the politics of politics … (04/02/12)
“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.” ~ Groucho Marx
I know that the U.S. Presidential elections are still a few moons away, and yet I also realize that there will be LOTS of news coverage between now and November — and lots of discussion — and lots of debate — and lots of arguing — and lots of nasty insults & misleading innuendos. In short, many of you will be flooded with boatloads of information that will be both highly volatile & highly inaccurate; information that could very well distract you from the things that really matter in life — from the people and the issues that are truly important.
Consider the following — a small sample of the inane ramblings of some of our “top” politicians, one of whom will in all likelihood be the next President of the United States:
“I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of the politicians. We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane. He said, ‘Are you going to start listening to me here?’ Listen to the American people because the American people are roaring right now. They know government is on a morbid obesity diet and we’ve got to rein in the spending.” ~ Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann
“I will tell you: It’s three agencies of government, when I get there, that are gone: Commerce, Education and the — what’s the third one there? Let’s see. … I would do away with the Education, the … Commerce and — let’s see — The third one, I can’t. Sorry. Oops.” ~ Rick Perry, forgetting about his plan to cut the Department of Energy
“Corporations are people, my friend… of course they are. Everything corporations earn ultimately goes to the people. Where do you think it goes? Whose pockets? Whose pockets? People’s pockets. Human beings, my friend.” ~ GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney
“I should tell my story. I’m also unemployed.” ~ Mitt Romney (R), speaking in 2011 to unemployed people in Florida. Romney’s net worth is over $200 million
“I have two grandchildren – I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.” ~ GOP presidential candidate Newt Gingrich
And then there is our current President — Mr. Obama, who mentioned — during his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, no less — that “the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace”. (What?! — see the attached picture for proper response)
This is the same man who, along with his massive string of broken promises and caving in to the interests of big business over the “little man”, recently appointed Michael Taylor — a Monsanto Vice President & chief lobbyist — to be the senior advisor to the commissioner of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration! (again: What?!)
So my Friends, even though today is the day after April Fool’s Day, it looks more and more like the joke is on us …
… but only if we allow it to play out that way.
You see, politics & politicians do not hold any solutions for any of us. And once we realize this Truth, maybe we can take all that energy and time over the next several months and invest it in something that will actually bear a positive return — something like Caring for the poor or being kind to children or beautifying our neighborhoods, for example.
Regardless of how you choose to serve, it is certainly time to start doing so. Rest assured, debating politics or championing certain politicians is NOT going to help anyone. And shaking your head in disbelief (or even anger), while more than understandable, is not really going to help either.
What WILL help is helping others — actually going out there for one hour a week (or more) to do something positive; to actually be the source of the change you wish to see — the very change that your favorite politician will NOT be effectuating for you, elected or not.
Even though American politics has become a hollow game of greed, we don’t have to play anymore …
And even though our politicians have become a joke, we don’t have to laugh along with them anymore either.
It’s time to take a stand, my Friends …
It is time to quit waiting for someone “higher up” to fix our communities …
It’s time to start doing the fixing ourselves.
LOVE is a verb …
… got LOVE?
“Republicans are politicians who say government doesn’t work, and then get elected and prove it.” ~ P. J. O’Rourke
“A large family and Democrats have a lot in common: teenagers and Democrats are always happy when wastefully spending other people’s money. ” ~ a la Anne Northup
“The enemy isn’t conservatism. The enemy isn’t liberalism. The enemy is bullshit.” ~ Lars-Erik Nelson
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