We are all connected these days.
Global economies, global social networks, global environments, global networks.
So, when a tremendous force such as the recent earthquake in Japan and resulting tsunamis occur, the shockwaves reverberate, gather energy and reach around the Ring of Fire which encircles the Pacific Ocean. At some point, the energy dissipates, but the landscape is never the same. Neither is the sense of security for that generation. People have short memories.
The TeaPartee movement also seems to be generating its own misshapen energy force and as this disparate group of the disaffected, the nihilists, the anti-governmental wing, the older conservatives, the racists (yes, there I said it) and the fearful emerged and coalesced without leadership following the election of Obama, that vacuum of leadership was ripe for the taking.
The recent events in Madison and other statehouses to privatize (eg, monetize) governmental functions is the result of leadership filling that vacuum behind the scenes. The end goal is commerce and power; the losers are the vaporizing middle class and the already downtrodden. The aftershocks are about to commence. Strap in and speak up. Yes, most states are in a boatload of troubles that will require draconian measures to right the ships of state. But there must be a rational way to make it through these economic tsunamis without destroying the middle class or turning a service model into a commerce giveaway (no-bid contracts, cronyism etc).
Even if recalls and elections turn out the scoundrels, the damage may have already be done. Be careful when you invoke the tectonic forces. The landscape may never be the same and may be altered in ways you never intended.
Today's Song Saturday pick:
That Man in Black and "Ring of Fire;" some forces never die or fade away.
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ReplyDeleteI have great faith that our Governor, in his own Zen way, will find a creative and reasonable way out of our budget mess. I know we will all have to sacrifice but we can do that without killing the soul of California. Perhaps the other 49 will (love ya Wisconsin) see they don’t need to destroy their state to save it.
ReplyDelete"there must be a rational way to make it through these economic tsunamis without destroying the middle class"...yes, that's it in one line. There HAS to be a better way to solve budgetary problems than alienating half your constituency and exposing yourself as corrupt and dishonest. I can only hope the lesson of Wisconsin disabuses other state governments of the same slippery tactics. But the push back has been heartening. People are mad as hell...and to mix my references, I feel the earth move under our feet -- as long as it's from the stomping of progressive feet doing something about it, it's a welcome noise.
ReplyDeleteCris, I'd like to believe there's a 'way to make it through this', but I'm losing hope rapidly.
ReplyDeleteCalifornia really IS broke - as opposed to Wisconsin, which isn't. New York is nearly there. All it's going to take is one state-default to bring the whole damn thing down.
Obama has proven himself a worthless panderer; a parody of the persona he tried to create in '08, and more than worthless to any genuine Progressives or Liberals.
The only thing we have left is to wait until we get to vote again -and then hope that the American public will magically have put down the remote-control long enough to self-educate.