Carbon & Conservatives

Somewhere in our evolution the human brain split into two types: One is sentient and shows awareness of surroundings. The other brain type is static and unchanging, and prefers to adapt to the status quo rather than change it. Both brain types are needed to provide balance in our species. It's like our own sun, where a balance between the outward push of pressure is balanced by the inward pull of gravity.

In the U.S. this divide has become more apparent than ever before, especially in our politics. In Congress I believe the deep crack started with the Robert Bork Supreme Court hearings of 1987. This was the first major example of "Borking," where attempts are made to defeat a nominee or political appointee through character assassination. Borking is now commonplace in our country and it has created a nastiness, cynicism, and distrust that has poisoned and paralyzed our political system. At a time when both sides of the aisle need to work together like never before, we create fake outrage and get the hysterical bases of both political parties emotionally worked up.

It is in this atmosphere of political malfunction that our country sinks deeper into debt and morphs into an oligarchical theocracy, while our warming atmosphere takes us to self-destruction. This is a time in our history when we need to stop the petty fighting and start listening to the other side.

Conservative Minds

So, I've started listening in an effort to understand my ideological counterparts. I've been viewing conservative social media, listening to right-wing radio shows, and having discussions with Republicans. The end result is that I still don't understand. See, in my mind the process is simple. You identify a problem facing our country or world, you write up the needed legislation, you get the votes, and you go after it. But now, there is endless debating over every minor point on any issue.

I am amazed and dumbfounded when conservatives say that global climate change is "a natural warming trend" or a "hoax." Despite the fossil fuel industry's efforts to throw confusion and misinformation into the debate, the evidence is solid that our industrial society is quickly warming the atmosphere. This is the consensus of 97% of climate scientists.

Burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere is the same as littering. We are compromising and degrading our planet, which is unfair to our children. Everyone on both sides of the political spectrum should be wearing out the phone lines to Congress as we demand action now.

But, instead, do nothing.

The whole point of my blog post is this: The inaction and indifference toward climate change, which is perpetuated by the Republican Party, is a crime against humanity, wildlife, and the Earth. At some point, someone will pay, and it's the future generations and animals who are going to suffer. I now see conservatism as a danger and threat to our planet.

Diving into the Static Mind

A common theme in articles that I read, about the differences between conservatives and progressives, is how we process fear. But the issue is more complex. If you look at a map from the 2016 presidential election you see that the "reds" dominate rural America and the "blues" are strong on the coastlines and large cities. Many people are simply born into an ideology and religion and spend their lives surrounded by people who think the same way. I believe the way to open the minds of these individuals is to expose them to people, ideas, and cultures that are different than their own. I'd love to see "Centers for Enlightenment" across the country where people of all political, religious, and cultural types just sit down and talk, and more importantly, listen.

Critical Thinking

Another commonality of conservatives is that they grasp onto a particular dogma and they tenaciously defend it, without questioning it. Everything you hear should be questioned. People who just "drink the Kool-Aid" become the lemmings and pawns for others who have political agendas. Those who don't challenge information are easily manipulated and serve as the robot army for special interest groups.

All the time, I read the comments of progressives who are perplexed by the lack of conservative action on the environment, gun control, or anything that threatens the status quo and their way of life. Conservatives resist change.

Lately, I've come to think of right-wing thinkers as people who live life inside of a box. They seem unaware that we are living animals on a hunk of rock that's flying through space. Their brains are hard-wired and locked into set behavior patterns. No amount of reasoning, logic, or debating will shift their positions an inch.

But I have seen people change and awaken. These are individuals who often immerse themselves into different groups of people who open them to new ideas and thinking. People who are well traveled and well read are definitely more openminded than those who stay isolated in their neighborhoods and churches, who home school their children, and rarely venture out into the mainstream of society.

If we are ever going to defeat the climate change crisis, we need a nonpartisan effort. We also need to:

• Listen to those with differing political and religious views.
• Encourage the development of critical thinking in schools.
• Find ways to "shuffle the deck" to give isolated people exposure to differing viewpoints.

My Story

I've been called a libtard a few times, and I don't mind it at all. I now realize that my first step into liberalism was in 1970, when I was 9-years-old. For a class assignment I wrote and acted in a short play that depicted life in an environmental control room, set some time in the future. My classmates and I were struggling to keep the last oxygen factory from breaking down, and when we failed we all suffocated. Around that same time my friends and I would rough up construction sites in an effort to slow the home construction that was consuming the open land where we played. At 10-years-old my friends and I somehow knew that rearranging the spark plug wires on a bulldozer would keep it from starting, and if it did start it would run very rough. 

