A True Democracy

When our Founding Fathers put together the Constitution, the concept of instantaneous communication was not even a possibility. The fastest mode of transportation was the horse or the sailing vessel. Communication took days to reach another state and months to reach another country. If memory serves, in the War of 1812, at the Battle of New Orleans, the war was already over when the two armies clashed. I am sure that this was not the only instance of that occurring. But technology has provided us with the ability to stand almost anywhere on Earth and with the push of a button, talk to almost anyone on Earth. This is beyond anything that could have been imagined in 1789.

So, with the ability to communicate instantly, we have the ability to be relay information in the same manner. We have moved to electronic voting machines to elect our officials. Why don’t we take that a step further and eliminate the elected officials? Our elected officials have become dynastic in how they are elected to office with families becoming brand names for the masses. The idea of ruling families are one of the things we fought a revolution to get away from. They are so absorbed with maintaining their positions that they are ignoring the wishes of those they govern. There has to be a better way to create and pass legislation that does not require a group of pampered men and women to do what they think is best without the blessing of those they govern.

With the advent of instant communication and the computer, it is possible to vote on legislation and do it in a truly democratic manner. Instead of a representative democracy, we could become a direct democracy where the people choose instead of families of people who are there only to enrich themselves. It eliminates the privilege of being elected and changes it to people taking responsibility for themselves. Instead of blaming the government for creating laws or not fixing problems, the people would only have themselves to blame. It would take a Constitutional amendment to eliminate a branch of government but it would only be the method that was eliminated, not the practice of majority rules. Of course, the people that would be responsible for putting this in place are the very ones that would be out of a job. Maybe a grass roots movement to get the right people elected in mass would provide the catalyst for change.

So you ask, “What am I smoking?” It is certainly not OP’s.

Icool

Cobb

Giant Penguins Just Not In Billy Madison

My children love the movie Billy Madison. Who does not like Adam Sandler and his brand of child like humor? He is a likeable guy who put out a string of comedies during the 90’s that kept people entertained and made him a big star. An early scene from Billy Madison is when Adam is coming up to the house from the pool. His buddies have been drinking all day and it is the day his nudie magazine arrives. As he approaches the house, he sees a giant penguin that taunts him. In a drunken stupor he tries to catch the penguin and creates quite a mess. Well, we have confirmation that giant penguins did exist. Unfortunately, they died out long before Adam Sandler wrote them into the script.

I an article in Yahoo today, they detail the findings of the bones of giant penguins found in Peru. Scientists date these skeletons to one of the warmest periods in the last 65 million years. So it is confirmed that giant penguins lived during a very warm period in our history. We now find penguins living in the coldest areas of our world. Just ask any of the numerous movie animations released in the last two years staring penguins and you will find out that we are trying to return them to their warm weather ancestry. Man is destroying the environment of the penguins by making poor movies that detail how penguins feel. Last I heard, birds didn’t talk and CO2 was a by-product of respiration.

The article really shows how animals adapt to their environment. As the environment changes, animals either adapt of die. Since giant penguins have not been seen, except in the movies, there is a good likelihood that they no longer exist. However, the species adapted and continues to thrive in other environments. Adaptation has been going on for millions of years and there are still new species being discovered by man every year. Since they have not found any SUV’s in the archeological sites, I do not think that man can be blamed for the penguin’s extinction. Maybe the archeologists will find a stone age Fred Flintstone style vehicle near the site so we can assign the blame to the correct party.

Icool

Cobb

The Fuzzy Side of Liberalism

I equate being a liberal to being a socialist. I know that this may not be a fair comparison for all liberals but experience has led me to believe that if you claim to be a liberal, you are more inclined to the thinking of Karl Marx than Ronald Reagan. One of the main tenants of socialism is equality for all. That primarily means financial equality and typically applies only for rich, evil capitalists. We should tax the rich and redistribute the wealth to those who are less fortunate. All in all it is a vision of a utopian society where no one can exert power over any one else simply because they have the means to do so. In practice, all we have to do is look at the former Soviet Union to see how putting this in practice leads to one screwed up society.

