This Is Not Rocket Science

And so to recap....the Tea Party faction of the Republican Party forced a government shutdown which cost us...you, me, and her...$24 billion dollars in about three weeks time because they did not want to provide affordable health care to about 30 million fellow citizens, some of whom actually voted for these...

My wife says I name-call.  She says it is mean and unfair.  So I will let you finished writing the first paragraph.  Have fun with it.  Seriously.  Every time I write, I have gangs of fun...I'm talking Dean Martin fun.  Some of the words I would not employ to finish the first paragraph would be: patriots, Christians, Americans, good, righteous, honest, fair, kind, loving, true, caring, understanding, bright, intelligent, conservative, frugal, miserly, parsimonious, or ethical. 

The other morning I was having coffee with a S.D.S. brother and one of his friends. We'll leave it at that.  We got to talking about what sort of person actually runs for office.  I actually think it matters about the office one seeks.  For example if one runs for a local city council in a small to large town, one could have different motives.  But any area above, oh let's say, 300,000 residents the gig changes.  Let's say "Congress," or "Mayor of Los Angeles."  When you're a member of Congress, or the Mayor of Los Angeles, everyone turns when you walk into the room.  You are the focus of attention.

But then there are people like Steve Jobs, Al Pacino, or Meryl Streep who walk into a room and they are the focus of attention; that is, people like Steve Jobs, Al Pacino, or Meryl Streep are actually exceptional human beings.  People who run for Congress, Governor, or the Mayor of Los Angeles, are not exceptional, they have no particular talent, and they run for office quite simply so that they can feel like they are equals of Steve Jobs, Al Pacino, or Meryl Streep. You know that they are not, I know that they are not, but they, on the other hand...

That, dear reader, is a serious problem. But only if one wants to preserve a democracy.  

Truly exceptional people no longer feel compelled to run for office.  Why would they?  Once the "news" went past a simple F.C.C. regulation about public service into a 24/7 business...well, all bets were off.  On the best days, there are only 44 minutes worth of real, honest-to-God-actual news , at the most...like those days when they gunned down Malcolm and Dr. King. 

And it's our fault, really.  Consider Miley Cyrus.  Once she posed naked at the age of fourteen for Diane Arbus, can one be really shocked by her twerking at some half-time or some awards show or some whatever? Americans love superiority.  We love to be appalled because it means we are morally better than whoever it is who appalls us, and, sadly, that includes Elvis.
 
And the moral of the story is...there is always enough money for war, for killing other people, especially for killing brown people who live on the other side of the Earth, but there is never ever enough money for education or enough money for health care.  

And that, my friends, is who we really are underneath the lies we tell about ourselves.