I continued messing with construction sites for six years, until I was finally caught by some off-duty cops who were squirrel hunting in the woods. I was arrested and given community service. So, for me, there's no turning back. I became a sentient being. I became AWARE that developers were destroying the natural environment. Once I started dating, went to college, got married, and had a family, this powerful love for the environment was suppressed in me for 19 years. I became a church leader and president of a computer club, and focused on my career and family. But in 1997 the rapid development in my county triggered me again and I joined several environmental organizations and became a green activist. It was during this time when I met progressives from liberal religious faiths who exposed me to new ideas and new ways of thinking. Email "listserves" allowed me to meet with and engage in environmental discussions with fellow activists around the country. From these listserves I was exposed to books and various campaigns and movements in the environmental community that opened my mind and changed me forever.

My point is that once you break out of the box, and once you take a stand for something, you are changed forever. You develop an AWARENESS of the past, future, and world around you, instead of just living in a bubble.

At age 9 I do not remember the specifics but I do remember all the worries and concerns about pollution in the U.S. At one point U.S. rivers were so polluted that a river near Cleveland, Ohio caught fire on June 22, 1969. That was the wake-up call for our country and it's when a serious effort began to clean our rivers and streams, and it led to the creation of the EPA, you know, that organization that so many Republicans and Libertarians hate. We need another, similar wake-up call again to reduce the carbon in our atmosphere. Is there any backbone left in our country to do this? I'm not sure, but I will always remain hopeful.

Sources:

Climate Change Fork blog, Micha Tomkiewicz, PH.D.
Turning Conservatives into Liberals, John Bargh, The Washington Post
Climate 101 website, The Climate Reality Project

Photo: Kamil Feczko

An Open Letter to the Trumpkins

Come, gather around, my little red hats. For I have a message of peace and hope. Now, you say you have the answers and know everything, but soon we'll all be dead. 

Personally, I've never figured out how the kangaroos left Noah's ark and made it back to Australia. Yeah, I know about the land bridge theory, except that there's no evidence for it. And those poor little guys only had 4,000 years to get back to their continent, and not a single kangaroo skeleton has ever been found beyond Down Under.

So, if there weren't really kangaroos on the ark, isn't it time to question EVERYTHING? I'm old and tired, and I'm getting tired of screaming, but how many times must I tell you to QUESTION. When the oil addicts tell you it's okay to blast limitless carbon into the atmosphere, you should QUESTION THAT. I am here to tell you my little friends that CLIMATE CHANGE IS REAL. It's a serious threat to our little blue marble, which floats through space as it waits to die.

And, my little orange-haired children, why do you make fun of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her Green New Deal? Are you totally shocked that someone gives a damn? Instead of ridiculing her and her plan, you should say, "Thank you, AOC, that's a great start." And then you should put your brain in high gear and contribute to the solution.

Not that I'm judgmental, but I think people spend too much time doing things that don't matter. We should all be going to Canada right now to beat the living crap out of those fishermen who club seals in their spare time. Yeah, I said I'm for peace, and I think animals should have peace too. And if I see you wearing a seal fur I'll throw ink on it, or do something tacky.

And if you don't want to stop seal clubbers, then consider getting an electric car, having less children, reducing meat consumption, and adopting a simplistic lifestyle. And, for god sakes, RECYCLE! Because that's the only way we are going to save our beautiful planet, which we have poisoned and crippled in just a few generations.

And please don't tell me that everything is part of God's plan. God has no plan except to give children bone cancer and ensure that we all have miserable lives, so that we can turn to alcohol, meth, and prescription pills, and stay numb enough to avoid the pain that you call love.

Stand up Trumpkins, or die on your knees. Stop screaming "lock her up" long enough to hear the trickle of a creek or the sound of songbirds in the morning. Trade your "Grab Me Too" shirts for a pair of gloves, and start picking up plastic off our seashores. Because every time I see pictures of a dead bird or fish with a stomach full of plastic, I am sickened. How low can our miserable species get? The only thing we do well is make babies and plastic, and the Earth has too much of each.

If I hurt your feelings, I don't care, because some things are worth fighting for. If you send Saudi agents to chop me up, I just don't care. Because I have said what needed to be said, I got it off my chest, and now I have a little peace.

My gut intuition is that we humans will be the next failed species, but what is the point of blogging if I don't provide hope and solutions? So, I will tell you this, my brothers and sisters. I spend hours separating and recycling everything I can, and I know it won't make a difference, but it's one of the few ways that I can say "thank you" to this beautiful, amazing world that I live in. I support the Sierra Club when and wherever I can because they are ferocious Robin Hoods fighting against impossible odds. They have my heart, but then you Trumpkins tell me that the Sierra Club is a "cult" or "bad."

I know you get pissed when visitors sit in your pew at church because you've been sitting there for 30 years. You've been frozen faced and loyal as the preacher rambles about one capital campaign after another. You make sure that you flash that $20 bill around to impress the elderly ladies, then you let it slowly sink into the pure-brass offering plate.

