Blinded by the Light

I continue to be puzzled by the overwhelming antagonism of the mainstream media towards President Trump.  The Democrats I can understand.  Even though they have taken this Resist deal to astronomical extremes and have literally made asses of themselves with their knee-jerk negativism towards everything Trump; it is their natural position to be the opposition party.  Notwithstanding that they are doing it in an infantile and irresponsible fashion; they are nonetheless fulfilling a conventional role.  On the other hand, the mainstream media’s obsessive opposition to President Trump is a seismic departure from what any rational person would describe as their traditional role as the Fourth Estate in America.  It makes one wonder: Exactly what is it about Trump that drives these media people to their extreme idiocy? 

For my entire adult life, I have observed national politics with amusement and varying interest.  In my latter years of life, I have taken it more seriously and spent much more time reading and researching its nooks and crannies, trying to gain a better understanding of how it works.  I must admit that the current state of national politics and the absolute unpredictability of it make me certain that for all of my efforts, I am today no closer to understanding it than I was fifty years ago.  It is indeed a unique and sometimes incoherent experiment in governing that impossibly seems to work out in the end.

I wrote a piece about Donald Trump’s remarkable journey to the Presidency in http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2018/07/how-would-you-feel.html .  His election remains one of the truly incredible stories in United States political history.  For many decades, observers of American politics have entertained and discussed the possible impact of having a true outsider in the White House; one who came not from the long-established ranks of the two national parties.  One who had a lifetime background in something other than the long slog of climbing the political ladder from one office to the next, steadily and ambitiously ascending the ranks of elected gravitas until the day arrives when the perfect storm puts you in the center and you become the face of your Party.

There have been anomalies like Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, John Anderson, and George Wallace who had significant impacts on presidential elections; but these candidates were from independent third parties and did not rise from within the ranks of the national parties.  They were mavericks who could not achieve their political ambitions within the confines of their chosen national party and went rogue out of political frustration.  A good history of these episodes can be found here:   https://www.fairvote.org/a_history_of_independent_presidential_candidates .

This is not the path of Donald Trump.  Over his lifetime, Donald Trump has switched his party affiliation more often than some people have switched pickup trucks.  His most recent change was registering with the Republican Party in April of 2012…think about that one for a moment.  A thoughtful review of his political life and public comments will yield an impression that he has largely supported ideals that were much more in tune with Democratic policies than those of Republicans.  What prompted Trump to align his wagon with the Republican train and pursue the 2016 Republican presidential nomination will be a question long begging for an answer.  The fact is that he did.  He pursued it and he won it.  The rest, as they say, is…and will be… history.  It is fair to say that Donald Trump is the first true political outsider to be elected President in our national history; at least in my memory.  And if you look at the facts and cut through the drama, it is also easy to see that Trump’s true allegiance is to himself and his own independent ideals and not to the Republican Party that put him in the White House. 

The Republican Party did not want to dance with Trump.  Heck, they didn’t even want to invite Trump to the dance.  But having won the Presidency and after achieving an impressive record of accomplishment and a national following, the Republicans now embrace Trump as one of their very own.  It is as if he has been residing in their house since infancy and they are simply celebrating his success in that familial context.  The capacity for hypocrisy and insincerity by our National Parties is absolutely breath-taking. 

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Trump has driven the Democrats out of their ever-loving minds.  It is fascinating how his unorthodox methods and habits are embraced by the Republicans out of convenience and condemned by the Democrats out of frustration.  Democrats cannot seem to accept the unlikely fact that this undisciplined and arrogant public personality has somehow not only risen to be the leader of the opposing party, but is also eating their lunch on a regular basis.  I must say that if the tables were turned (and this is a great thought exercise) and Trump had won the Presidency as a Democrat; the Republicans' reaction to him would likely be not too different from what we see with the Democrats. 

To me, the most disappointing and inexplicable impact of Trump’s improbable ascension to the Presidency has been the reaction of the mainstream media.  Two facts lie at the foundation of their despicable and unprofessional behavior towards Trump.  First is the fact that probably 75 to 80 percent of the mainstream media are Democrats at heart; not only in terms of registration but also in terms of political philosophy.  But the reality of liberal bias in the mainstream media has always been there behind the scenes; lying just below the surface.  This fact is simply more obvious today than in the past because the media personalities are shameless in their efforts towards any pretense of fairness.    I think the second major factor in seeking the origins of extreme mainstream media bias is the fact that our national institutions of higher learning are populated by rank liberal ideologues in the areas of instruction and administration.  It is easy to see that if the media industry is going to recruit from the ranks of college graduates; those recruits are going to be largely liberal in their thoughts and deeds.  They will naturally be drawn into the network of liberal media bias that currently exists and will feel right at home there. 

