Posted by Frankly Francis on January 30, 2010 under Social Issues/Politics | 
I watched only a small portion of President Obama’s State of the Union Address.
It was as if I had a socially allergic reaction to all of the camaraderie amongst the “politicos” in the pre-address portion. Apparently, the Club of the Nobility had assembled. They looked rather pleased with themselves. A veritable wing-ding on the Hill.
You see, I just don’t get that kind of behavior, especially in these times.
I’m more interested in seeing a serious, somber understanding that they have real obligations to the people they represent kind of attitude amongst the gang at the political soiree.
Very early on in the Address, the President got a big hearty laugh from everyone when he mentioned the politics of the bail-out. Everyone had a smile on their face, happiness throughout the room. Now that’s bi-partisanship! That was it for me…all done.
Same Old, Same Old
There are 535 elected federal officials who legislate what happens in this country. What we are facing, in any regard, cannot happen without their blessing or at worst, their lack of action. And it seems to me that they need to do a much better job.
On the other hand, the apathy of the American people is a wonder in itself. So, if I think that through…So, maybe they don’t really need to do a better job…And, they are bright enough to understand that…And – Hey, wait a minute…
Obama is politically positioning himself to have two terms of office and use the Machiavellian technique of handing out good in bits over time.
Here’s my thought:
When government does something it will be half as good at twice the price.
Even better, here’s a thought from C.S. Lewis:
“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. “
But don’t blame government. Something is what something is. Government is government. It’s just the way that it is. The Founding Fathers knew that and did their best to contain that beast. So if we do need blame – the comfortably numb, the people get my vote.
Look, I’m not getting any younger. I do not want my descendents to look back upon me and say that I was part of the generation that gave America away. I have to believe that you don’t want that to be said of you either.
Frankly,
Francis
Posted by Frankly Francis on February 11, 2009 under Social Issues/Politics |
Doom and gloom can be an easy trap to fall into. After all, does not misery love company? Well, obsess negatively if you must, but I do not. I think that this is a most wonderful time to be alive.
The Last 100 Years
Let’s take a look at just a few of the advances over the last century. To start with, we had this thing called the Industrial Revolution, the catapult for all to come. Municipal electricity and the telephone were great advances. Then we have readily available automobiles (the horseless carriage, in the vernacular of the time) soon followed by the airplane, television and walking on the moon. Of course my personal favorite advancement during this time period was in-door plumbing.
The Last 25 Years
My youngest daughter, at age 18, has no conception that we ever lived without the Internet, much less computers or 3,147 television channels. Cell phones are ubiquitous. GPS is readily accessible. Digital everything. But, remember that even within this very time frame, pocket calculators and LED watches first became economical to everyone.
The Present
The Technological/Information Revolution may make the Industrial Revolution look like a hiccup. The rate of technology turnover is at an unprecedented level and appears to be only getting faster. People are living longer, coupled with a much higher quality of life.
Ray Kurzweil, technology visionary, is planning on living forever and not in the “so far, so good” sense. He believes that if he lives responsibly, in the near future, medical science will be able to fix him before he breaks permanently. Kurzweil is a brilliant human and his opinion is not to be taken lightly.
The Future
It is not only reasonable, but also highly likely, based on the march of technology, that within 20 years we will be able to derive ALL of our energy needs from solar power. That does not factor current advancements in electric, wind, geo-thermal, hydrogen and nuclear technologies. Also, nanotechnology and robotics have some really interesting aspects.
So if you are worried about global warming and even if that concern is valid, the greater likelihood is that we will stop greenhouse gas emissions much sooner than the end-of-the-world guys would have you think.
My Concerns
Any technology that can be used for good can also be used for evil. I expect that there will be bad uses of technology, but I think that the good will outweigh the bad overall.
I know that there are those out there rooting for the Christian Apocalypse or the Mayan 2012 calendar end of the world, but I think that in the foreseeable future they will be disappointed. By the fact that we have not managed to nuke ourselves into extinction yet says some good about us.
You know what my biggest worry of all is? It is the possibility that Americans are so fat, dumb and happy that they just don’t care about what happens. Apathy could be our biggest enemy of all. This is a threat and we need to be cognizant of it.
Conclusion
I know that the only constant is change. Because of that, I know that life should continue to get better for all, but realistically, it will be a roller coaster ride. Hey folks, change is never easy, even if it is for our benefit.
So be of good cheer, the odds are overwhelming that the best times are coming.
Laissez Les Bon Temps Roulez!
Frankly,
Francis