And then you judge me. You call me a Marxist, granola-eating tree hugger that is driving our country into degradation. Just because I don't think Harry Potter books are satanic and just because I don't care one iota if a man marries a man, that doesn't give you the right to look down on me. I'm not up late at night reading how Lot had sex with his daughters and then offered them to be gang raped. Oh holy ones on the white horses, that's YOUR problem to figure out. All I know is that every time I see a dead deer on the side of the road I find myself feeling again. I want to suppress those feelings and be like you, but I can't.

As I write this the Trumpkins in Georgia have placed even more restrictions on the already-restricted abortion laws in Georgia. The state legislators waited until halfway through the session and then jumped into action to push their moral issues. They are pro-life because it's not like seal clubbing, but rather these men are going to force desperate women, often who are in dire circumstances, to have those unwanted babies. When the legislators return to their little country churches, they will be applauded as great heroes, and they'll sit up front, next to the pastor, during the morning service. They will be given laurels and the church congregation will applaud wildly, and everyone will be happy as the uterus police begin searching for violators as the church members sing uncontrollably out of their tattered hymnal books.

Look at me, Trumpkins, I am no better. I am just one struggling human who feels too much and cares too much. Not for your self-righteous campaigns and pompousness, but rather I feel for the Earth, animals, and the general failing state of our civilization.

If I could only say one thing to you, I would say, again, to stop doing things that don't amount to anything and start doing things that really matter.

 Photo:Vidar Nordli-Mathisen

Rantings of a Drowning Man

I've spent a lot of time this week reflecting on all the decisions I made in life and how I got to where I'm at today. It seems that I've made so many wrong decisions that I should learn to do the opposite of what my instinct tells me.

I've also spent much time worrying about my country. How did we sink to such an incredible low? I know we've gotten through horrible times in the past, such as the Civil War and the Great Depression. Somehow I'm hoping that we will get through our current hard times.

Conservatism

On a couple of occasions I've heard Red Hats say that "liberalism is a mental disorder." But I now believe the opposite is true. It is the conservatives who are ignoring climate change, and nothing good can come from that. Funny, because when natural disasters occur in their communities these tough, government-stay-out-of-my-life MAGAs come crying to the government for a handout after their house is destroyed by a hurricane, wildfire, or flood. Oh silly MAGAs, didn't you hear that climate weather models have been predicting more and severe weather events since the 1990s? And all you care about is that some desperate girl, somewhere, that you don't even know, is getting an abortion?

Reality Check

Both political parties have lost it when it comes to managing our government. The federal debt just hit $22 trillion a few weeks ago. We are absolutely screwed because there is no way we can pay this debt off. The Republicans want to cut taxes and beef up the military while the Democrats want Medicare for All and free college. Both parties want to fix our crumbling infrastructure. George W.'s two wars and Obama's bailout and stimulus package have already put us way under water. Our only hope is to rev the economy to produce more tax revenue, but that requires government investment, and then either more debt or more taxes, which strangles the dying beast as it tries to get its last breaths.

Oh, Did I Miss Something?

We see all the social stress taking place in our country and our response is to do nothing. Most of the problems can be traced to our rapid population growth, massive human migration, and capitalism's tendency to move money to the top, creating massive wealth disparity. I'm enjoying all the propaganda videos and memes that people are posting on social media that aim to reinforce the notion that socialism is evil. A small group of socialist-leaning representatives have just joined congress and all the rich people are pooping in their pants because they don't want anyone getting their stuff. "Look at Venezuela," they say. Well, I agree that socialism is another untenable economic system, but turning America into a two-class nation, controlled by billionaires, isn't good either. So, STOP telling me about the evils of socialism because the evils of capitalism are FAR WORSE.

Oh, and where did I leave off? We are facing stagnant wages, massive underemployment, and loss of jobs through automation. There are "dollar stores" popping up around the country and they are selling us low quality garbage made in China. Our jobs went to China and now we are so broke we can only afford the cheap crap produced by their factories. If the bottoms of your shoes fall out after a month don't complain to me because this is capitalism, the system that you love and support every time you vote for a Republican.

Did I mention social issues? Most Americans live pumped up on opioids, antidepressants, alcohol, narcotics, or all of the above. Aren't we suppose to be happy? No one seems happy, not even the rich people. What is wrong? Instead we have a high suicide rate, poverty, homelessness, and mass shootings are so common we hardly notice when they make the news.

Should I even mention the super-touchy issue of obesity? I try to be sensitive because some people have thyroid issues, but for the majority of people the problem is lifestyle. And I can really see the source of the problem when I walk into a grocery store — all the garbage is kept at the front and your cart is loaded up with donuts and jellybeans before you can even get to the produce section. And if you do get to produce you get to enjoy food covered in a delightful variety of herbicides and pesticides, and it might even be genetically modified, or perhaps zapped with radiation. Enjoy your breakfast, America. I live near a small rural town called Hiram, Georgia. I will sometimes count the overweight people I see in the stores and it's near 50 percent. What's wrong with us? In addition to being drugged out and poor, do we have to be fat too?

