Why I Love Saul Alinsky

I don't remember where I got it, but the book "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky has sat on my bookshelf for years. Alinksy got my attention during the Obama years and Hillary's run for president. Right-wingers connected Alinsky with Obama and Hillary as if that were a bad thing.

Alinsky was a famous community organizer during the 40s, 50s, and 60s. Indeed, his books and training programs did have a strong influence on Obama, who was also a community organizer in Chicago two decades later. And, indeed, Hillary wrote her senior year thesis on Alinsky and even met him a couple of times.

Right-wingers like Ben Carson, Rush Limbaugh, and Glenn Beck regularly used Alinsky to smear Obama and Hillary. Hey, with a book titled "Rules for Radicals," it was easy to try and frame Obama and Hillary as radical politicians and outside the American mainstream.

Alinsky WAS a radical, but what's wrong with that? He was a left-winger, but claims that he was a Marxist or Communist are unfounded. And, anyway, what's wrong with that? Marxists follow the teaching of Karl Marx and communists believe in communal living and sharing. Jesus was the first communist and even though cruel dictators have greatly distorted the ideals of communism, it remains a pure and noble idea. However, humans are such selfish and greedy bastards an economic system based on sharing could never work and we now have capitalism instead.

This brings us back to the point of Alinsky's goal, which was to take a little of the power back from the capitalistic establishment and give it to the poor and working class. Small wonder that capitalists and their spokespersons hate him. Why? Because the capitalists want it all. By nature they only want to give enough back to prevent civil unrest and then they horde all the wealth and power.

Alinsky died in 1972 but there are many articles and interviews that provide a glimpse into who he was. I watched Alinsky's famous 1967 interview with William F. Buckley Jr. and I can tell you that the man was fearless and totally at peace with his convictions. He could also handle criticism, unlike the current pansy living in the White House.

Alinsky operated the Industrial Areas Foundation, which, upon invitation, would go into an area and organize poor communities and help them obtain more rights and benefits from politicians, landlords, and business leaders. Even to this day right-wing organizations call this "creating dependence," but I call it "taking a small piece of the pie from a corrupt system that controls everything."

Some of his most notable accomplishments took place in his home town of Chicago and in Rochester, New York. Among his achievements in Rochester was getting Eastman Kodak to commit to a recruitment and training program to help black employment.

Helping the poor and working class is an honorable cause and I appreciate the work that Alinsky did. Known as "the father of community organizing," much of his methodology is still used today by both the Left and Right.

The Art of Organizing

When I was an organizer for the Sierra Club I was given a beautiful handbook called the Grassroots Organizing Training Manual and I also attended the Club's Training Academy. The entire core of our training was built around the campaign matrix, where we listed allies, stakeholders, and various methods for educating and influencing decision makers. At the training camp I even did mock TV press interviews. On our campaigns we would spend time determining who knows who and what group can influence another group.

A big part of Sierra Club organizing is building broad coalitions, often among diverse and unexpected groups. For instance in the Sierra Club I have worked with labor unions, hunters, and even the local Tea Party. Alinsky would do the same thing and would bring together churches, labor groups, and local community leaders to work for common goals.

Even among the liberal community there is controversy about Alinsky and his work. All I can say is that no one leader in history is perfect. You have to acknowledge the fact that people are flawed and you need to look at their intent and the overall good they contributed to society. For instance, my greatest hero is Teddy Roosevelt and some of the things he did or didn't do trouble me, but ultimately he set the standard for political progressivism and modern environmentalism. Every day I try to live by his ideals.

And, if I may digress, I'd like to talk about the second most famous community organizer, who was Cesar Chavez, the founder of United Farm Workers.  Chavez once said,  "The only way I know how to organize is to talk with one person, then talk to another person, then talk to another." And another one of his famous quotes: "If you really want to make a friend, go to someone's house and eat with him... the people who give you their food give you their heart." These statements point to the most effective way to organize — getting to know your opposition, building relationships, and listening to what the other side has to say.

