Dazed Purple And Confused

Wow! I must be soooo far out of touch I'm going to need a transfer ticket or two in order to reach modernity.

Had I heard of Prince? Of course I had. Could I have told you he was a little androgynous looking popular music personality? Yes, but that about ends my familiarity with him and his resume.

Because of this, I'm a bit bemused by the reaction to his death that I'm witnessing in the news. He seems to be getting as much play as Michael Jackson's passing. (Which affected me only marginally more than Prince's.)

Don't get me wrong. I morn the passing of these individuals. Much as I morn the loss of any good person's life who I did not directly know.

I guess where I'm confused is where people are brought to sobs and tears for someone they never knew or had personal contact with. It's like someone crying when the guy who installed the steering wheel on their car died.

Just because someone is in the news doesn't mean you know them and had a personal relationship with them. They aren't your Aunt Agnes. They didn't come over for your birthday or send you a card for Christmas. Why all the angst?

Is this a sorry outcome of the age we live in? A time where people conflate a virtual life with a real one? Is this the way we react in the new wussified society when "feelings" rule the day and there are damn few real adults left?

I'm starting to fear for the future and wonder if there will be enough real adults to protect and run the country so all these special little snowflakes can be free to "feel" and be sensitive!

Or so it seems to an old farm boy.

The Demise Of The American Two Party System?

So, just what is it that we are observing in the political landscape?

Are we currently seeing the demise of the two party system?

That’s what it would appear to be as neither party seems to be responsive to large portions of their bases. The Democrats have fostered this “government is the answer to all your problems” approach for so long that they have now engendered a whole segment of the population that is Socialist at best and Communist at worst. They now expect the government to provide them with food, shelter, their new iPhone, etc. at no cost to them. They believe this is possible because the left has run our “education” system for so long that few of the younger folks actually understand how economies and finance work

This can be seen in the outpouring of support for Bernie Sanders. Millions of young folks from 18 to 35 are supporting the Bern with the hope that he will take power and make others pay off the debts they have accrued and or the things they desire. 

Bernie, who never had a steady job outside of leaching off the general populace, is doing his part by promising to make the “rich” pay for all this. He would fit right in with the Castro brothers, accept he seems to be a bit more of a true believer than they are. He doesn’t seem to be living high off the hog, just modestly above the hoi paloy, but still off the sweat of someone else’s brow.

The Republicans are also paying the price for what they have been telling their base for years. Their difference is, they have told folks that when they go to Washington they will be fiscally responsible and make the government smaller and get out of the way of people, but when they get their, they become Democrats Lite. They grow government just like the Dems, just at a slightly slower pace.

Surprising to both parties’ establishments, their bases are revolting. (It turns out we aren’t quite as dumb as they thought.) The left because they want cradle to grave coddling where others pay for what they feel they are owed. The right because they have been promised they will get to stop supporting the cradle to gravers, but it just continues on apace. 

Are we about to see the start of a 3 party system?

I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see the rise of a viable Communist/Socialist party and the growth of the Libertarian party to where they become viable political options. 

If this were to happen, I believe the remnants of the Republican and Democrat establishments would coalesce into the third leg of the stool that would be American politics. If this were to take place, it would then require coalitions between various groups in order to pass legislation. 

Having 3 viable parties would also seem to make the parties more responsive to their constituents since there are more alternatives they could choose from. It also would make it harder to draw the old dichotomies. Us good! Them evil! 

Hopefully then they would need to actually make their arguments based on their merits rather than demonizing the other side as evil bastards who want to steal my hard earned money or ones who want to poison the air and water.

Or so it would seem to an old farm boy.

Divided We Fall

I'm sitting here thinking about the state of America and I just want to pick up a bottle of Jamison's  and say "Fuck'em All"!

I'm soooo disgusted with this whole group identity allegiance above all else I just want to wretch. In America, you should think of yourself as an American above all else. Not a Scottish-American, or Chinese-American or Martian-American!

Once you identify as American, all the other qualifiers need to cease to exist! Your being lesbian, bi-sexual, homosexual, tri-sexual, vegan, liberal, conservative, wicken, whatever is not of consequence to the society as a whole.

Yes, it's of consequence to you as an individual and to those who are like minded, but to America as a whole, it doesn't matter! That's the great thing about America that you won't find most other places. You come here and identify as an American, the rest doesn't matter. Our Constitution insures your right to be what ever you want to be, so long as you allow everyone else the same rights.

It's when you start thinking that your rights superseded those of someone else's that the problems begin.

In this country, no matter your race, religion, country of origin, sexual preference, skin pigmentation, sex or age, you are equal to any other and have the same opportunities. Your limiting factors are your native abilities, desire and willingness to work. The "man", or this group or that is not keeping you down. "Your" choices may be holding you back, but the system is not at fault there.

If you chose to major in gender studies or comic books, excuse me, graphic novels, don't blame the system because nobody is interested in paying you good money.

If you slacked off all the way through high school and aren't willing to take a menial job to get in the door and start the process of learning a trade from the ground up, don't blame it on the "male hierarchy" or "white privilege". It's your fault.

In America the system is rigged in favor of success. You can easily point out individuals of virtually any description who are successes despite humble beginnings or sexual preferences. Virtually all of whom do not limit themselves by identifying in a hyphenated manner, but rather identify as Americans and move on from there.

If you chose to come here or stay here, you need to accept the American culture as the dominant culture. Of course you can continue to observe cultural mores from where your roots are, but don't expect the country as a whole to give a shit or make special efforts in your direction. Be happy you are in a country that doesn't hold you back for it.

You go to other countries, they don't make you "press 1 for Spanish"! If you don't want to learn English and accept the American culture there is a simple solution. Don't come here.

In America you are to be judged by the content of your character, not the political correctness of your hyphenation!

Or so it seems to an old farm boy.