I do believe there is a correlation between the national debt and personal debt. Instead of putting the tax money we collect back into the economy, much of it goes overseas in the form of interest on debt. This exporting of money overseas means less opportunity for Jane and Johnny. So many people are up to their eyeballs in credit card debt, medical debt, and student loans.

Crime is out the roof and our prisons are full, and those in prison must endure rape and other forms of abuse. 

Gender tensions are high and racial tensions are high. There seems to be no end to the debates, lawsuits, and fighting and clawing over equity issues. What one party sees as "equality" is viewed by the other person as "an unfair advantage." I believe that race issues will continue until our species is extinct.

Most troubling of all is our abhorrent and unresponsive Congress, which is controlled by corporate interests. No longer does the average citizen have a voice, and there is no one in Washington to care. Our country is approaching the point to where we are being run by corporate oligarchs. Meanwhile, our military is bombing 7 different countries, we are meddling in the affairs of many nations, and supporting dictators. Big Business and the wealthy are enjoying huge tax loopholes while the typical American lives paycheck to paycheck, if he or she is lucky enough to have a job.

Living It

I'm living this bad dream. I'm right in the middle of it. I'm strung out with debt, alimony payments, and trying to survive after losing my great job of 26 years. If you are wealthy and successful, please don't lecture me about the evils of socialism. Don't worry, I'm not going to steal your shit. And don't tell me how wonderful unregulated assault weapons are because I don't want your gun. And then don't tell me what a cold individual I am because I don't believe women should be forced to keep their unwanted babies, just so you can feel righteous and so that you can find at least one reason to support Donald Trump.

My Friend Daryll

As an aside, my best friend in high school died a few weeks ago. Shown in the picture is Daryll and me in front of his father's grave. His father had a defective heart and died early, and Daryll died from the exact same thing. The point being is that life dealt Daryll a bad hand of cards, while all the rich, healthy, and happy people seem to have been dealt a good hand. Life ISN'T FAIR at all. I look at my own situation and see that I'm still better off then many others, and yet so many people are better off than me. At this point I can make a meandering speech about how happiness should come from within, but I'm not going to do that. I'll only say that Daryll was a good, loyal friend and had a heart of gold. Everyone who knew him liked him, well, except for the guy he tossed over the balcony. But I will say again that LIFE ISN'T FAIR, so, again, don't fucking lecture me about socialism.

The Solution

Oh yeah, I once said there is no point in blogging unless I can come up with a point. The point of my rant is the biggest lesson I learned — don't put things off just because they are uncomfortable. In the area of jobs, relationships, finances, and health, address the problems and tasks that you have head on. Secondly, don't put crap into your body whether it be junk food or drugs. The purpose of this crap is to make you feel good at the expense of the long-term. Your body is your temple and you only get to have it once — keep things clean inside. And exercise even when you don't want to.

In the areas of spending, migration, climate change, gun control, etc.. I see where our Congress has gotten us into a mess because they either don't want to deal with the problem or they'd rather stay on a comfortable path at the expense of our future. To say that Congress doesn't do anything because of partisan gridlock is a stupid excuse. If this body of representatives really wanted to do something for the good of the people, they could.

In my own life I put things off related to relationships and tax matters. This tactic only makes the problems worse. I am doing better with health and I make myself stay caught up on all my routine medical appointments. Most people don't like annual physicals because they don't like being poked and prodded and are afraid of possible bad news. But it's much better to face the bad news head on and early, rather than being an Ostrich.

Come on America, we can do better, both on a personal and national level. I have learned my hard lessons and am trying to survive and do better, and I can only hope that the U.S. Congress learns and does the same.

Photo: Almos Bechtold

Drowning in a Sea of Debt

Ever since I attended a presentation on the federal debt in 1983 the topic has stayed in my mind. We have this beautiful country, created by the genius of James Madison, and we are slowly killing it.

Let's Talk About Debt

People always complain about taxes, but in theory they are not so bad. The idea is that a government collects money to pay employees and buy goods and services. So, the money sucked in goes right back out into the economy. I'm happy to say that 49 U.S. states have a requirement for a balanced budget. Vermont is the only exception.

On the federal level, this is not the case. Each year the U.S. Congress approves a budget that spends more than it collects, and each year the national debt grows larger. So, instead of the money going straight back into the economy, a bigger hunk of our annual budget is spent paying interest on bonds. Even worse is when China and other countries buy our debt — in this case your hard-earned tax money goes straight out of the country.

Why citizens and Congressional members are not screaming about this amazes me. Why our presidents don't make this a major issue shocks me. Our current and past presidents are the captains of the Titanic and our Congress is the crew. Few people seem to care that they are piloting a sinking ship. "Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we shall die," is the mantra of our government.

The Conundrum

Our president rambles about rebuilding infrastructure and expanding the military while Democratic Socialists call for free college and "Medicare for all." The truth is, we can't afford to do any of that, unless we go into debt more. And sorry, there's no money for a wall.