Setting the Standard

I have learned that if overweight conservative white men hate something or someone, then that thing is always good. Right now the right-wing middle aged men are going after Greta Thunberg, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Nancy Pelosi — three incredible courageous women. So, a few years ago when the privileged white dudes were raging against Alinsky, well, that means he must have been a saint. They claim that Alinsky dedicated his book to Lucifer, which is a typical right-wing lie. However, Alinsky did have an admiration for Lucifer, who he said was history's first radical. After all, Lucifer organized a group of rouge angels and rebelled against the heavenly establishment. In the end, Lucifer won his own kingdom, making him a darn good organizer.

Conclusion

Alinsky was fighting for the rights of underclasses back in the 1970s. Since that time more wealth has trickled to the top and billionaires and millionaires are now controlling our government and are holding many political positions. The Republican Party has turned into the haven of old, greedy, rich, white men. They manipulate the naive Christian evangelicals with the abortion issue to get their votes. But billionaires couldn't care less about abortion, they only care about accumulating more power and money. If activists and organizers like Alinsky can pinprick the establishment and win a few crumbs for the poor then he and others like him deserve praise.

And, once again, I must point out the irony of Christian evangelicals denying the Theory of Evolution yet supporting it in the form of American capitalism. Our economic system is built around a vicious form of social evolution that rewards the strong and, if unchallenged by people like Alinsky, would leave the poor to die.

The following quote by Alinsky describes me in my current phase of life:

"Once you accept your own death, all of a sudden you're free to live. You no longer care about your reputation. You no longer care except so far as your life can be used tactically to promote a cause you believe in."

— SAUL ALINSKY

Sources:

Hillary Haters’ Fixation on Saul Alinsky by Peter Dreier, The American Prospect

Who is Saul Alinsky and Why Does the Right Hate Him So Much, Vox

The Problem With Saul Alinsky, by Aaron Petcoff, Jacobin

Alinsky Photo Credit: By Pierre869856 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0

Top Photo Credit: The Climate Reality Project

Diary of a Madman

The voices in my head are constantly shouting and driving me to the brink of insanity. Each week I try to write down what they are saying in the hopes that I may help some future civilization.

I often think of the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs and how their mighty empires failed. Droughts and wars all took their toll. Then came the Spanish with their better weapons, but it was the Spanish soldier with smallpox who really finished off these indigenous societies. As for the Aztecs, all the thousands of human sacrifices didn't help them – it turns out that their god didn't really care. And, really, shouldn't they have gotten a clue? If you murder thousands of people to make your god happy isn't that going to hurt the economy? In modern America we no longer sacrifice human bodies — just human brains.

So, what is to become of the American empire? The disconnect from reality and the obsession of living for the present at the expense of the future are the two things that will do us in. We made it through the Civil War and Great Depression but I'm not sure we'll make it through the Debt Collapse and Climate Change.

Half of Americans don't even bother to vote and even less read, especially blogs. So, it's good knowing that I can say whatever I want, knowing that aliens or the next iteration of humanity are the only ones who will read my rambling thoughts.

So, to all my future readers, allow me to share some of my thoughts for this week:

Evolution, Intelligent Design & Climate Change

Oh, honey, please. How many times do I have to hear that evolution "is just a theory." In science, the word "theory" has a completely different meaning. A scientific theory is an explanation of the natural world that can be repeatedly confirmed or replicated by experimentation. Evolution has been repeatedly confirmed by many scientists over many decades. It's hard fact.

Intelligent design is something that Christian apologists completely made up to counter the growing evidence of evolution. There is not an iota of proof of intelligent design anywhere in nature. It's just an attempt to make the more intellectual Christians feel better.

And as for Climate Change denial, evolution denial, and general science denial, I would ask a simple question: Why are you believing some superstitious, Late Bronze Age, Hebrew goat farmers over hundreds of scientists, historians, and archeologists? When the Hebrews invented the current god they didn't even have the creativity to create one from scratch. Instead, they borrowed the war god Yahweh from their neighbors, the Canaanites.