If you look at people that have achieved financial success, you find that they either worked very hard to get there or were very lucky (which translates into being in the right place at the right time.) The ones who put their sweat into the process usually continue to strive for additional success. I would translate this kind of success as winning. After all, you have succeeded in achieving financial success so you have won that leg of the race. So winning would be something a wealthy person has achieved.

Athletes also play to win and are rewarded in a similar manner. When is the last time you heard someone complaining about the high wages they are paying athletes and saying they are not worth it? But we continue to root for our teams and pay to watch them either live or on the idiot box. When our teams win, we are excited because they have proven they are better than their opponent. For someone who appreciates that the spoils of success should go to the victor, they can appreciate the win. For those who think that success should be distributed equally among everyone, it is hypocritical to even root for a team. There should be no success because that leads to inequality. The idea of winning and distribution of equality are mutually exclusive.

People desire to be noticed and appreciated. It is part of human makeup. We want to be recognized and achieve some level of success. That level greatly depends on our own ego and sense of self esteem. For those who understand that you are responsible for your own destiny, they get the meaning of winning. For those who think that the world owes them, winning is nothing more than something to celebrate. Just wait until the next round of championship games and order another beer.

Icool

Cobb

Get The Hint

There is a big disconnect between the wishes of the American population and our elected leaders. I know that I have been harping on this topic lately but it bothers me that we are so blind. We continue to send the same lame excuses for leaders to Washington and they continue to ignore everything we tell them to do. Talk about a narcissistic approach to government. I am beginning to think that Americans are suffering from schizophrenia. After all we keep sending the same people to govern our nation again and again, each time hoping that the outcome will be different. Of course the idea that an entire nation can be that gullible is just plain silly.

So what can we do? To start, we need a better communication method with Washington. The recent immigration bill has caused quite a stir and people have been calling, writing and e-mailing their Congressmen and Senators to let them know what they want. Unfortunately, some of the narcissists chose to categorize the wishes of their constituents as prejudice and racist. I view the desire to have our current laws enforced to be just good citizenship. Oh dopey me. Maybe with the advent of the internet, we can dispose of Congress and the Senate and have a popular vote on what we need. That takes out the middleman. Technology creates the ability to alter our situation.

Another option would be rotating the whole group out of power. After all, Ted Kennedy has been in office almost my entire life. A President only gets 8 years to screw things up. Kennedy has been destroying people’s lives for two generations. What amazes me is that he is still looked at with favor by those in Washington, namely our President. We have developed family dynasties that do nothing but run for office and attempt to dictate their personal whims and desires on an unknowing public. Most of the time they exempt themselves from the rules they enact. Talk about creating a privilege class. And yet we reelect them. We need to do something. Change the mix.

Icool

Cobb

Narcissus In The Mirror

I wanted to take a stroll down the aisle of Greek mythology and look at the story of what has become a god for many in America; Narcissus. There are several versions of the story, so I will choose the classis one. Narcissus was a young man who was very pretty. One day he was looking at his reflection in a pool of water and fell in love with the person he was looking at; himself. He only realized his folly when he tried to kiss the person and found his lips meeting the water. He was so distraught that he could not realize his true love, that he killed himself. Of course the story ends in the fashion that all good Greek myths end, with death and tragedy.

Americans have become worshippers at the altar of Narcissus. We are in love with ourselves. We are obsessed with physical beauty and physical perfection. We feel the need to have the newest accessory, shiniest car, the biggest house. It is not a matter of whether we can afford it; it is a matter of how soon we can get it. American culture has become one of unbridled desire to have everything you can want instead of being happy with what you currently have. Patience is no longer a virtue, it is a relic left from my grandparents generation. We have become a country where waiting to get something is no longer acceptable. This must feel very much like the Roaring 20’s.