That comfort is a dangerous situation that has led to complacency and professional atrophy.  The tendency of the youth in the mainstream media (and that is most of them) to simply go with the flow of those around them in their comfortable little left-wing bubble has made them reluctant to seriously consider differing points of views.  It has closed their mind to natural curiosity and incurred a debilitating stain on their profession.  The mainstream media has become fat and lazy in their nice and warm cocoons of monopoly.  And now talk radio, the internet, and Fox News has arrived on the scene to create some viable alternatives for the public.  Suddenly, the games are no longer walkovers; there is real competition on the field.  Instead of improving their skills and placing new emphasis on their pre-game preparation and on-field execution, they are doubling down on their preferred historical position in the media industry and choosing the easier roads of ridiculing your critics and listening only to your friends.  Their lack of self-awareness has created a slow rot in their networks that is having terrible consequences.  They have chosen the path of least resistance.

Their abdication of professional ethics has nourished the Democratic-driven anti-Trump fever that has split this nation’s people right down the middle.  The poisonous political environment that currently exists in all facets of American life could not have existed without the constant and enthusiastic fostering of the mainstream media.  While they are surely not the sole determinant of this degradation in political civility; they are no doubt one of the primary causes and enablers.  They continue to stoke the cancerous embers of partisan venom that is rampant in our society and culture.

Donald Trump’s election was a stunning surprise not only to the mainstream media, but to America in general.  To a large extent (that extent is soon to be determined), America’s voting citizens have embraced his executive performance and fresh approach to the Presidency.  They celebrate his disdain for the corruption that has for so long existed and flourished in the dark halls of WDC.  They like his populist fiscal policies that have created good times for the middle and working classes of our people.  They approve of his pride in America, his practical approach to foreign policy, and his natural instinct to place America’s interest first before global concerns.  For the majority of Americans, Donald Trump is that true outsider that has been trying to break down the doors of the White House for all of these years.  He is authentically private sector in his business-centric approach to government and he is uncomfortably loud and proud of it.  He may be the proverbial bull in the china shop; but perhaps it was about time some dishes got broken.

All of this flies in the face of the mainstream media and many of the tenets they have held so closely for so long.  It is bad enough that they never saw him coming.  It was terribly embarrassing for them when they openly and arrogantly trumpeted his coming demise at the hands of Hillary Clinton and then…well, we all know how that story ended.  All of the political intelligentsia in the media were very badly and very publicly humiliated by Donald Trump’s election and they have never forgiven him for that.  And now, having repeatedly guessed wrong on all things Trumpian, they are faced not only with the tangible successes based on his unconventional approach to governing; but they have to deal with the very real prospect of him being re-elected to another four year term as President.      

America, the world, and the mainstream media were blinded by the light of Trump’s 2016 election victory.  The voters of the United States have come to terms with that event and have grown (some more reluctantly than others) to rather enjoy its benefits.  The global establishment is slowing coming to realize that the new American sheriff is not like the others before him.  He actually walks the talk.  Following the recent impeachment debacle, the Democrats will fall back into their traditional role of the loyal opposition and try to defeat the President at the ballot box this fall.  Sadly and tragically, the mainstream media has not yet shown any signs of realizing how truly pathetic they have become as a professional entity.  Trump has left them soulless and writhing on the floor.  This nation needs a functioning Fourth Estate.  Our government needs a full-time and non-biased inquisitor to keep an eye on the areas that we as full-time citizens have neither the time nor access to monitor. 

We are faced with either the hateful and venomous attitudes of CNN, MSNBC, the New York Times and the Washington Post or the unbridled cheerleading of Fox News for home team Trump.  Our media is as divided as our populace.  We can only hope that at some point, the mainstream media will return to some semblance of journalistic integrity and re-assume the critical role of reporting the news and supplying Americans with the true facts about current events…while rediscovering an honest respect for the intelligence and ability of individuals to think for themselves.

Note: The title of this post in no way implies that Trump is the Light as opposed to the Darkness; this is not about Good versus Evil.  It is not the Light of Brilliance; but rather that shocking light that appears suddenly out of the night…like an unexpected camera flash.  It is simply a commentary on the current affair of national politics.  To put the title in the correct vein, let’s climb in the old Way Back Machine and check this out:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcWVL4B-4pI .

The HCSL and Other Things

The Democratic Party that we are seeing today, deployed against President Trump in its Resist mode and scheming to highjack the Impeachment process in Congress, does not reflect what the Democratic Party has historically been nor what it should aspire to.  Say what you will about AOC’s radical policies; she clearly understands that the way to achieve those policies is to promote the position, create support for that position, and win at the polls in order to implement that position.  That age-old edict of democracy is lost on Pelosi, Schiff, and Schumer.  Instead, they are exercising the principles of the HCSL; the Hillary Clinton School of Life.