No matter how much evidence I provide or how much debating I do, I know that I can never convince anyone to change their mind. Once a story is deeply embedded into most people they are unable to change.

Trump is Doing A Great Job

Granted, Trump put two conservative justices on the Supreme Court but other than that he has done absolutely NOTHING but Tweet a lot and create drama. When pro-Trump supporters tell me about how well the stock market is doing they are suddenly quiet when it takes a dip. When they tell me how well the economy is doing they don't mention the record monthly deficits that our government is racking up, caused in part by the huge tax cut for corporations. Granted, once Democrats return to power the Republicans will scream about the deficit nonstop. The only thing I've ever liked about Republicans is their fiscal responsibility, and they've even screwed that up. So, when a conservative tells me that "Trump is doing a great job" I know this is more about supporting the Trump cult more than anything else.

Brexit and Boris Johnson

Who is this Boris Johnson guy? First there was Trump in the U.S., then Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, and now we have Boris Johnson in the U.K. What we are witnessing is a worldwide reactionary backlash to globalization and the human population explosion.

First, let me say that you cannot escape globalization. You can build walls and stop immigration but you are only buying time. You can build a wall around your country and isolate yourself but it won't work in the long run.

World population was 3 billion in 1960 and is now about to hit 8 billion. Humans are multiplying wildly and that is what's causing so much social disruption and environmental damage, which, in turn, causes more social disruption. People are scared by all the negative changes, caused by their own runaway birthing, and they turn to leaders who promise good things now, with no regard for the future, which is on a downward spiral anyway. These right-wing leaders assure the people that they can live in their Pollyanna, make-believe worlds while everything crumbles around them. But yet it's only temporary, and the anti-environmental policies of these leaders only brings things to a faster crash. Although I did hear Boris Johnson say he plans to address climate change, at least.

Decision Making

Our human society is where it's at now as a result of poor decisions. Major decisions are often made to favor immediate comfort over long-term wellbeing. In my own life I can see how my bad decisions have gotten me to my current position of being broke and single. There were decisions I put off because I didn't want to deal with them. In other cases, I made bad decisions because I didn't have all of the facts. Other times I acted impetuously. The same can be said for decisions made by our government and society as a whole. It's imperative that we have a U.S. Congress that is willing to make hard decisions rather than continually "kicking the can down the road." The two most critical issues facing us are the federal deficit and climate change. We need political leaders who will take courageous action instead of obsessing with reelection and oiling the squeaky wheels of their constituency, such as those fear-driven, paranoid NRA members.

Conclusion

My brain is full of thoughts, day and night. I daydream and think about the things I want most — good relationships, including romantic, and financial stability. And good health, and solid goals in life that I can work toward. I want it all, baby. But what I really want is to survive because that desire has been drilled into me through a billion years of evolution. I want to live. I want to be happy.

As far as long-term vision goes, I want to see a world where we respect nature, wildlife, and each other. I want to see the all-consuming rat race to make a buck come to an end. We all need to adopt a simplistic lifestyle and recover from our addiction to materialism.

Most importantly, we need to achieve sustainability both socially and environmentally. It's interesting that all the cold-weather nations seem to be so much more stable and sustainable. Perhaps because their populations are small, few people what to emigrate to these countries, and they are less religious. Certainly, they provide a blueprint for the rest of the world.


  Photo: Kelly Sikkema

The Last Progressive

The air is dry and it's an unseasonably cool evening in July. I am walking alone on the Silver Comet Trail in Powder Springs, GA. The boredom and drudgery of life continually crushes me, but on the trail, where there is nothing but me and nature, I am reminded of why I want to live. I want to live so that I can be in the only place where I'm happy — in the forest.

I've always wanted to save the natural world and in 1996 I began doing research and determined that human overpopulation is the number one threat to our environment. So, when the Internet was still young, I created a website that educated the world on the topic of the population explosion. I put the website address on business cards and placed them over urinals in public restrooms. Other than turning a few shoes yellow, I don't think I accomplished much, but at least I was doing SOMETHING.

