Final Blog Portfolio

"America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."- Alexis DeTocquevile

These words seem so foreign. Great? Good? These words are more often used to describe the abilities of athletes than a state of existence. Our society has accepted toleration. Toleration's price tag-good great right wrong yes no should shouldn't...IS.

As I look back at the candidates and there platforms I am appalled at the nearsightedness we have adopted. One candidate said "Change" the other said "Country" did either really say anything at all? McCain's "Country First" leads me to believe that if placed in 1776 he would have been wearing red. It was obvious that our Country needed a different direction than the liberal fiscal policies and bloated government that has marked the past eight years, but to not even require that Obama solidify anything more than that he was change is pathetic.

A candidate just won the highest office in the land by imprinting change on every billboard (real and virtual) on the airwaves and on the tube. Perhaps this says something of America. The desire for change comes from dissatisfaction with the present. Dissatisfaction with the present is a result of the present being neither good or great.

Do our politicians care?

I have watched a lot of news recently. Who hasn't? I can not avoid the realization that our politicians don't care about the people. They only care about their positions. How can you say what their motivations are? After all Biden said that was his first lesson in the Senate. Easy. Their actions speak louder than words. When is the last time a politician has took a position opposite to popular opinion. Not any time recently and if they do it is only because they don't know what the popular position is. True care for the Country and the People demands honesty and discipline similar to what our parents gave us to strengthen us. What they do is take money from us one hour, one purchase, and one death at a time while giving it away one 700 billion check at a time. Let me encourage you to vote for the candidate who is not holding the populous position. More often than not that is the person who truly cares. Modesty is the word that comes to mind. When has a politician encouraged us to be modest in our self-perception. Instead they all rest on demagoguery to stay in office and build their power while deteriorating the Countries foundation.

Lead by Example

The government has presented fiscal responsibility to the people that has created a society in debt up to their ears. In addressing this problem and spcifically the stock market no one is discussing the necessity of balanced budgets or paying off the national debt. The media is failing in its criticism by allowing themselves to be part of the blind eye. The economy consistently ranks as the number one issue voters care about. This being the case, is there a possibility that our debt effects our economic progress? Absolutely. It would be foolish to run a business or a home on similar economic policies. The media is not looking past the Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac. Examine the consequences of our debt and or the lack of support behind dollar. The politicians don't want to fix the real problems because that would require discipline and dedication to securing the future past the next election cycle. Therefore someone outside of politics has to educate the nation about where the source of this economic problem exists and what can be done about it.

Media

Media. The word can't be spelled with out first spelling me. This is etymologically irrelevant, however, the media profession does demand subjective interpretation and biased communication. Can one truly inform others without injecting their epistimology? Obviously not. At the exact same time our political structure demands the Rational Choice Theory be excercised. Voters punch the chad based solely on what their interests are and who they think will represent those interests. Both of these situations isolate and segregate. There is no longer a struggle for "truth". By that I mean, it is understood that at work and social events you don't talk about God and politics. Fealings may be injured. Egos deminished. The modern American, in media and politics, is searching for comfort not progress. To build ones muscles you must stretch and mildly tear the muscles and they will become stronger and larger. Instead we resort to MLB style comfort and growth. Bulked on steroiods while at the same time destroying the body.

The media over the last few days has been enthralled by the development of the GOP VP candidate’s daughter being pregnant. Familial privacy has been debated, similar to the past Commander in Chief and his inability to keep his pants up, pundits and citizens alike have argued that personal lives can or should be kept separate from public life. This follows the American tradition of establishing facades that cannot be maintained. She has been and will continue to be questioned regarding her ability to manage like the executive office requires. The first commitment and area of management is her home. If you want to know how someone will handle public life, private life will provide a window for this. Why do we think that someone who cannot maintain personal commitments can uphold public commitments? This inconsistency rests in the fact that modern America does not require morality or honesty but only appearance