Right now the federal debt is 78% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is projected to be 93% in a decade. By then, the United States will be so saddled with debt that the only thing we can do is sink farther into the abyss.

I'm surprised to find how little information there is on the federal debt — it's like the alcoholic relative that no one wants to talk about. The best source I've found for putting the crises into plain English is Investopedia. According to this source our national debt as of January 2019 was $21.9 trillion. Already, the national debt has grown 10% under Father Trump, and it doubled under the 8-year reign of President Obama (from $10 trillion to $20 trillion). Wars are expensive and while Obama's "stimulus package" supposedly saved the economy, it only created more debt and bought us only a little more time. It's likely that the economy will crash again soon, and when Trump does a "bailout package" he'll be hailed as a great hero. Every conservative will have a bobblehead likeness of Trump above their fireplace and he will be worshipped as the great savior. But, guess what? Bailouts only delay the inevitable.

The public debt is about to match our country's Gross Domestic Product, which is the value of all of our goods and services for a year. If the United States was an individual, he or she would be screwed.

So, Alfie, if all the taxes going to Uncle Sam went straight back into the economy, life wouldn't be so bad, even though we like to gripe about taxes. But instead, each year more of our tax money goes to service debt, and a lot of it is held by foreign countries. This isn't good, Alfie.

History

I know there are far more important things to worry about than the national debt, such as what is Justin Bieber wearing? What's going on with the Kardashians? And can you still live after missing an episode of "Game of Thrones?" But, really, our Congress and last few presidents have been kicking the can down the road and basically ignoring the problem.

Every few years some fiery fiscal conservative in Congress will stand up and scream for a balanced budget amendment, but there's never enough votes. The last balanced budget amendment to receive a vote in the House was proposed by Rep. Bob Goodlatte of Virginia in April 2018, and promptly failed. Instead, what we got from other Republicans was a bill that cut taxes, and we were told the great lie that lower taxes would spur the economy and create more tax revenue. This is similar to the lie that Ronald Reagan and his minions told us about "trickle down" economics. In reality, the Reagan tax cuts and military buildup caused the deficit to spike, and few dollars ever reached us bottom feeders.

Debt is something our nation has struggled with since the Revolutionary War. Since then, more wars, recessions, and inflation have all contributed to growing the debt. Applause goes to the Clinton administration, which actually had an annual surplus for a few years in the late 1990s. Applause also goes to Andrew Jackson, who was the only president ever to pay off the debt in 1835.

As of right now, every individual in the United States owes $40,000 in debt, which sounds creepier than just saying "70% of GDP."

Where Does the Money Go?

Our government is spending $1.1 trillion on healthcare, mostly Medicare and Medicaid. Another $1 trillion goes to Social Security, and then $1.1 trillion goes to defense. The rest of our country's line items, such as transportation and veterans benefits, are pocket change in comparison to the three main items mentioned above.

I am currently 58 years old and part of me is hopeful that I can get out of this world before everything crashes. I look forward to enjoying my Social Security/Medicare safety net, but the whole system is tottering under extreme financial stress and I'm not sure if it will be around when I become an official old fart. They may just put me on an iceberg and shove me away or I may have to stand before one of Obama's Death Panels. The U.S. government has to come up with $3.2 trillion in the next decade to fund Social Security and Medicare Part A, and there's no way to do it.

What This Means To Me & Alfie

The increased national debt is putting a slow drag on the entire economy by affecting interest rates, investments, and general economic performance. This anemia is coming at a time when American productivity is declining, due in part to our aging population. There is no way out of this trap, except through uncomfortable sacrifice. Eventually, America will be so burdened by debt that infrastructure projects, job growth programs, and any other initiative will become unaffordable.

Oh, and sorry folks, we can't just print more money. This tactic causes inflation and diminishes everyone's savings.

What You Can Do

We must demand that our elected officials behave in a fiscally responsible way. This means no tax cuts in exchange for votes and no giant social programs that have no payment mechanism. Our federal government needs serious fiscal reforms. The longer we put off dealing with the giant elephant in the room the more painful it will be to fix the problem in the future. 

Only seven other nations have a debt crises worse than ours — Japan, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Bhutan, Cyprus, and Belgium. The debt crises of these nations regularly makes the news. At least Greece had the European Union to bail them out. It's shameful that a country as great and large as ours should be in such a pathetic debt situation. It's disgraceful.

So, at the next Trump rally, while you are waving your red hat as Father Trump takes the stage, think about the real issues that affect us. And as for you Democrats, your leaders are no better when it comes to debt. The American federal debt crisis is a nonpartisan issue, and EVERYONE shares some responsibility. Every time a politician suggests a tax cut or new program, scream, "How are we gonna pay for it?" 

Sadly, I found very few organizations that advocate for a balanced budget. If people were as passionate about the federal debt as they are about their guns, we might have a chance. We need a public advocacy movement to push for fiscal responsibility. If we allow the government to borrow more money to give us more free stuff, we are selfishly benefiting ourselves at the expense of our children, grandchildren, and country as a whole.