More Epiphanies

Twenty-three years later it's a Sunday evening and I'm still trying to figure it all out. To tell my story, I was a driven environmentalist from 1997 to 2003 but continually hitting "the wall" wore me out. "The wall" was the powerful resistance from business people, religionists, and political conservatives against anything GREEN. To explore this problem, I started a blog in 2004 and have written over 400 posts on the topics of environmental and social sustainability. And 15 years later I'm still completely dumbfounded.

All I can say is that people are more hardwired into their daily habits and beliefs than I could have ever imagined. A cat anywhere in the world will pretty much behave the same way, and most people are like cats. At an early stage in my life I challenged my hard wiring and became sentient, and now I feel alone and isolated in a world where most people are marching over a cliff.

So, my first epiphany is that American political parties are all about race. First there was the Whig Party that fell apart over the slavery debate. Then the Republican Party organized in 1854 on a platform that opposed expanding slavery, and Abraham Lincoln was its first president. A flip occurred in later years as Democrats pushed for civil rights and ending segregation, and the Southern states turned Republican in response. Now, here we are with Donald Trump, who is pushing our country toward ultranationalism.

My second epiphany is that a person's political and religious views are typically tied to where they live. In Kentucky and Alabama there are the "old time gospel" Christians who push the "family values" and "traditional values" of, well, I guess the 1960s. Then there's those Starbucks-addicted liberals in the Pacific Northwest who are into wind turbines and cycling to work. I don't know if a region changes a person's thinking or if people self select.

The point being is that when I'm screaming about electric cars and climate change I'm pushing against people who've had centuries of pre-conditioning. Changing the nationalistic and religious thinking of these individuals will require decades of time, and with our warming atmosphere time isn't something we have.

Ending My Experiment

After six weeks I've decided to end my study of conservatives. I have listened to right-wing talk shows, read their social media, and talked with them in person. All I can say is that they stubbornly hold on to the narrative that capitalists created for them. They do not realize how they are controlled by their own religions or how they are easily manipulated by fear.

In a typical conversation someone will tell me how Trump is a "godly man." If I counter that Trump had an affair with a porn star while his wife was pregnant, the person will respond with comments about how terrible the media is or lament about Hillary's emails. There is zero hope for a rational discussion.

More on Socialism

One of the common rantings of conservatives, which I just heard from someone yesterday, is about all the "freebies" and benefits that poor people and illegal immigrants receive. Right now I'm looking at an article in The Washington Post that says farmers are getting $867 billion in subsidies. Isn't this welfare too?

Strangely, conservatives are ALWAYS quiet about corporate welfare and the tax breaks and subsidies that companies receive on the federal, state, and local levels. For instance, even though the fossil fuel industry is already wealthy they are still allowed to deduct expenses for drilling wells, depletion of oil and gas deposits, and other crazy crap. In addition to the agriculture and energy sectors, defense contractors and pharmaceutical companies get tax breaks as well. On the state level, governments give huge tax breaks to corporations in the interest of creating jobs, but this strategy is often a failure and jobs are only moved around the country. So how does Big Business get these handouts? Through lobbying and campaign contributions, of course.

So, don't ramble to me how we are becoming a socialist state just become little Johnny gets a free bowl of oatmeal before school. Stop repeating what the right-wing news media says and learn to take a critical view of everything you hear.

The Danger of Ultranationalism

Democracy is beautiful and fragile and can be manipulated in a hundred different ways. One of the most terrifying ways that democracy is degraded is the worldwide trend toward ultranationalism. Hungary, Poland, Russia, Turkey, and other nations are going down this path, often in reaction to immigration. I am heartbroken to see the United States becoming an ultranationalist state as well, mainly in response to the fears of immigration. In addition to being racist and supremacist, an ultranationalist state is obsessed with restoring order and protecting "the old way of life." If you are gay, nonreligious, or a person of color, sorry but there is no room for you in this imaginary Polyanna and Camelot world. And, to me, ultranationalism is all about embracing the religious and corporate mythologies that only delude people and make them ill-equipped to deal with the problems of the modern world. The ultranationalist lives in their own cesspool of delusion and will make little effort to help the environment since that runs counter to the religious and corporate narrative that is driven into their heads.

