Thursday, October 8, 2015

A train wreck in not-so-slow-motion



For the life of me I don't understand why so many in the world look to the United States for leadership.  We wouldn't know "leadership" if it bit us on the butt!  There may be a very few potential "leaders" lurking in our political landscape, but they either have no chance of getting the nod to lead, or THEY DON'T WANT IT!

It wasn't long ago I was pooh-pooing the "Young Guns" in the House of Representatives, those being Republicans Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy, their best-of-the-best.  Yes, the same Kevin McCarthy who just dropped out of the race to become the next Speaker of the House.  Back then I thought they were too rigid, too my-way-or-the-highway, too cold to effectively lead.  

Turns out McCarthy is now deemed not cold enough to please the 40 or so members of the Tea Party (now calling themselves the Freedom Party) who are bullying the rest of the Republican's.  They're like the Nazi Brown Shirts of the 1930's, sans the actual physical beating of opponents.  Current Speaker John Boner is looking like an absolute moderate.  Don't get cocky Democrats, you're no better.  Nancy Pelosi?  Really?  She's the best you have?

And the Senate....Oh dear God, we've hit bottom!  Mitch McConnell (R)?  Harry Reid (D)?  The Mafia should study them to learn the fine art of real organized crime.

Which leaves President Barack Obama.   Sir, please explain it to me again, slowly....what exactly is our foreign policy?  If it's to get run over, then I give you a perfect 10.  You say we're involved in Syria in order to help send Assad packing.  So who's going to take his place?  One of those flea-bag rebel warlords we're supporting now?  You know they're just suckering you, right?  They don't give a rats ass about working with us.  In fact they hate us.  They'll still take our money, but they hate us.  Why can't they hate us on their dime?

And who do we have in the wings?  Donald Trump, entertainer extraordinaire.  Dr Ben Carson, has no chance.  Carly Fiorina, ditto.  Ted Cruz, pond scum.  And a bunch of others who have less than no chance.  Hillary, too many skeletons in the closet.  Bernie Sanders, even his supporters say he could never be elected.  

*crickets*

What the hell has happened to us?  Our potential is limitless, our people incredibly dynamic.  Our compassion (excluding the Freedom Party) comforting, our power to do good beyond the reach of anyone else in the world.  And we're squandering it.  DOH!

You know that revolution we haven't had in 239 years?  Don't look now, but....

S

16 comments:

  1. I've declared a moratorium on political comments, but I will say Dr. Carson is too smart and too much of a gentleman to be President.

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    1. Yep, the professional bastards inside the beltway would eat him alive.

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    2. Yeah Carson sounds like a real smart, classy guy: http://news.yahoo.com/ben-carson-suggests-holocaust-less-likely-jews-were-220504283.html

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    3. So really, you guys think this gaffe machine should be president? It's embarrassing. http://mashable.com/2015/10/08/ben-carson-popeyes-gun-point/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-main-link#iTCJSEnJ_Pqc

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    4. Are you addressing me when you say "you guys"? At this point, and for at least another 6+ months, I'm undecided. And frankly, I don't see enough in any of them, of either party, to get excited about. Now if I could take a little from this guy, and some from that lady, etc, that would be different, but of course it doesn't work that way.

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    5. If we limit the definition of gentleman to someone who wears pants, then yes, the retired doctor fits. And a comparison of him to President Carter strains the imagination, except they were both politicians.

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  2. The situation in Syria is complicated thanks to Russia and our failures in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one wants to get into another ground war in the Middle East and yet no one wants ISIS running the show either. But there's always the problem of if you depose the dictator you could end up with someone worse or just chaos. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that.

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    1. True...it looks like we opened Pandora's Box when we took out Saddam Hussein and those other Mid East despots. Bad as the were....I don't think we thought that one through.

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  3. So tell me how you really think, Scott. And, please, watch your blood pressure.

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    1. Me....hold back? *tisk* And for the record, I checked it today and it was 117/76. :)

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  4. I would like to respectfully disagree with you about Bernie Sanders.

    And I'm not too worried about Trump being front runner right now. At this point in time before the last election, it was Michelle Bachmann who was at the front of the polls. Remember Michelle Bachmann? Remember somewhat accurate polls? They are getting less and less accurate every day.

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    1. I didn't say Bernie wasn't smart, or independent, or trustworthy, or have some good ideas. But he is a self-described "Socialist", which to the American electorate is a Cardinal Sin. And he himself has said his goal was to get ideas out into the limelight for discussion, and on that he has succeeded in spades. But repeated polls of HIS supporters say he has virtually no chance of actually winning a national election. And I agree...Trump is bound to fade long before next year's election.

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  5. Carson might be smart and a real gentleman, but that didn't work out well for Jimmy Carter. I have more managerial experience than Dr. Carson and I'm hardly qualified to be president. This notion of electing a Washington outsider is absolutely ridiculous. Washington was designed to be exactly the way it is, and without insider know how nothing will get done. Normally I don't mind because I disapprove of much that Washington does, but our country is at a crossroads and there's much repair that needs doing.

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    1. Agreed, Jimmah Carter was a nice, perfectly decent guy. Still is. But the Washington professional politicos chewed him up and spit him out. His presidency was doomed before he ever put his hand on the Bible on inauguration day. I doubt Dr Carson would do any better. I wish we had more than two parties....make them give and take (compromise) to form a majority coalition. But both current parties make it SOOOOOO difficult for a 3rd party to get on the ballot. It's rigged.

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  6. I thought the Tea Party WAS the revolution. The same old/ same old is looking better in comparison.

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    1. Then I'm thinking the Silent Majority needs to overthrow the Tea Party!

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