If you want to help pay off the debt, there is a GoFundMe page that is trying to raise $1 billion (which will help reduce the $21 trillion). Send them 5 bucks and then you can go back to your normal life routine and live in peace. If you would like more information or if you want to get involved in the balanced budget cause, click on the links below.

Resources & Sources:

- Peter G. Peterson Foundation - Raises public awareness of urgent fiscal issues facing the U.S.

- The Concord Coalition - Advocates for smarter fiscal policy.

Additional Sources:

- Wikipedia

- Investopedia

- usgovernmentspending.com

Photo: Ian Espinosa

The Delusion of Delusions

I am grateful to the friends and readers who encourage me to keep blogging. This week, a friend said, "Keep it up. It may feel like a voice in the wilderness, but the energy is projected into the universal atmosphere!" Wow, that gave me a much-needed boost.

I'm not sure why I write but it does give me a cleansing feeling when I get things out that need to be said. I find that I write for a lot of reasons. One side of me just wants to empty out all the crap in my brain. Another part of me wants to write to deal with my guilt for not doing more activism. Still, another part of me just wants to say, "I told you so" when we experience the collapse of our economy and environment.

Delusions

When I created a blog dedicated to delusions I wasn't sure I'd find enough to write about, but I'm finding endless topics to cover. I've heard much talk lately about how artificial intelligence may take over and destroy humanity, and then there are the threats of nuclear holocaust, asteroid hits, and viral pandemics. But I believe the greatest threat to humanity is our own delusions. In other words, we create our own realities to comfort us and fit our beliefs, rather than dealing with uncomfortable realities.

Truth

Truth is the antidote to delusions. When I was a journalist I learned how easy it was to distort perception by how a story is worded, and what is included or intentionally left out. All the time people are quoted "out of context" and this is just one tool a propagandist can use for distorting a story.

The one thing that all of us can do to give humanity a grip on reality is simply tell the truth, even when you have to take licks for it. In my pre and post marriage dating years I've had far more respect for members of the opposite sex who simply tell me, "I'm not particularly attracted to you," as opposed to making up a bucket of excuses or dropping the "let's just be friends" line.

If you are truthful and direct to a person, even when it's not pleasant, at least you are keeping them moored to reality. If they are mature, they will respect and appreciate your honesty.

Christmas 1970

It's unfortunate that we start our kids out in life by lying to them — already we are screwing with our children's minds and letting them know that it's okay to have a delusion because it's fanciful and fun. I am embarrassed to say that I still believed in Santa Claus until age 9. I thank my next door neighbor Donnie for curing me of my first big delusion. Even when Donnie explained to me that it was my parents who were buying toys and putting them out Christmas Eve I told Donnie, "I don't believe it!" 

I had noticed that the toys we got for Christmas were the same as crap I saw in the stores. But the lie was so deeply embedded in me that I chose to overlook that reality. I really wasn't sure how Santa's workshop could replicate the same packaging as store-bought toys, but I didn't question.

The whole Christmas thing was a wake-up call for me because I started thinking, "if Santa Claus was a lie, how many other lies have I been told." I think it was then that I dared to do something that many don't even have the capacity to do — I started to question EVERYTHING.

Addictions

I've spent a lot of time lately grieving for people who are addicted to alcohol, nicotine, opioids, or other drugs. Just recently, I did research on the topic and learned about cellular and molecular adaption to the addictive chemicals that a person injects into their body. I've always been amazed at the great energy people put into justifying their addictions, to the point of creating a new reality. But after reading a few articles on how addiction works, I now see there is little else they can do, and little that I can do. While I am deeply hurt by the people who are destroying themselves, I realize that I am no match for a chemically addicted cell. To those of you in my life who I love and are addicted, I will say that the first step isn't acknowledging that you have a problem, rather it's acknowledging that you have a delusion.

Conspiracy Theories

Conspiracies is another place where people really lose it. I think conspiracies sort of tickle and stimulate the brain. For the last time I will say that the moon landing WAS NOT FILMED in a movie studio. I do not believe that the white streaks in the sky have secret chemicals and I don't believe 9/11 was an inside job. I doubt the Kennedy assassination was a conspiracy, although this one just never dies. 

With conspiracies as well as any news I hear, I use the "preponderance of evidence" rule. If I hear something in the news, I try to get the information from several sources and then make a judgement. If I hear or see someone saying or doing something, it's a pretty safe bet that it's reality, but even videos can be altered or taken out of context.

Pastafarian

I call myself a Pastafarian as a joke, but my real religion is Reality. A Pastafarian is a follower of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a fictitious being who was created as a protest to creationism and intelligent design being taught in Kansas schools. I do appreciate the parody and the point made: that anyone can create their own reality. The Church of Reality, which appears to only have few members, takes an opposite approach — we believe in what really is, no matter how boring, scary, or painful it may be.

