Disgusted with politics, the state of the country, and just about everything else

I had to step away from blogging and the news for a few weeks...and will be doing so again off and on through the Fall. I don't enjoy blogging like I did 5 years ago when I started. Writing has started to become a chore, and I don't get much of anything out of it anymore. Readership doesn't really justify the effort that goes into it. But it's still cathartic on some level, which is why I eventually find the motivation to post.... eventually. More emphasis this time on "eventually".... because my posting will be spotty from here on out.

What's the point in blogging right now anyway? The country has collectively lost its f___ing mind. I have never seen anything like it in my lifetime. New forms of McCarthyism are springing up....and politically, the nation is becoming a failed State. Misinformation (propaganda) has poisoned the citizenry to such a degree that nothing makes sense anymore. And it doesn't help that the American population was already ignorant about the World, about its own history, about their own Constitution, about culture & religion...and have therefore been ripe for being taken advantage of by Right wing media, Faux News (Radio Rwanda) and some of the biggest con artists in the Country. Ignorance has replaced reason, logic and informed debate. And its all part of a larger decline in America that I have been noticing. With a gridlocked government, a system that was designed to move slowly, an economy that is still in trouble, a political system that is inherently corrupt, growing income inequality, class rifts opening even wider, mounting debt, and not to mention two wars... the U.S. will continue to lose its place in the World. Add to that big corporations & con artists masquerading as real news organizations & journalists who are actually waging an all out misinformation campaign against their own fellow citizens (misinformed Americans especially) and you have an unfolding disaster IMHO.

With the economy in the toilet, and with many Americans (especially White Americans) being convinced - because of the growth of minorities - that their way of life is under threat, people are beginning to fall back into their comfort zones. Xenophobia, Islamophobia, racism, hate and ignorance are coming to the surface in ways not seen since the 1960's. I hate to think that this is human nature... that when under times of collective stress or social/political/economic strain (factual or just perceived strain) people become more ethno-centric, nationalistic, go into racial cocoons, express more racism and circle the wagons, but it seems to be happening in the U.S. at the moment. This has been true in many Countries all over the World throughout history during periods of strain or upheaval. But it's not supposed to happen in a modern Western country that bills itself as the greatest and most tolerant nation on earth (and I even hate the word tolerance... it assumes that "different" means something evil that has to be tolerated as opposed to accepted as part of a complex multi-ethnic, multicultural nation). I hate to think that these are the base instincts of people...but for many, this seems to be the case. We have people in this Country who want to turn back the clock historically to take us back to a period when there was no 14th amendment, no labor rights, no racial equality, when Jim Crow laws had to be honored, when the right to vote was not guaranteed to all.... etc. Backwards.... what kind of Country wants to go backwards?

Americans are throwing facts out of the window. Instead, people are turning to their prejudices. For the most part, people vote based on their family traditions, racial identity, religious identity, basing their votes on things like...who they wouldn't mind having a beer with... they are falling into all the nonsensical traps that they should be trying to avoid. This seems to be really apparent for folks on the Right (although I see it on the Left as well). Unfortunately, I think 2008 was an aberration in American politics. Most of the gains made then have already been wiped away.... the changing of the political landscape, etc... at least for the time being. It will take another 15-20 years for things to really start to turn around.... in a more positive and progressive direction. By then... there will be more young voters.... or young potential voters who may bring a less divisive and more logical world view. The problem is... #1) Will they fall victim to the same brainwashing from Faux, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, their parents, and therefore not be the positive force that they have the potential to be? They are being bombarded by the same propaganda machine that the rest of the Country is being bombarded with everyday. #2) Can the U.S. afford to wait that long?
With the anti-tax, anti-collective action, anti-government, and anti-Progressive sentiment sweeping the Country... I don't see how the U.S. can even begin to tackle the major problems that it faces now...and will face over the next few decades.

Progressives have already lost the information battle. They have lost the argument/the national debate on the future of the Country... and they really never showed up to fight Post-election. After election day... they packed up and went home, not realizing that they would have to fight and win an information and ideological war for the hearts and minds of Americans. They didn't even seem to know that there was a war.

President Obama? I don't even want to think about his fumbling over the last 18 months. I am disgusted with him too. He has failed on so many levels. By taking his eye off the ball (the economy) a few months after taking over the Presidency by diverting his attention to issues that were not top priorities for "most" Americans, he has created exacerbated problems for himself and for his Party politically.... as I had predicted. At least look like you are trying to do something to help the economy (should be on TV everyday with sleeves rolled up... organizing job strategies, pushing new programs....for sustainable job growth, etc.... he should at least look busy). In addition to that... his team should be highlighting all instances of Republican obstruction. If that means interrupting people's dinner or prime time TV every week for a fireside chat... then damn it... dinner should be interrupted. Use the office of the Presidency to inform the people about what the Hell is going on. Don't allow Faux (and the legitimate news organizations that take their lead from Faux and frame their reporting based on Conservative narratives) to tell the Country what's going on. Obama has been a thorough disappointment. Keep in mind, I am someone who never bought into the euphoria of his election....or the nonsensical idea that everything would be great once he became President. My expectations were somewhat low to begin with. Obama was never my first choice. But he has performed below even what I had envisioned. How many vacations can you take in the span of 6-8 weeks? Did he/the family set a new record? I counted something on the order of 4 vacations... all of this while Americans are suffering? To be a great President, it is crucial that you have your finger on the pulse of the nation at all times. It just appeared to me that he didn't have a clue. It also became clear to me that President Obama & The White House don't have anyone managing the image/PR issues or he simply ignores/perhaps does not seek such advice. That is absolutely clear to me at this point. But this will come back to haunt this Administration and Democrats (and the rest of us, unfortunately).

So all of this.... the Country going completely nuts, Obama/Progressives providing borderline shameful leadership, the direction of the Country, Glenn Beck successfully defecating on the memory of a prophet & icon and on the history of an entire people...not to mention my own problems and stress (I am completely overloaded and overwhelmed) - I have been a little dejected and disgusted with everything. Went to the dentist a few months back and got a blood pressure reading of something in the neighborhood of 175-180 over 110. Not the first time that I have had high blood pressure readings. I have high bp that is going untreated (has been for years) because I have crappy health coverage from a deplorable job that I absolutely hate. Needless to say, my life completely sucks.... and nothing has worked to change that in years.

So I will have to step away, unplug from the N(oise)ews more often, and concentrate on other things. I never completely unplug... I am a news/information junkie... I need NPR at least 4 days out of the week...and love the BBC, and many other outlets (too many to list) use Twitter, and I blog surf... but I don't rush to blog about every event in the world. Don't have the time to do that anymore. Unplugging has definitely been good over the past 3 weeks.

I will post some goodies later on.... (what I think are goodies anyway).

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I'm not the only one disgusted. (although I don't quite agree with everything in his commentary... I can relate to feeling dejected).