Taken down to its elementary form, the HCSL simply demands that if your initial efforts fail, you just devolve down to the next lower standard of ethics and morality in the effort to win.  You shift your strategy to employ whatever technique is required to accomplish your goal.  The quest for power, influence, and…oh yes…wealth justifies whatever means may be necessary to obtain it.  And just as importantly, you never quit pursuing it.

No matter how many times or how clearly your campaigns might be repudiated; you never ever stop chasing those things that enrich your own standing.  Whether it be transparent and public or private and ruthless, any collateral damage to other people is perfectly acceptable as long as your purposes are served.  All assets are expendable in the quest for mission success.

I have been waiting more than three years for a Democrat to stand up and condemn this HCSL approach to politics.  With each passing day, that expectation is shrinking and withering away.  The handful that will compete in a few days for the Iowa votes do not offer any encouragement. 

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Here are some interesting articles to help one frame the very real issues of Presidential impeachment:

Our Nation’s Founders: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed65.asp

More of our Nation’s Founders: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed66.asp

A Professional Assessment: https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/01/trump-impeachment-trial-charges-lack-indictable-offense/

We have not heard the last of this: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/paul-sperry-whistleblower-overheard.php

My, how things do change: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/impeachment-then-now.php

You think the Prez is upset? https://www.scribd.com/document/440167056/Letter-From-President-Trump-Final#from_embed

Some more information about the ongoing investigations into Obama Administration’s corrupt Department of Justice activities…and beyond:

You are not paranoid if they are actually out to get you: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/the-plot-against-the-president-the-video.php

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely: https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/12/two_possibilities_in_trump_wiretapping_and_neither_is_good.html

My gosh, these people were/are shameless: https://www.commentarymagazine.com/articles/the-fbi-scandal/

In a nutshell: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/ball-of-collusion-the-video.php

A few solid references on the Soleimani assassination and the ongoing Iraq/Iran Crisis:

Why do we try to help these people who hate us? https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/iranian-analytics/

Bush and Obama were clueless; Trump is a realist: https://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/296902/obama-passed-the-buck-trump-refused-to-play

This type of action does not need Congressional micro-management: https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/the-mccarthy-report/episode-69-legal-and-strategically-sound/

Want to know more about the Swamp…how it got the way it is and how it continues?

What is it they say about corruption….  https://amgreatness.com/2020/01/25/the-grubby-corruption-of-our-power-elite/

If you have paid, are paying, will be paying, or are continuing to pay criminally-exorbitant college tuition costs…you might wonder why they are so high:

Wait for it….The education bubble is approaching critical mass: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/new-data-proves-whats-actually-causing-the-spike-in-college-tuition-rates

The Bernie Conundrum and Homelessness in America

Some time back, I wrote a post about the ultimate national Party candidates for President in 2020.  You can read that here: http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/search?q=sober+socialist .  Whether or not you agree with his policy ideals, Bernie Sanders is truly sincere.  He walks the walk.  I don’t believe you can say that about any of his Democratic rivals.

A thoughtful reading of the facts leads one to believe that it is not an overstatement to say the Democratic National Committee rigged the 2016 Presidential primary in favor of Hillary Clinton.  While it is impossible to say that the degree of this shading was sufficient in and of itself to defeat Sanders and deliver the nomination to Clinton; it is easily indisputable that it had a very significant impact on the final outcome.  Bernie got cheated.  The Democratic Party owes Bernie.  They don’t owe him the nomination; but they darn sure owe him a clear and unobstructed shot at obtaining it (CNN obviously did not get the memo).

After watching portions of the Democratic candidates’ debate last night (January 14),  I remain as convinced as ever that every candidate on that stage with the exception of Sanders was saying what they thought voters wanted to hear.  The disingenuous shallowness and transparency of Elizabeth Warren is breath-taking.  Just as the Republicans pander to the far right in their primary and then tend towards the middle once the nomination is settled; so do the Democrats pander to their far left during the nomination process and then swing to the middle for the general election.  The Presidential candidates selected by either Party typically reflect this tendency by saying whatever they think is appropriate to whomever they may be addressing at that time.  Whatever else they may be, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders don’t follow this pattern; they are authentic. 

I believe that Bernie’s longer tenure in national politics has given his policy positions a more settled tone than those of Trump; whose late entry into competitive politics has given his policies a semblance of still being in the sorting out process.  But in both cases, these candidates are nearer to being true to their innermost instincts than any of the candidates we have seen in recent memory.  Trump has proven to be far more conservative, in his fashion, than many people ever thought possible.  While not a classic form of conservatism, his policy initiatives as a whole are much more right than center.  Bernie continues to consistently exhibit the socialist-influenced fire in his belly to reform this nation in a far more progressive manner than any Democratic presidential nominee has ever dared to espouse.  Collectively, these two represent a clear and rather pure choice between limited government coupled with economic opportunity versus a larger government with an expanded role in social policy.

