It's been a few years (actually, almost five) since contributing to this blog and it seems that although we live in an ever-changing society, and so much has happened, in many ways not very much has changed at all. Maybe it's even gotten a little worse. I know my hair line has.
So 2009-2014 what's the difference? For starters, we've had the same President. Which sounds like more of the same and maybe it has been judging from poll numbers. Admittedly I was a hopeful optimist back then. In what felt more like a populist uprising, I too was wanting the change, hopeful and ready for new leadership oceans away from the cold restrains of the Republican party.
There was so much to look forward to. The closing of the infamous Guantanamo Bay detention facility, (but moreover the end to a regime of systematic state-sponsored torture). Water-boarding. Ending the occupation of the Middle East, and avoidance of further unnecessary war and bloodshed. Fixing our troubled economy after the massive housing-bubble/derivatives shock of 2007-2008. Possibly winning the War on Terror? The hope of real universal healthcare, and the list goes on. There was even the dream that our fractured nation would somehow begin once again where MLK jr. and JFK left off with a much needed racial healing. Lots of things were wrong with America in my eyes back then, but there was a glimmer. Quite sadly, one that seemed to dim before it even had a chance to shine. The question really is, was it ever meant to?
Probably not is my best guess, and I guess I kind of think of it as a classic bait-and-switch type move with bitterly no lemon law clause attached. Of course now that the lame-duck session is in full swing, we're basically sitting in a death spiral type hold pattern until the next election cycle, of doom. Now to be fair, this isn't just a reflection about the failings of one man, or of a single political party, or even one once-great nation, so please forgive my optimism, there's the rest of the world to consider.
On second thoughts ... I mean, even if you are one of the lucky ones rich enough to have your very own private island, what good will it be when the global warming goblin washes it all away? Aww. You poor sod you. And the idea of somehow avoiding (insert your preferred apocalypse scenario here) by creating a floating island utopia free to make its own laws, in my mind anyway, is about as absurd a way to deal with the underlying population/global warming problem as building 3 massive mile-high walls to prevent tornadoes in the mid-west.
Then there's at least 1 billion or so other people not so economically fortunate that face imminent starvation due to over-fishing as the world's oceans cough up ever less quantities of radioactive, acid-scorched and chemically poisoned plastic fish sticks. Bees. Fish. The ever elusive tender-footed tree shrews from Patagonia all pretty much toast if the trend of human induced mass extinction continues along its merry way.
Japan, our strongest Asian ally, has basically become a broke-ass limping glow-stick wearing a no-resuscitation bracelet. South Korea still has this massive hunch-back looking growth just waiting to pop itself into a million festering bombs angrily sitting on its doorstep. With their imperial grease-slicked teenage leader testing out his nukes while proclaiming the possibility imminent war over the release of some shitty American comedy movie, I'd really hate to be near that guy when he wakes up on the wrong side of a bad hair day.
The Philippines is only serving itself using the US as a proxy-protectorate from an invading China, or Japan, whichever comes first, and we all know that. Otherwise they pretty much hate us. Speaking of, South America is a complete write-off as far as the US is concerned too, but that doesn't mean we should stop trying and failing by any means. Eventually, something has got to give. Right? We could probably just skip right over Africa all together, except they might possibly hold the most promise - at starting all over again that is. India finds itself torn between what it once was and what it wants to be, but it's also got a problem ... absolutely no idea what it wants to be just yet. Fortunately, that's pretty great for us right now. And by us, I mean the global right-wing corporate hegemony and lovingly cherished alliance of Team America. Yay Team!
Speaking of big dogs ... there's Russia and China of course. Take your pic of either of these two individually and there's problems, but together? Well that's just not fair, and unfortunately these guys really seem to have some sort of chip on their shoulder these days. Instead of the previous quid pro quo (debt exchanged for plastic crap) back-scratch from China, it's now the dog house for us lot. And by dog house I mean ... (Kenny voice please) ... They took our jobs! (end pretend Kenny voice) ... Then they took our companies, our debt ious, technology and our gold. Now they're here buying up everything else they don't own yet over here. Like New York and poor people. Let's not forget the gobbling up promising Pacific territories like it was some sick Lebensraum-Tibet sequel gone wrong. So far our best come-back seems to be renaming the street in front of the Chinese consulate in DC with the name of the Tiananmen Square guy.
Russia on the other hand, is just one defense treaty away from calling check mate and issuing another state-sponsored, smirk laden I told you so Putin photo-op doing his best bare-chested 007 pose. Forming the BRICS, participating in the 77, and switching away from the petro-dollar trading alone have already had devastating effect. What do we have to show for it? Ukraine? Not very likely. Certainly things are not off to a very good start. Crimea. For what it's worth, overall it means nothing to us, except the very real possibility of igniting WWIII which would be pretty special. Nuclear laced headache that is. But if Russia decides not to take the bait and invade, then what? We get it? I would think (of all countries) Israel would lay claim if they haven't already. Now in my mind, sticking a national land claim on a land claim on a land claim is bound to ruffle someone's feathers enough to say F_ck it I'm not playing chess anymore. Playing football has to be out of the question, but unfortunately all the right nuclear team players are sitting right there somehow or another getting involved.