Todd's Church of Reality

In my Church of Reality there is no afterlife, no soul, and no reincarnation. There are simply no technical mechanisms to make these wishful things happen. Rather, our evolution has created this fantastically complex thing called consciousness, and when the oxygen is cut from the brain, it's gone, and we're gone.

This reality doesn't affect how I live in any way. After having lies about Heaven and Hell drilled into my head for decades, it simply took another decade to fully de-indoctrinate myself. I now live in peace knowing that I'm simply a highly-evolved monkey. But as a monkey with a conscience and consciousness, I must also live with a sense of responsibility. And, thus, here I am on a Sunday morning writing things that most people would rather not read.

Conclusion

I really love the term "unmoored," which is when your boat breaks away from its moorings and drifts away from the dock. Truth is the rope that keeps you tied to the dock. I know people will argue forever about what "truth" really is, but this is a personal journey and everyone has to find it as best they can. The number one thing we can do to save our country, our world, and our species is to find truth and come to grips with it.

In the end, the Flying Spaghetti Monster won't save any of us, nor will any other fictitious character that was drilled into us as a child. Only you can save you, and perhaps you can save me too. And having said that, I am now going to enjoy a nice plate of spaghetti.

Photo: Greg Rakozy

America: The Other Side of the Mirror

Sometimes we have to hit rock bottom before we can appreciate the mountain peaks. Right now America is at rock bottom.

When Donald Trump was running for president I thought he was the joke candidate. When I went to bed on election night I was sure I'd wake up to the news of a Hillary landslide. Much to my deep shock, the knucklehead won.

Donald Trump's America is like the novel Alice Through the Looking Glass, where a girl jumps through a mirror and finds everything either in reverse or a little weird. This is the world we are now living in:

• Christians supporting a known womanizer who was having affairs while his wife was at home pregnant.
• Nonstop lies are simply brushed aside and forgotten. Now, the lies create the new reality.
• Tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations while the country is hopelessly in debt, and then we are told they will help the middle class.
• Total war on the environment at a time when the U.S. needs to be a world environmental leader.
• Disrespect of the press, minorities and nonstop gaslighting and manipulation.
• Complete collapse of civility, decor, and respect.

I'm shocked that Republicans in the House and Senate are not speaking out against the Trump Monster, but only a few have. I'm amazed that millions of Christians are supporting this totally immoral, sleazy, unempathetic businessman. Some Christians have even called him a "godly man." I now realize that all of these people are on the other side of the mirror. There is no hope of reasoning with Trump's followers because they are in another reality.

Of all the bullshit promises that Trump made, the one that won him the election is that he would create jobs for Americans by using his superior skills as a businessman and dealmaker. All of this, of course, was an illusion. And now Trump does what he does best -- divert attention from one failure to the next failure, which is "the wall."

I now realize that conservatives are the master of selective memory, so let me refresh everyone. The president continually brags about his negotiating skills, but his behavior has made him so hated by the Democrats that they will NEVER fund his stupid wall. If Trump was really a good negotiator he would have enough respect and goodwill from the other party to get a deal passed. But, once again, everything Trump says and does is an illusion.

 Mother America

I recently watched some old fart politician on Fox News being interviewed about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and he called her a "little girl." He scoffed and dismissed her ideas and framed her as a dumb kid. Donald Trump doesn't need to build a wall because one already exists -- it's the Old Guard status quo, which tries to smash any new, fresh ideas that could move our country forward. The Old Guard is here to protect the wealthy, corporations, and the military-industrial complex. I love Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez for having the courage to take on the entrenched establishment. She gives me hope.

The congresswoman's idea of a Green New Deal is especially exciting to me. During an interview with Anderson Cooper, Alexandria Ocaso-Cortez was asked if we needed to raise taxes for the new green initiative. The truth is that NO WE DON'T. We only need policies and a government that is friendly to green entrepreneurs. But, instead, we have a half-baked president who rambles about coal.

The Mountain Peak

Democracy is a beautiful idea that is continually under attack. Right now democratic institutions in the Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and other nations are under the threat of oligarchism, where a handful of super rich farts try to control and manipulate the government. While Congress is an impotent body of nothingness that passes little legislation, Trump wrote many executive orders that favored the rich and Big Business. Let me tell you something, Americans -- when a progressive president comes to power every one of those executive documents can be reversed within a week of inauguration. It is true that Trump stacked the Supreme Court with an oversexed right-winger, so that damage is done.

Right now, Trump and his oligarch buddies are dancing around and having a field day, getting regulations removed, tax laws changed to benefit them, and getting "their people" appointment to high positions in government. The greedy wolves are in charge now, and their mission is to make the rich even richer.

But soon, their corrupt operation, which is backed by their Christian evangelical enablers, will all collapse. In the dust the progressives will take charge and will save our country and the world with bold new ideas, such as green capitalism, universal healthcare, and policies that actually favor the working class. Trump and his rats will all be sent back to their holes.