And now that Bernie has once again achieved the position of standing strong at this early stage of the nominating process, it is somewhat amusing to see the Democratic panic that is slowly spreading due to that success.  After groveling at the feet of their progressive and liberal wing, confident they could tune them out after the primary season concluded, the Democratic Party now shudders at the thought of Bernie Sanders actually carrying their Party’s banner into the November Presidential election.  It must be thinking…What do these left-wing, liberal Democrats expect from the Party leadership?  After all, Pelosi did give the Squad their impeachment fantasy; shouldn’t that be sufficient?  CNN and the Times give a modicum of equal coverage to Sanders and Warren; isn’t that enough to call it fair? The sobering reality is that it’s one thing to talk in fiery rhetorical terms about liberal policies and ideals; it’s another thing entirely to acknowledge the implementation of such policies in America and contemplate the impact they would have on our lives. 

Both National Parties have been chastened by past experiences of giving in to their more extreme elements when selecting candidates.  The colossal failures of the Goldwater and McGovern campaigns still haunt many Party officials who now know better than to actually tip their hand regarding what they truly believe.  They must tread cautiously lest they be too honest with the voters.  What may be different this time around is the degree of influence that the Left has acquired in the Democratic Party.  Not only have those with an extreme liberal bent demonstrated the major portion of enthusiasm and excitement in the Democratic Party; they have been the source of essentially all of the policy ideals coming from the Party.  While the mainstream media has no trouble shifting its convictions on a dime, is it really conceivable that the Squad could get excited about a Joe Biden candidacy for President?   Can we really envision the Bernie and Liz troops getting jacked up about old Slow Joe?

And now, with the deep partisan division that exists in our voting citizenry; it is more essential than ever for a Party to reach beyond its core constituency to the moderates of the other side and, more to the point, to the invaluable Independents in the center.  The elusive formula necessary to win a national election in today’s environment makes it risky indeed to speak truth to what you might actually believe…for fear of alienating those critical folks in the middle who decide presidential elections.  Blatant and professional hypocrisy has become a staple in today’s political arena and unfortunately, we have all become quite desensitized to its serpent-like enchantment.

Just as Pelosi painted herself in a corner by gifting Trump’s impeachment farce to her left wing; the Democratic Party may have painted itself in a corner in its over-eagerness to take full benefit of the far left’s anti-Trump sentiments.  Having revved up this political beast and given it free reign to roam the halls of WDC and the airwaves of the mainstream media; will they now be able to harness its energy in support of a milquetoast candidate such as Biden?  Can they simultaneously embrace and ignore the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, Open Borders, and Higher Taxes…or…will those devices used to obtain cheap allegiance come back to haunt the final Democrat seeking the Presidency in 2020?  Will the Democratic Party, having taken full benefit of the Liberal Energizer Bunny be able to put it back in the box when the primary season concludes?  It will be very interesting to see how this plays out.

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California and, to a lesser degree, New York and Illinois, continue to spiral down the rabbit hole of extremely progressive governmental policy choices.  California in particular is becoming a land of stark contrasts; a binary population largely composed of either the privileged elites with sufficient power and wealth to support their grand and imperial lifestyles…or…the resource-challenged folks at the lower end of the income ladder whose very existence depends on the purse of the government.  Put in more succinct terms; California is becoming a textbook example of the haves and the have nots. 

With high taxes and Liberal government policies driving California’s middle class to other states, the citizenry of that once-great state has become a stark contrast in living standards.  The influx of illegal immigrants from the south combined with those seeking a life-sustaining subsidy from the government mother has abruptly thrown California into a bizarre and dysfunctional environment.  Gated communities and mansions with walls and razor wire are standing side-by-side with scores of homeless souls whose very existence consists of wandering the streets day in and day out, desperately seeking out the necessities of life.  While the natural resource blessings of California tease us with the idyllic images put forth by the Eagles in Hotel California; the stark pictures of homeless tents on city sidewalks and public defecation shock us into dismay.  How in the world did this happen so quickly?  How has a shining city devolved into such squalor?  California has truly morphed from the land of opportunity into the land of the government nanny state.  That is exactly the root cause of this stark degradation of society that we are witnessing in that state.  Who can look at this tragedy and not see the seeds of anarchy being sown?