As mentioned in my last post, Donald Trump has only made two real accomplishments since his election, and one of his "accomplishments" is dangerous. He is packing the federal courts with right-wingers and these individuals are hard to remove once instated.

During the end of Obama's presidency, the sinister Mitch McConnell refused to bring court nominees to a vote in the Senate. This move was anti-democratic and a huge step toward ultranationalism. It's no secret that Senator McConnell wants to turn America into a giant Kentucky, complete with dirty coal mining and old time tent revivals. In effect, the conservatives are trying to seize the judicial branch of our government, which is a vital step in moving our democracy into ultranationalistic fascism.

While there is rarely an opening on the Supreme Court it's possible to make a tremendous difference in public policy by packing the district and circuit courts with reactionary, right-wing judges. And that's exactly what Trump is doing now.

For the record, what Mitch McConnell and the Republican controlled Senate did must never be forgiven or forgotten. McConnell abused our beautiful constitutional government in the worse way by suppressing Obama's court nominees and creating numerous openings for the next Republican president to fill.

The Solution

I gave the idea of reasoning with conservatives one last try and have now given up hope. The narrative of conservative Christianity and corporatism simply does not align with environmentalism. The Christians have their own story for how the world will end, and they'll keep believing it until the ocean has risen to their eyeballs. The business people have organized themselves into artificial entities called corporations, which are treated like humans by the courts, yet have no heart or soul. These corporations only exist to make money for the next quarter, and the natural world is only a commodity to be exploited, and the Christians go along with it because of the "have dominion" verse in their Bible (Genesis 1:28).

It's obvious that the human population explosion and the obsession with affluence is the primary cause of climate change. But even my environmental colleagues will argue with me and say that we just have to live "clean." Since the topic of human population and telling people how many babies they can have is completely taboo, okay, I'll go along with that. We can convert to clean energy using wind, solar, hydrogen, and other green technologies. If we are fighting against an ever-growing population, well, making a difference is going to be challenging, but, as always, DOING SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN DOING NOTHING.

I have come to the conclusion that the only way to save our world is to put more progressives in power. Although mostly Democrat, a progressive can be a Republican too, like my hero Teddy Roosevelt. It is extremely important that we take the U.S. Senate and ensure that our democracy is protected and also ensure that we address real world problems, instead of trying to bring back the past. I know a lot of Americans want to put gays back in the closet, push the Mexicans behind the border, and ship the Muslims back to the Middle East. They want the "old America" back — an America that only existed in their imaginations. Actually, what many ultra-conservatives want is a lily-white America, but all they are really going to get is a really hot America with receding shore lines, massive wildfires, droughts, floods, and a generally screwed up climate. To the bitter end they will recite Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity sound bites, as the entire planet goes to hell.

After much thought I realize that the number one thing I can do to help the environment and the less fortunate among us is to put a progressive in Congress. Just one progressive in the U.S. Senate would have a powerful impact and would provide a counterbalance to Madman Mitch. I was thrilled to learn this week that Ted Terry, mayor of Clarkston, GA and director of the Georgia Sierra Club is running for the U.S. Senate. My instincts tell me that I should give my absolute all to get this man into the Senate. If everyone does the same in their respective states, and even in different countries, we can change the course of civilization and save the Earth from our pathetic excesses and ignorance. To me, putting a progressive into office is an act of repentance. It's our way of saying "we're sorry" to the indifference and harm done to the environment and underclasses.

If humanity reacts to its problems by retreating into suppressive religions and right-wing dictatorships then allow me to be the last standing progressive who screams that respect for each other and respect for the environment is a better way to live. Allow me, at least, the opportunity to get those words out before the Saudis chop me up or the Russians radiate me, or some sinister regime, perhaps even the U.S., makes me disappear.


