Bad moon risin'?

[Atticus]

I'm sure that this will tend to ramble somewhat---and I'm aware that some would consider that par for the course.

I have been thinking about this post for at least a couple of weeks; not so much composing it as trying to talk myself out of writing it. I don't think I can avoid it any longer, but I'm sure not happy about it.

I am afraid that my generation witnessed the peak of America's influence, its promise, its potential to permanently alter for the better the human family's existence on this small blue planet. I fear that we have had our chance and, blinded by hubris and intoxicated with materiality, we have forfeited the opportunity to create an age when "peace will rule the planets and love will steer the stars".

We, as a nation, seem to have abandoned most of the qualities which I was taught define righteousness and nobility. Those are odd words to use in a modern political discussion, I understand, but that is part of the problem. America once called us to be noble and righteous. Honesty, generosity---of purse and spirit---and genuine concern for those less fortunate were qualities that we actually tried to emulate. We didn't always manage it, but we tried.

Today---and for some time now---truth and calumny are sold as equivalents. Intellect is slandered as "elitism" and ignorance is proudly hailed as integrity. Fact and fiction are obsolete and irrelevant terms as what matters is simply that which is believed.

We no longer lead the world in any category we'd care to publicize. Our jobs have been exported. Our resources are being sold to others who are more capable of using them. Our creativity---that uniquely American spark of "we'll find a way"---has been sacrificed on the altar of superstitious dogma and religiosity.

Others will discover the miracles concealed in stem cells and will sell them to us.

Others will harness the energy of the sun and wind and hydrogen and sources not yet dreamed of---and sell it to us.

Others will, hopefully, farm our fields well---and sell our food to us.

And, some day, if we do not extinguish ourselves with warfare or pollution, scholars in great universities---in Darjeeling and Shenyang, perhaps---may analyze the civilization which once flourished in North America and speculate as to what caused its fall from grace.

You can see why I tried to talk myself out of posting my thoughts. Maybe I'm just "going through a rough patch", but the "good guys" sure seem to be losin'.

[cliffordu]

1. K&R.

[annabanana]

2. sigh.. yeah

I hear you.

[ellaydubya]

3. Whew!!! A tough one to post, for sure......heavy on the heart.

I am afraid this may well be the reality. Thank you for the words.

[troubledamerican]

4. Statistic: Top 25% of China IQs outnumber entire population of North America

Statistic: Top 27% of India IQs outnumber entire population of North America.

Watch the first 2 minutes of this video, then go to Amazon to purchase "Rosetta Stone: Mandarin Chinese" and start learning the language -- before the mountain-sized steamroller hits you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q

[jotsy]

5. You might consider changing that last i there to an e.

BTW, You ramble well enough for me to know a good read is on the way when I see your name.

Candor and cause can no longer be found in the same corral. I describe myself often as one seeking a just truth, the harder I look, the wider that gap grows. At this point, I think we might do more damage trying to avoid the fall and that it's likely best to simply brace for it. If ever there was a dawn of the age of reason, I fear it is us that gets to bear witness to its twilight.

One last little note in a bit of a o me-o bio moment. In the early to mid 80's, as an arrogant 20 something, I managed to stumble into the search business and spent 4 years working as what's affectionately referred to as a 'headhunter' specializing in the high tech industry. Folks then were all hot and bothered about what they then called photo-voltaic technology, a term now more known as solar power. That was 25 years ago. I believe that existing energy suppliers have squashed any notion of other and perhaps healthier options for longer than any of us realize. What I think I'm trying to say that all that kept us from remaining at the forefront of development in any capacity was the desire to create cornered markets and monopolies.

Kicked.

[Bonobo]

6. "The good guys"

Are you sure America ever really was "the good guys"?

Maybe that. too. was just a load of malarkey.

If we (you) were, it was for a twinkling of an instant, but even that I doubt.

Otherwise, I completely agree. America should have a fork stuck in its ass. It is finished.

[Atticus]

8. Never intended to limit "good guys" to Americans. I meant all who genuinely believed that we---the

human race---could learn to live together and actually leave the world better than we found it; people who knew that love and sharing and acceptance and tolerance weren't just for flower children.

[liberaltrucker]

7. You put my thoughts into your words

Thank you so much. My sole consolation is that
I'll be dead when the shit REALLY hits the fan.
May (deity) help those who come after us.

:cry:

[Solomon]

9. Agreed. When Bush was in office I thought then we had passed

the point of no return. Then when we elected Obama, I got hope again. I got hope because the administration is trying to restore the kind of values that you are speaking of, the things that make America America. But sadly, the atmosphere won't let them do it. Every altruistic intention is ridiculed. Beat down. And worse, when you can't make it happen, you get the blame.

I thought it was a brilliant idea to make the move to a green economy. Invent and develop the new technology, make new avenues of employment by doing this, get ahead of the curve and lead the world on it so we could have the work of introducing and selling it to the rest of the world. I've been telling people that if we don't do this and get the jump on creating and developing it, we will wind up having to buy it from foreign countries.

I remember reading sometime ago an article where they were talking about repairing and fixing the NY subway system and that the cost would be about 4 billiob dollars. We have lost so much that not one American company even bid on the job. Not one American company had the ability to do the job so they had to hire a foreign company. That is just sad. We can't even employ our citizens to repair our own infrastructure, which is desperately needed.

The reason the right-wing and the racists are mad, is that whites have finally reached the point where it is no longer guaranteed that the children would make more than the parents. That used to be automatic. Each generation improved on the previous one. Until we fix the system, that's not going to happen anymore for a while. People are having a very hard time dealing with that reality and they express their anger by blaming other people for the situation.

I'm still not ready to throw in the towel- not just yet. I still believe, actually the opposite of what relion teaches, that we weren't created perfect and then fell. I believe we evolved out of the mud and the muck and are steadily evolving upwards. And that no matter how bad things may seem, we are still on the upward march. Sure, we might not continie to be first in every category, the next jumps may have to happen elsewhere. But I still have hope for mankind.

We have lost our real values in favor of empty slogans and platitudes.

[Pholus]

10. I hear ya but...

I always loved talking to my Dad (born 1920). He shot pretty straight about things and guess what -- they were worried about the same stuff back then.

We aren't done yet.

I read this here just yesterday: "Don't hide from the storm, just learn to enjoy dancing in the rain." (or something close).