The legitimate role of government in our lives is a necessary and critical topic that should be constantly debated in the halls of government at all levels.  But lest we get lost in the weeds of government benefits, regulations, and social programs; let us consider common decency for one moment.  Whether you are an agnostic individual who tries to look at our world through compassionate and responsible eyes or a person of faith who believes in the living principles set forth in the scriptures; the situation we are witnessing in California is a concern.  It occurs to me that one of the greatest impediments to a practical solution might very well be the lack of agreement on this fundamental problem: We are having difficulty solving the reality because we cannot agree on the cause.

Just as there are two elements to the abortion issue, the period of pregnancy and the period of postpartum; so there are two elements to the homeless situation we are witnessing in California.  Once a child is delivered into this world, a time has come when expediency demands that we address the very real concerns of that child’s survival and environment rather than dwell on the circumstances that led to that child’s birth.  The mixing of the two distinct periods oftentimes leads to distraction and a failure to make real progress in either area; in effect preventing any remedy to the immediate crisis at hand…the well being of the child.  Such is the case with homelessness.  We can debate the circumstances that lead to widespread homelessness until the cows come home; but will that get us any closer to effectively dealing with the current issue of the tents on the sidewalks and people freezing to death in the cold nights of WDC, New York, and Chicago?  At the end of the day, basic human decency demands that we provide some type of assistance to those who are homeless and in dire need of basic human necessities.  Liberal and Conservative policy debate aside; we cannot as a people stand by and watch human beings wither away to death while we hold in our hands the ability to preserve their lives.  

Perhaps if we can somehow focus more intently on the specific problems created by the present state of homelessness and set aside our differences on exactly what led us to those problems, we might then be able to create some space that would allow a more meaningful approach to reducing the magnitude of the tragedy.  One of the fundamental positions that gives me pause is the desire on the part of many from the Left to grant those who are homeless and resource-challenged government subsidies that go well beyond what is required for basic survival.  To me, those promoting this policy fail to grasp the importance of differentiating between subsidies and opportunities.  We as a people do have a basic obligation to assist those in real need.  We as a people do not have an obligation to instill in those same people the basic principles of character such as ambition, pride, accountability, and independence (unless they are our children).  This is something government cannot do.  Government policy might influence this issue in a peripheral sense; but it is a personal choice that resides within the affected individual.  They must ultimately deal with the consequences of that choice.

Rather than building apartment buildings for the homeless and giving them health care that exceeds the level possessed by many working class families; we need to redefine exactly what our obligations are to those among us who are less fortunate.  As a fiscal conservative and social moderate, I find no objection to the government financing (through the largess of tax dollars) facilities that can feed, provide environmental safety, and even extend basic health care to individuals who have fallen on hard times.  But it must be understood up front that this aid is designed to be a hand up and not a hand out. 

State and local governments in California could use their general funds to construct and maintain simple and efficient barracks-style shelters where an indigent person might find a clean and warm cot on a freezing cold night.  Extending that care into the areas of nutritional and health care necessities provides a wealth of opportunity for the public sector to partner with the private sector in an effort to address these needs.  Doctors, nurses, restaurants, private volunteers, faith-based organizations, wealthy and benevolent individuals…all of these could utilize a mechanism structured by the state to provide limited and fundamental support in conjunction with these shelters.  Many times, our government works best when it shapes policy and acts as a conduit to funnel private sector assets into public sector remedies; when it creates a mechanism or structure where both sectors can mutually leverage their resources to maximize both efficiency and results.  It is a tremendous challenge; but hey…that’s what government is for.

The key is achieving an understanding and remaining cognizant of the fact that these acts of support should be restricted to a specified time of need and limited in scope to an amount simply necessary to address the immediate and critical concerns.  The people receiving this assistance should not be elevated to a level that exceeds what we might see many working Americans experiencing every day of their lives.  Government is established to perform the functions in our society that no one else or nothing else can accomplish; tasks that are uniquely governmental in nature.  When we expand beyond that point, we not only dilute the efficiency and effectiveness of our government in its pursuit of its critical functions; but we also erode the basic premise of encouraging and assisting our neighbors to become productive and responsible citizens. 

There is a reason why history has shown us that one of the greatest predictors in Presidential contests is the state of the economy.  It is undeniable that a large part of the support for President Trump stems from the booming economy that has occurred under his Administration and all of the many opportunities that have accompanied it.  At the end of the day, the best form of assistance and compassion that we can deliver for many of those among us who are resource-challenged is the opportunity to obtain a good job, establish a reliable income from steady employment that can provide a sustainable existence,  embrace the challenge and possibility of actually improving that existence through ambition and perseverance, and possibly succeed at actually achieving whatever their personal dreams might be for themselves and their families.  If the robust economy we are now experiencing in America can be maintained; perhaps we have a unique opportunity at this time and place to address the realities of the resource-challenged that live among us.  We can table the debate about what exactly caused the problems and put our full focus on addressing the consequences of the problems.  Once folks can get back on their feet and have a place to walk towards; we can examine what brought them down to begin with. 