Sources:
- How the Republican Party Went From Lincoln To Trump, by Vox
- How Trump Took Over America's Courts, by Vox
- Congress Passes $867 Billion Farm Bill, by Jeff Stein, The Washington Post 
- How Corporate Welfare Hurts You, by Robert Reich
- How Trump Took Over America's Courts, by Vox

Photo: Miguel Bruna

The Day America Died

As my country spins farther away from reality I wonder just how far we can go into the netherworld and just how much more I can grieve.

So, there we were, a hot Sunday morning on July 14. It was 6:45 a.m. and Donald Trump decided to start attacking four U.S. congresswomen, using the same tactics he's used against Obama and many others. He fired off his hate Tweet and started a major social media explosion across the land.

His current hate campaign against the congresswomen is not only racist, but he downright lies about what the congresswomen have said or he takes words completely out of context, which is a form of lying.

I thought U.S. politics had already hit the bottom when Karl Rove and Ralph Reed developed their "win at all costs" model, but Trump has taken politics to an even lower point where there's no turning back.

I believe that to save ourselves and planet we must rely on our higher-evolved attributes like altruism. But I'm watching the man in the White House take us in a different direction, where he triggers the primordial emotions of simple-minded thinkers to advance his own political goals. To hell with the country and the damage he has done because this five-time draft dodger is going to keep manipulating the country with the favorite tool of the right-wing lords — fear.

The Response

Of course, I'm talking to Trump supporters this week who tell me that his hate Tweet was an act of genius. Some say he sent the Tweet to unify the Democratic Party so he'd only have one target in 2020, while others say he's trying to drive a wedge. After all, Trump must be a genius because no one else could be so stupid.

Now, I'm not one to question, but if you can believe a man lived three days in a fish, you can certainly believe that Trump is a genius. And if you can believe two kangaroos hopped 8,000 miles from Australia to the Middle East, for a ride on Noah's Ark, well, crap, you can believe anything. The fact that the kangaroos had to travel most of their journey over water makes me believe in your power to believe anything even more.

And, wow, the timing of his bash-the-congresswomen Tweet was genius. He sent it just as his evangelical base was waking up for Sunday School. Now, in addition to the pastor raving that Trump is a "man of God" and "anointed by God" he can now brag about how Trump bashed women, people of color, and Muslims all in one Tweet. Since no one seems to know what socialism is, let alone democratic socialism, he can drop that little word too. As the evangelicals adjust their beehive hairdos and shine the hood ornaments on their Mercedes', they search their Twitter feed and see the Sunday morning message from Their Man, you know, the guy who's going to save them from the morally-deprived Libtards, and North Koreans, and Iranians.

It only takes an hour before the potty-Tweet spreads throughout Twitterland, a ghoulish place, and then to the corporate media, which cares only about ratings and feeding their cattle the crap that they want to eat. Nancy Pelosi is at her hairdresser when she reads the vitriolic and divisive Tweet. She stands up and starts throwing furniture around. This is going to be a tough week.

My Reaction

As for me, I'm just too darn sensitive, and I am sick to my stomach when I see Trump destroying the last remnants of civility, respect, and dignity in our country. What is especially sad is that when this life-long conman throws out the bait, everyone snatches it without thinking. Everyone's emotions are just too worked up to think clearly. Two days later at a press conference he is suggesting that Rep. Ihan Omar married her brother. And then at his MAGA rally in North Carolina, the crowd is chanting, "Send her back." At long last we don't have to hear "Lock her up" anymore or "Drill, baby, drill." See, the Republicans are making progress after all.

Trump's Accomplishments

I did read Trump's 1987 book "The Art of a Deal," and just recently learned that it was a creative work of fiction, according to the book's co-author Tony Schwartz. Calling Trump a "genius" is fiction too, and saying that he's "doing a great job" is even more fantasy.

Since taking office his only true accomplishment was to support a bipartisan prison reform bill. For that I credit him. His other two accomplishments were to help push through a tax cut bill for the rich and he stacked the Supreme Court with a nice beer-guzzling party boy.