Is there a way to undo this kneeling at the altar of Narcissus? Can Americans change their ways and become rational in their expectations? I think there are several ways to get back to a more reasonable level of personal desire. The first is to be responsible parents. I heard a story this morning about wealthy New York parents renting private jets at $8000 per child to send their child to summer camp. What message are you sending a child when you remove them from the “camp bus” and send them in exclusive fashion.
Parents should also expose their children to the teachings of their faith. My preference would be to expose them to Jesus Christ but most religions teach a solid moral foundation. Parents would be the start to a change in our current plight.

The other, more draconian measure would be for a depression like what followed the Roaring 20’s. When people have to stand in line for food and jobs. When it is a struggle just get what you need to survive. When the house of cards collapses, Americans would be forced to begin depending on each other instead of trying to depend on just themselves. This is not the future I am looking to live through. I would rather our nation change their views because they see the futility of their present path. I am not daft enough to think that we will choose what is best for us. After all, we paid more attention to Paris Hilton and her jail sentence than we did to what our government is doing last week. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Icool

Cobb

Exception To the Law

We now have two ways to legally break the law. The first one is to illegally enter the United States from south of the border and be coveted as a potential voter for a national party. We have seen evidence of this in the way our current elected officials have ignored the current laws governing the way illegal aliens should be treated. Unfortunately they have ignored the issue to the tune of an estimated 12 million illegals in our country. Too many to round up and deport you say? Well, look at the alternatives.

The other is the tried and true method of becoming an elected government official. Look at any member of Congress that has been pulled over for drinking/drugs/not wearing their seat belt or the number of times a member of Congress has been caught on camera taking a bribe, offering a bribe, or some other illegal action. They get a slap on the wrist and are scolded by the party’s top brass but little else happens. When you can create the laws, you can also exempt yourself from having to live within them. It is a nice way of creating an elite, almost royal class that is beyond the law. Sounds a little too much like 18th century Europe to me. I thought that was one of the reasons we set up a three branch form of government was to eliminate that form of tyranny.

So what do we do to begin universal law enforcement for all citizens? Well, it begins by eliminating one problem which will allow nature to take its course. If we purge Washington of all of the career politicians who have entrenched themselves into the fabric of our government, we create a clean slate for at least a few years. We then have to figure out how to ensure that Congress stays bulimic and does not keep anyone in for any length of time. Without the factions looking for the next roast to carve up on their path to greater glory, they will have little time to do anything but pass spending bills to keep national parks going. A perfect way to stop their continuous attempt to interfere in our daily lives. Without the interference of Congress, our legal system will have the time and ability to find and deport the 12 million illegal entrants to our country. We can give them pamphlets on their way out as to how to legally enter the country. At least then they will know the law. Of course, we will have to make them is espanol for the bleeding hearts who want to show that level of compassion. Vivo en Los Estados Unidos. Hablo ingles.

Icool

Cobb

Immigration vs. Irrigation

One of the most apparent events that have happened with our nation’s elected officials is their complete misunderstanding of the wants of those who elected them. Americans are not happy with Washington’s view of enforcing current law. It seems that our Congressmen and Senators as well as the executive branch, namely W, have lost focus on the importance what it means to be an American. This is a land that was established by those seeking a better life. People immigrated here following the rules that are dictated by either Britain, initially, and the United States after that. If you did not meet the requirements, you went home.

Now we have something akin to the gold rush of ’49 with people on our southern border flocking to our country. Our government has done as little as possible to stem this flood. We continue to keep our border virtually unguarded and open to virtually everyone that can sneak across. I do not mind these folks immigrating to our country. What I find the most appalling is our government’s unwillingness to enforce the current laws. They prefer to shirk their responsibility by trying to ram a new looser set of rules that grant amnesty to the estimated 12 million illegals.

Basically, our elected officials are hosing the American public. Instead of doing the right thing and living up to the responsibility they accepted when they took office, they are ignoring the will of the people and creating bigger fiefdoms for themselves. I say we need to throw all of the bastards out. That is not meant to be gender specific. We need to remove the entrenched elite from our nation’s capital and get a new group of soon to be entrenched elite in place. At least we may have a few years of rational legislation before the lunacy begins again. As the Joker says in the 1st Batman movie, “This town needs an enema.”

Icool

Cobb