Let’s get one thing clear; the world will not come to an end if Bernie Sanders were to win the 2020 Presidential Election.  The same can be said for any other Democrat that might acquire the Democratic nomination.  Further, it is obvious to any person that is paying attention that America is doing just fine under the Donald Trump Administration and will perk along nicely for another four years in the event of his re-election.    Notwithstanding the fact that each Party claims an exclusive possession of the silver bullet that guarantees our nation’s survival and constantly blares the devastating consequences of placing the other Party in control; neither one is perfectly ideal nor despicable.  So in spite of all the apocalyptic rhetoric that both national political parties will be flinging over the next few months; America will go on and the world will continue to spin.    It is the nature of that spin that is in question.  Our nation is stronger and more durable than the flawed politicians we select to administer its business.

The naïve ideals of President George W. Bush often came to abrupt collisions with reality; the democratization of Iraq being a prime example.  But his broader concept of compassionate conservatism is a concept that has always appealed to me.  This term aptly describes someone who can see the role of government extending into programs that exhibit a social consciousness, but also expects reasonable limits to be placed on the extent and reach of those programs.  At the end of the day, much of this boils down to how one defines the role of government in American society.  And that, my friends, brings me back to my original point.  What presentation of that political question is clearer than the differing philosophies of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders?

An Old School, Conservative Remedy for Climate Change

Our planet is a chunk of molten rock layered with decaying vegetation, water bodies, and human beings with all that they entail.  It is sealed in an atmospheric bubble that essentially protects us from damaging interplanetary effects and simultaneously mandates that we be good stewards of our world because we are sealed in as well as sealed off.  It has evolved for a long, long time and that evolution continues today.  No doubt, part of that evolution is a direct result of how the humans who inhabit this world behave.  But a much larger and more fundamental element of that evolution is simply the natural changes inherent in the universe and its aging process.  To deny either evolutionary cause is foolishness.  But to disproportionately contribute causality to mankind and then ignore the evolutionary principles of the universe is stupidity.

In my former role as a lower level office manager for the United States Department of Agriculture, I had an opportunity to participate in a youth leadership workshop sponsored by the Hugh O’Brien Youth program (HOBY).  Read more about this great organization here: https://www.hoby.org/ .  The central theme of this particular workshop was conservation and environmental concerns.  I was never a gifted speaker or teacher; but on this one occasion, I did manage to hit the target squarely…even if the presentation was lacking. 

There were about 35 high school kids in the group and I asked them all to close their eyes.  I told them that we were going to board a spaceship and embark on a fantasy journey.  After years of travel, I advised them that we had arrived at our destination…our new world…and they should open their eyes.  The meeting room that we were in was that new world, with all the doors and windows closed.  I suggested to them that this would be their home for the foreseeable future and that this reality would create several concerns.  Obviously, coming up with food, water, and the necessities of life was primary; but my emphasis was on another aspect of survival.  In an enclosed and integrated space, how would we conserve our environment?

I reminded them that the challenge of life did not end with obtaining the fundamental ingredients that insured their nutritional survival; it also included dealing with the preservation of a livable environment.  I asked them to look around and consider what they would do with their disposable products; the metal, the plastic, the paper, the human waste, the black water, the gray water, the broken machinery of human existence….where would it all go?  How would they rule themselves in the close proximity of their confines?  How would they deal with the social cliques that exist in society and what form of justice and fairness might they employ?  The ultimate point was that nothing ever goes away; it remains with us and must be dealt with in some form or fashion.  Life is a balloon; you punch in one place and it juts out in another.  Furthermore, in a climate of limited resources it is essential to practice some form of efficiency and conservation.  A lively discussion followed about these challenges of co-existence in a high school context.  As you might imagine, that proved to be very entertaining.

Following this exercise, I asked them to consider a new topic.  Is it not true that the prior situation that we were imagining is, in fact, a microcosm of our existence on this planet?  And if that is true, how does our current behavior as citizens of the planet square with common sense?  How about the chewing gum, fast food wrappers, cola cans and cups, water bottles, spent tissues, and all the other miscellaneous items that we routinely toss out of our car windows?  How about the food we leave on our plates at home or the restaurant where we might be eating?  How about the careless way we discard clothing simply because it is out of style?  What about the people (or governments) that dam up a stream or a river in order to pool water; all at the expense of the people below the dam who perhaps counted on the stream or river and the people above the dam who might now find their homes or farms flooded?  And then there are those people (or companies) who burn and send smoke into the air, floating it upward…out of sight and out of mind.  There are also those that dump waste alongside the rural roads of America, into our streams and rivers and lakes, into our vast oceans, and even underground in our mountains and deserts.  How is this different from continuously piling up our waste in this fantasy new world constructed of four walls, a floor, and a ceiling? 