I don't consider executive orders or regulatory actions as accomplishments, since these can all be reversed in a few weeks by the next president. True accomplishments are when a president works with Congress to pass legislation. Or when the president puts a judge on a federal bench, like Kavanaugh.

When people tell me "look how well the stock market is doing," that just tells me that American corporations have gotten better at screwing over workers. These same people turn silent when the stock market is in a slump. And when someone tells me about "job growth," I'm wondering just how many people want a career as a hamburger flipper.

As always, it's all an illusion, and people simply believe what they want to believe.

Funny how Trump supporters never talk about his failures. Mexico still hasn't paid for a border wall. And Trump got many votes in the heartland by promising to revitalize the coal industry. It hasn't happened, but that's okay since people have short memories.

Socialism

Trump and other leaders always love to throw around "socialism" as their favorite scare word. When I was growing up the scare word was "communism." If only people would read the works of Karl Marx they'd realize that socialism isn't so bad. I agree that socialism has problems but that must be weighed against the ruthless excesses of capitalism. Capitalism might work, but it needs major reform. However, my gut feeling is that no economic system is sustainable except, perhaps, one that runs on altruism.

I'm not sure why we'd want a billionaire as president, as these are the people who know how to manipulate the political system and the mindless masses for their own personal gain. Every time I hear someone using "socialist" as a scare word, I'm wondering, "Why are you doing the bidding of American billionaires?"

What I see is my beloved country turning into a fascist banana republic where the politicians are bought and controlled by the rich, at the expense of the poor. The latest example is the recent corporate tax cut, and now our political leaders are saying we have to cut Social Security and Medicare too. Why, because old people are not big money spenders. It's time to set them adrift on an iceberg and let them die.

Making things worse is the Supreme Court's decision to treat corporations like people. Corporations have no heart at all and only care about making money, and they know they can make more money by exploiting the working class and the environment. They are locusts that eat everything, and leave the rest of us with dirty water, dirty air, and a fatally damaged climate. If there are a few young, brave congresswomen who stand up to this nonsense, then they have my deepest respect and admiration. I hope that all the hate and lies thrown against them will strengthen their resolve, and that each member of the "Squad" will become a future president.

As For Me ...

If I hear one more person say that the moon landings were staged I think I will blindly run into a street while screaming. Is there anyone left in this world who is still sane? If there is you have a strong responsibility on your shoulders because you are the only ones who can save us.

I do realize that Trump supporters will still support him no matter what he says or does. If I engage these people in a conversation I will be deluded with deflection, and as they ramble on I will count how many times they say "Hillary" to break my boredom. My only respite is that I get to see hypocritical evangelical Christians sink deeper into their hypocrisy as they desperately try to support the immoral, race-baiting, gas-lighting manipulator in the White House. As you pick the dog hairs off your MAGA hat and rub holy oil on your living room portrait of Donald Trump, I only want to ask, "How low are you willing to go?"


Photo: Sharon McCutcheon

Why We Should All Wear Black

In 1984 I worked at an alarm monitoring company and it was a big deal that we had recently installed the alarm system for Johnny Cash. Hardly a few days later his fire alarm went off. I was a shift supervisor and was excited as one of my employees called his residence and spoke to him on the phone. "I reckon I forgot to open the fireplace chute," he said. Since he didn't know his security code I had no choice but to dispatch the fire department. Fortunately, the fire department called him first and never went out. Perhaps I was the inspiration for his hit single "Ring of Fire?" Probably not considering the song came out 20 years before.

Sadly, Johnny Cash and his wife June died in 2003, and, ironically, the house burned to the ground four years later.

While growing up I always just thought of him as a country music star, and I was more into Elton John. But after seeing the movie "Walk the Line" in 2005 I had a renewed interest in Johnny as a folk singer, an example of humility, and a champion of the underdog. 

The whole idea of wearing black always appealed to me. What a cool dude. He even wrote a song about why he wore black. He wore it for the poor, the downtrodden, prisoners who had long since paid for their crimes, the sick, the old and lonely, and for those who ruined their lives with bad decisions. In addition to all of the above, Johnny was an advocate for native Americans.