War, uh, War Isn't Good

The biggest racket of all is the military-industrial complex. The United States has been at war in the Middle East for 17 years and is conducting military operations in 12 different countries. Why, because war is profitable. I would like us to reduce so-called "defense" spending until it's in line with other nations. The money saved can be used for peacemaking initiatives around the world and to reduce the federal deficit. Enough is enough.

Conclusion

The Trump regime is taking us to the very bottom of who we are as human beings and Americans. In the current sea of hate we will learn to love again with even more vigor. In the climate of lies and distortion, we will learn to find reality and hold on to it. In the ashes of the Donald Trump disaster a new, better, greener America will rise. Sometimes we have to see the dirtiest and lowest levels of our existence to appreciate what is good.

Photo: Filip Bunkens

Shouting in an Empty Room

Every Sunday morning thousands of people are sitting in sterile buildings and being told that they are rotten people and that they need to tithe more. I could be in Sunday School right now listening to Mr. Jameson thank the Lord for his new Chevrolet. But, instead, I'm sitting in my bed right now with my laptop, and I am blogging. 

Maybe one day after I've croaked someone will be curious and begin reading my nearly 500 blog posts. Just who was that Todd Daniel guy? An interesting fellow, for sure. Perhaps my writings will be read at campfires after our civilization collapses. I might provide some guidance for the next civilization, which is good since I've given up on this one. 

When I say in my blog description that I plan to put my writings into a capsule and launch them into space, I am serious. For $2,500 Elon Musk's SpaceX will dump my writings into the cosmos. I just have to figure out the best media format and how to protect everything from the extreme temperatures of space. At some point in the future an alien civilization will pick up my little pod and begin reading about how I loved nature, was a hopeless romantic, and lived with eternal guilt because my American lifestyle was destroying the world I loved.

If I could sum up my life at age 58, I'd define it as always searching for love, always feeling guilty for not doing more, and always living under a cloud of imminent doom.

Love

At age 15 I had this dream where the future girl of my dreams spoke to me in a cloudy vision. She was out there, and I just had to find her. Having gone through a failed marriage and been told "I just want friendship" a dozen times, I now realize that finding Ms. Right is a real challenge. Time is running out. I often feel like the knight in shining armor who meets the damsel of his dreams and then dies in battle the next day.

External Guilt

Most of what we live with in this world is a facade, including the green movement. I know that the metal for wind turbines, solar panels, and electric cars is made in dirty mills. Huge fuel-consuming factories make the green products that help us feel good about ourselves. Every time I get in my car I know that I'm damaging the world. Every time I buy groceries and every time I flush my toilet I am putting more strain on the overpopulated planet that sustains us. Agriculture was a big mistake, and now there is not enough open land for all of us to become hunter-gatherers. And even then we over-hunted, which forced us to migrate and screw over another area. See, all we humans can do is destroy. Every day tons of garbage, raw sewage, and industrial waste are dumped into our oceans, and all the oceans are connected. Then, we eat tuna and other fish pulled from those oceans. We are slowly poisoning everything that sustains us and killing not only ourselves but thousands of other animal species.

Imminent Doom

During my newspaper days I developed a fascination with Congressman Larry McDonald (GA D-7), who was an arch conservative Democrat. One day I attended one of his town hall meetings, and as a member of the press I got to sit in front. He had a large display board set up and spent the evening talking about the dangers of the U.S. federal deficit. A couple of months later he was dead — shot down by the Soviet Union while flying in a Korean airliner. Sadly, his message about the federal debt went down in flames. The sum of his presentation is that our country is screwed. Soon, the weight of our growing debt will all come down, sending our nation, and likely the world, into a deep depression.

The other dark cloud that hangs over me is, indeed, a dark cloud. It's called global warming. Back in the 1990s I met a guy named Bob Fletcher in my local Sierra Club group, who was an early pioneer and activist on the issue of climate change. What he taught me in 1999 has stuck in my head. We are already seeing the weather extremes and sea level rises caused by global warming, but these events are only the opening act. The floods, droughts, wildfires, sea level rise, and super storms will only get worse, plus we will be forced to deal with food supply and health issues. If we choose to live in a miserably hot and crowded world, well, that's our choice, but what we are doing to millions of other animal species is extremely unfair. I live with this guilt every single day.

Silver Lining

I've made plenty of bad decisions in my life and so have other people I know. I am trying to be more careful with decision making but in the "heat of the moment" judgement and perceptions are often skewed. Hindsight really is 20-20 and what seems like the perfectly logical decision now wasn't even on my radar screen at the time. I feel that all of humanity is faced with this same dilemma. I can only hope that all of us will begin making the decisions that will give us a healthy future and put us on a sustainable path. At least the bad decisions and bad events in our lives provide good learning experiences.

Photo: Sarah Bedu