The inter-connectivity of our planet and all it entails is a wonder of creation.  There is so much that we still do not understand about whence it came and its origins.  We continue to struggle in the challenges presented to us, both social and environmental.  But at the very least…at the very foundation of the climate change argument lays the undeniable principle of accountability.  We are responsible for the messes we make and we are equally responsible for cleaning up those messes.  If we as an occupying entity on this planet can simply manage to practice a modicum of conservation and environmental consciousness in how we live each day, we will have gone a long ways towards doing our part to address climate change.  If only we can simply realize that every time we litter, or waste, or pollute irresponsibly…we are leaving our mess for someone else to clean up.  You see…eventually…it DOES HAVE TO BE cleaned up. 

And, you know…the point here is much broader and deeper than just the environmental climate.  How personally accountable are we when we sit at an intersection looking at a green light while talking on our cell phone?  Or when we have our grocery cart parked in the middle of the aisle speaking at the top or our voice into our smart phone; oblivious to all around us?  And what about the little things…like going through five stacks of jeans to find the right size and leaving them in a total and complete mess…or something as simple as returning a shopping cart to the collector rather than leaving it in the middle of the parking lot.  We use fresh water like there is a limitless supply, ignoring the global preciousness of that commodity.  We sit in the school drop-off line blocking traffic; because we didn’t have our act together when we left the house.   Common sense screams at us that all of our actions must have consequences.  If each of us could simply raise our personal consciousness, consideration, and accountability a notch or two; it would go a long, long ways towards addressing many of the conservation, environmental, and social issues of this modern civilization.  I fear that we as parents and grandparents are raising a generation of intelligent, ethical, and compassionate individuals who have been spoiled emotionally and materially to the point where they have no realistic concept of personal accountability.

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I do not intend this post to be about some broad ideal of social consciousness; or about becoming a respectable global citizen.  I am simply saying that it is important for mankind in general, and each of us specifically, to understand that we are but grains of sand in the universe.  We are not the center; we are not the arbiter of universal physics.  And the more often we acknowledge those facts, the better off we will be.  The concept of personal accountability lies at the crux of many great issues faced by society in today’s world.  It is applicable to the environmental, social, and even psychological well being of our species. 

When working on agricultural land to mitigate the flow of surface water; many people want to start with a blank piece of paper and dictate where the waterways and ditches will be located.  Our marvelous machines enable us to literally change the face of the earth to conform to our vision.  But experience has taught us that a far more effective and efficient way to approach this issue is to first observe how the surface water naturally flows.  Once those characteristic patterns are discerned, a master drainage plan can be constructed using them as a foundation.  The point is that things simply go better when we work with the land, rather than trying to dictate to the land. 

There are so many forces in this world over which we have no control.  That is not going to change.  We are part of this planet’s evolution; we are not the planet.  We are one of the influences on how it develops over the ages; we are not the only influence.  Our conceit and arrogance sometimes leads us to believe that we alone can fashion this planet in such a way to suit ourselves; that we have the exclusive right to shape it for the future.  Even more foolish is the concept that we have the sole power to control the evolution of this world.  Such is the monstrous pride of man.  This earth will spin through space for ages to come and we are simply along for the ride. 

What we can do is behave in a way that respects the world in which we live, exhibits a living ethic that demonstrates appreciation for limited resources and how they might be utilized and shared, and ultimately shows an acknowledgement of the privileges granted us by our very existence.  Call it what you will…paying it forward, common decency, respecting the rights of others, pulling your own weight.  I will call it personal accountability; living responsibly and cleaning up your own mess.

THIS is Required Viewing

It goes without saying that our nation is politically divided.  That division is demonstrated in many layers of emotion; ranging from unspoken personal dislikes of a comment or event to open and visceral screeds about the evils of the Democrats or Republicans (i.e. Trump).  How many of us have wondered to ourselves….How in the world did we get to this place?  How can people be so inordinately disposed to rabid behavior over something as arbitrary as politics?

In my lifetime, I have witnessed the impeachment adventures of three Presidents.  Nixon resigned before his inevitable impeachment occurred.  Had it unfolded, it would have been an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the Senate to remove a sitting President for just cause.  Clinton’s impeachment was not only more partisan; it also involved the difficult matter of considering abhorrent personal behavior as a function of elected office conduct.  Clinton was ultimately impeached by the House for his personal indiscretions (and related perjury); but the Senate, while acknowledging the irresponsibility and criminality of his behavior, determined that this display of personal behavior did not merit his removal from an elected office. 