Everyone knows no matter how you slice it in a conventional land war in Europe, Russia wins every time. I'm sure some super-intelligent military planner think-tank type guy might come back with, well if we put everyone (US and NATO together) against the reds that just might work. But then he'd be wrong. I would think this time Germany prefers to keep out of things, and anyone else rational enough to remember anything about history or geography for that matter. Everything else is just lip service. Thinking you can kick Russia's ass in a (conventional) war is like losing a basketball game to Michael Jordan every time 50 times in a row, and then expecting a different outcome on the 51st go-round. Wouldn't you be smirking a little bit if you were Mike? I'm not even sure how you could sell this stupid idea to someone. I mean how do you even begin that conversation? ...
US: Oh hey, what up Lithuania. How's it going?
LIT: Not too bad. Soo ... What do you want this time?
US: Good. Good to hear. Oh nothing really, but if it's not too much of a hassle, would you be able to commit to a total war against Russia with us? You know bro, coalition-style we'll pay you and all to do it of course and send in some advisers and stuff. Oh, and hey, Germany and England (let's be generous lol) said they might be willing to, you know, help out and stuff too. So what do you say? You in?
LIT: Uh-huh yeah. So let me ask John, are you calling from Denver or ...
US: No, no this has all been successfully planned out and all. Mocked up. We've done countless computer simulations ... We just need a few more ...
LIT: What? Marbles? You must have forgotten about ... wait. Is this thing being recorded?
US: No. Huh? Oh, no not at all my friend. This time will be different ... I assure
LIT: Oh ok. Sure. So then not like that time with the Mongols at all then?
US: Who? No the ... What? Never-mind anyway, as I was say ...
LIT: ... or Napoleon. Now come to think of it, aren't the French still providing the Russians with ...
US: Now that ...
LIT: Or Germany, or Germany, or Germany either?
US: Well we have ...
LIT: If you say Poland right now, I'm hanging up.
US: Well no, I was going to say Romania, or was that Slovakia? Anyway, and ...
LIT - Click.
Besides, I can't help but wonder where Europe's heat will come from this winter, or next winter for that matter if this sick game of political Russian roulette we seem to keep losing continues. Convoy-style cargo containers containing fracked Nebraska gas? Think tornado prevention wall.
Regardless of any future military monkey business, if these guys end up getting their way, no one will want our funny money to play with anyway, and that's about the best we have to offer at the moment, except for McDonald's, Disneyland and Miley Cyrus of course. At least the Chinese build roads and stuff for the countries it wants to exploit for resources, which seems to work better than private jets and briefcases padded with cash.
And back to the funny money. Like a sinking ship, our modern monetary Titanic is worth less then five years ago, and that was worth less five years before that and so on, but at an ever faster rate. And as we continue to earn our same stagnant wages, pretending to live our same middle-class lifestyles, we just sink deeper into debt and depression. Bitcoin and living off the grid are not viable solutions to the surviving the economy and neither is printing more fake money. Since 2009 the economy has only gotten worse. Looking ahead there are only more waves of downsizing awaiting us. Traditional growth-factor jobs like small and medium businesses, start-ups and entrepreneurs are virtually gone, sucked away like a vacuum into the dustbin of an economy trashed by over-regulation and unbridled corporate competition. Even our beloved corporate behemoths are leaking water from the international Snowden fallout to the point of potential outright replacement. Now whether that's due to a massive and systemic unconstitutional overreach on the government's part, or because of one guy who decided to tell the truth is anyone's guess, but the iceberg is still there and the band is beginning to play.
Fortunately, all this still hasn't seem to have done very much to effect how we collectively feel about ourselves as a nation, or how we admit how we feel about ourselves to others. We're still the good ole' deluded rockin', sockin' best gift to humanity since sliced bread (and we invented that so don't you forget it) US of A! But how the times have changed and now we sadly are that used prophylactic smelling middle-aged excuse for a balding Maserati. The US now proudly ranks last in just about everything socially important compared to the rest of the western economic nations. Math, reading comprehension, standard of living, etc. all bottom of the list. On the top? Obesity, divorce, personal debt, drug use, and incarceration ... At least pride is not one of our shortcomings. If only that was worth something. Anything really would be nice.
At least our closest friends are too busy eagerly following along in our romanticized footsteps of hypocrisy to even notice the greedy stinking mess the world has become strangely accustomed to. And in that dire, murky cesspool we swim at one with the universe we have collectively created for ourselves. But really it's not all that bad. Really.
There's always soccer and space travel to look forward to, right?
Anyway, that's my two cents. For what it's worth, I hope to come back a little more frequently and contribute articles with a little more uplifting tone. Be well.