For the same reasons, I'm wearing black more too. We hear a lot in our society about the need to always be "positive," but the world doesn't work that way. And when people try to push you back into the "happy zone" that forces you to ignore a world that's not so happy. An old college friend recently told me that my blog is "sad." I make no apologies for that. I don't mind being sad because I've spent my entire life observing what people are doing to the world and to each other. To me, so many behaviors are so illogical and insane that all I can do is laugh because otherwise I would cry.

In addition to being a great humanitarian, Johnny Cash believed in crossing over lines. His music was a mix of folk, country, and rock, and in the music business Johnny regularly made friends with artists from different genres. In 1969-70 he had his own TV show and while he primarily brought in country stars he also featured musicians who performed folk, pop, rock, and soul.

On one side Johnny was a restless rebel, drug user, and a prisoner himself. He was thrown in jail seven different times, which included an arrest for smuggling prescription drugs from Mexico. Fortunately, smuggling prescription drugs was a far less serious offense than illegal narcotics and he served a suspended sentence. 

When he played his guitar, he could either be playing a gospel hymn or some grisly story about prison. He was all over the map.

As the story goes, Johnny found Jesus in 1967 while crawling in the Nickajack Cave near Chattanooga, TN. Nickajack was a huge network of caves and some people before him had crawled in and never came out, and that was Johnny's plan because he wanted to end his life. After three hours of crawling in the dark cave his flashlight batteries went out and he laid down, exhausted and in total darkness. It was then when he has his spiritual epiphany. After a while he began to feel a slight breeze, and following the direction of the breeze led him out — a changed man.

Later that same year, with the support of June Carter and her family, Johnny got off drugs and married June the following year. Two months later he went to Folsom Prison in California and recorded one of the most amazing albums in music history.

As a Christian, Johnny was one of those spiritual "cool" Christians that I love and admire. He, along with Jimmy Carter and blogger John Pavlovitz, are among the few true Christians that I've ever known. My epiphany for this week is that the greatest Christians are those who truly care about the welfare of others, and that it comes from within. I doubt saying the three sentence salvation prayer or getting dunked in a pool of cold water really changes anyone. It must come from within, and chances are these great people had it "in them" all their lives. Far to the contrary, the Christian evangelicals I see today repulse me. They are pious, self-righteous, and appear obsessed with banning abortion and gay marriage, loving Trump, and catering to Israel. And nothing more. I don't see them giving a rats ass about the poor, the desperate immigrants, and certainly not me. I should feel blessed that I'm a white male living in the US, but to me it's a curse because while I can try, I can never fully understand the subtle persecution that people of color must endure every day.

Finally, I admire Johnny Cash because he was a good husband. He found the woman of his dreams and when she died in 2003 Johnny followed her into the next world four months later. I dream of finding the love of my life like he did, and living the rest of my days with someone I can adore, worship, and cherish. When Johnny found his dream girl he never took her for granted and he always showed his appreciation for her. They enjoyed a powerful love and 35-year marriage.

So, here I am today in the summer of 2019, confronted with all the things I did or did not do right, which has led me to where I am now. I am alive and still feel, so all is not lost. Maybe it's true that us libtards feel too much, which defies the laws of Darwinism. But all I know is that I can feel. I feel the pain of those desperate Mexicans and Guatemalans who are trying to get into our country not to just seek a better life, but for basic self-preservation. I feel for a love lost. I feel for a mother whose child is diagnosed with a disease. I feel for America, which has now become a corporation for the billionaires.

Sometimes I feel that I'm the only one who feels. As I write this on a Sunday morning, the church people are in their churches handling snakes or listening to their rock bands. The alcoholics and drug addicts are all passed out right now. The tree huggers are out hiking; the yuppies are out shopping. And I am all alone.

Sources:

The Day God Saved Johnny Cash, by Victor Parachin

The Love Story of Johnny Cash & June Carter, by Lauren Hubbard

Top-of-Page Photo: Annie Spratt

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