The raw emotions that were unleashed during the Clinton impeachment left unhealed wounds for many Democrats and they carry them even today.  And to the discredit of many Republicans, they have carried that impeachment around as a scalped trophy of political victory.  This underlying animosity had festered for over twenty years; seeking an opportunity to rise and vent.  Donald Trump offered that opportunity.  To a very large extent, that is what lies at the heart of what we are currently witnessing in WDC and the mainstream media.

But the untold story, the elephant in the living room, is that the current tumultuous events in WDC could not occur unless our system of government and social consciousness were willing to allow it.  We as a nation have allowed this to happen.  To a large extent, we have done this to ourselves.  What changed in the years that have passed from Nixon to Clinton to Trump?  How did we get to a place where our government could spy on private citizens for political reasons?  How did we get to a place where it is accepted behavior for federal agencies to be politically weaponized?  How did we get to place where the President regularly uses executive actions to bypass the legitimate rights and obligations of Congress?  How did we get to a place where the legislative process that is supposed to rule this nation has, in fact, become a blood sport?  We now stand at a point in our nation’s history where the impeachment of a sitting President, an act that essentially overturns a national election, has become a legislative tool to use against a political opponent.

Not only has the shallow and power-hungry ambitions of our elected officials been emboldened, but the essential elements of standing government have been corrupted.  Those professional, career employees who serve lifetimes working for both Democrat and Republican Presidents have been revealed to be infected by rogue individuals who place their personal beliefs and ambitions above their appointed duties and responsibilities.  The combination of these developments has resulted in a general lack of faith regarding the competence, credibility, and fairness of our government as a whole.  Tragically, even our Judicial system has been drawn into this partisan fever swamp of “the ends justifying the means” rationale that has rendered our government dysfunctional.  Rogue federal judges throughout our country have openly defied the clear intentions and actions of both our Presidents and the Congress.

The Legislative portion of the dysfunction that has its roots in past Presidential impeachments will simply have to work its way out.  I honestly don’t know and do not see the solution to the Legislative partisan impasse that currently exists between Democrats and Republicans.  Neither Party appears to have sufficient leadership to re-institute the statesmanship and civility that will be necessary to get us back to some form of normal order.  And until citizens come to grips with their awesome power to vote and the implicit obligation of self information that accompanies that right, that political conflict will continue into the foreseeable future.  We really do need to think harder about the people we choose to represent us.

The Judicial element of this problem is perhaps on a path to solution.  The infusion of federal judges who honor and respect the Constitution as it was written is slowly bringing our federal courts back to a place where they will reliably serve as a compass not only for our society, but as a neutral arbiter between Legislative and Executive disputes.  It will literally take generations to work rogue judges out of the system; judges who have exercised their authorities and powers in ways that exceed their duties and expose them as partisan hacks.  But that slow movement back to a Constitution-centric federal court system is underway and will eventually be realized.

And finally, there is the part of the problem that deals with irresponsible and rogue federal employees who use their positions as opportunities to implement their personal and political agendas.  I have previously addressed the issue of civil service reform here: http://centerlineright.blogspot.com/2018/11/a-place-to-begin.html .  I continue to stand by those words.  I have also vehemently argued for the deconstruction of the FISA.  The corruption that we have witnessed from both Republican and Democrat Administrations should convince any sentient being that we simply cannot continue to empower government officials with the abilities to use discretionary authorities in the violation of our constitutional rights and liberties as private citizens. 

If you have any interest whatsoever in how our government has evolved to its current state of corruption, please take the time to listen to this presentation: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2020/01/ball-of-collusion-the-video.php .  This man is not a MAGA-wearing, over the top enthusiastic, rah-rah cheerleader for Donald Trump.  He has written a lot of print that is clearly critical of both the man that is Trump, his policies, and his actions as President.  He is a professional, intelligent, objective man that speaks with clarity gained from knowledge and experience.  I have not witnessed any print or video that more clearly sums up what has brought our Department of Justice to the place where it is today.  This is not a political presentation; this is a civics lesson.  This is a reminder that we cannot cede our personal liberties to elected and appointed federal officials who do not have the capacity to safeguard and honor those freedoms.  If you never read another word of what I or anyone else says about this issue…listen to this.

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For our government to get back to a place where it needs to be, there must be a reckoning that defines exactly what the government should do and what the government should not do.  This perpetual identity crisis that our branches of government are going through has resulted in a maelstrom of overlapping ambitions, power grabs, ego contests, and paralyzing performances.  Our government must return to a role of serving for the people and not a philosophy that requires the people to serve them.  This nation was founded on personal freedoms, not on a premise of a government that controls and mandates our individual freedoms of self determination and accountability.  Government is not all knowing and has no business trying to micro-manage our lives.  We have a blueprint; we have a plan; we have a foundation to govern.  It is called the Constitution.  We need to get back to it.