what does this holiday even mean? Let's think about it. No, this is not going to be an anti U.S.A. rant but we will review some uncomfortable truths.

 

Our list of sins is long and varied. Slavery, genocide of native peoples, lynchings, the overthrow of democratically elected governments around the world for profit and or power and destruction of the natural environment are just a few in a very long list. I'm sure you could think of plenty more. Some would have us believe asking uncomfortable questions is unpatriotic. Those who don't “support the troops,” demand fair labor practices, seek equal rights more often than not get labeled as unamerican or unpatriotic. I'm sure there are plenty of other groups that also get an anti-American label whether they deserve it or not. We drink our own poison kool-aid, trading historical facts, our own all too human failings and flaws, and numerous criminalities for myths and fantasies designed to keep us comfortable, complicit, compliant and docile. The “winners” in our so-called system are happy to keep the status quo. The idea of it is “not a problem until it affects me” is far too prevalent in our country today. It seems to be a mantra in the Republican Party but I'm afraid they're not the only ones. Many in the so-called middle class cannot even be bothered to vote even if they don't like how things are going. Pro Tip- Maybe give them to actually vote for?? 

 

To be all doom and gloom is the path of least resistance. For example, I think everything is shitty and cannot be changed, I absolve myself of having to try. What's even worse is when I poo poo those who are trying to change things for the better. We often get comfortable in our own positions. Cynicism is something that's easy to hide behind. Hide from what? Our collective responsibility to make the world a better place for all of us is something each of us should strive for rather than being a wine bag. Being sour and cynical does not an intellectual make. It is okay to be critical of something but you need to have a positive alternative. Most of the time, I disagree with our foreign policy. I think we can do a lot more good in the world if we put the wellness of others ahead of Fortune 500 profit margins. How do we make changes for the better in the world we have?

 

I agree our democratic processes and institutions are eroding away. Sure, the Supreme Court is doing some nutty things lately. One of our political parties is in the process of surrendering to fascism and or becoming a cult of personality. The other party is still mostly bought and paid for by big business. Both the cult of personality and big business benefit from making most of us feel powerless. There is a huge swath of non voters who have the ability to make our country and perhaps the rest of the world much better off. The news, talking heads and the powers behind them have a vested interest in making people feel powerless. They love doomers, non-voters and the apathetic. A revolving door of cookie-cutter politicians does little to help. I don't mind old politicians as long as they are competent, healthy and sane. But I hope to see a future with more young people in the mix. We need balance. We need leaders with a vision for the future, willing to leave the past in the past. Apathetic politicians lead to apathetic voters. 

We need politicians who can inspire non-voters to vote. Don't ask why non-voters are so lazy. Rather ask, where are the leaders who can inspire, include and lead from the front! Who can offer voters something to vote FOR? I think the right leadership is a strong way to reduce voter apathy. Yes, our birthday is worth celebrating. It's never hopeless. Anyone who says otherwise question carefully. Want a better world? Change it.