Alternatives to Being Pissed Off at Our Government

I don't know what it is but every time I watch the cable news shows read one of the news feeds it's always somebody bitching about somebody else. I am frankly tired of it.

The Democrats blame Bush; the Republicans blame Obama; the left blames the right etc., etc.

We know everyone has an agenda. Obama's and the Left's is share and share alike socialism. Republicans is unchecked capitalism. And every politician is aiming to stay in office as long as possible so they either follow the party line or kiss whatever ass is closest to keep their job.

Well, the truth is most people are just plain tired of it. I think it is time for a little revolution. A shakeup in how our democracy works. (Of course, dear reader, you realize we don't really live in a democracy. We give our control to those in Washington and go our merry way.) And here is how I would like to see the changes begin.

1. Term limits for all congressmen and women. 6 consecutive terms for the House and 3 consecutive terms for the Senate. After they have been out of office for at least 4 years they can run again in case their replacement has really screwed things up.

2. Abolish all provisions in any laws that exclude any specific group or minority and change the constitution to reflect the change. This would include any special benefits that congress has given themselves. They must live under the rules they pass for the rest of the country. They must retire on Social Security (except of any investments they've made) and Medicare unless they can afford non-government supports private insurance.

3. Make it unconstitutional to include non-relevant add-ons to any bill passed in by congress. An example would be the Louisiana representative will not go along with a Jobs bill unless they include a measure to create a wet-lands study for the Mississippi delta. Any item worthy of attention should be able to stand on its own and should be voted on accordingly.

4. Illegal aliens in the country for over 5 years working and not living off public assistance for at 5 years should be given the chance to gain citizenship through an accelerated process that includes full background checks in both the U.S. and their home countries. Any illegal aliens are found that cannot prove they have been here and working for at least 5 years they should be returned to the capital of their home country with only the clothes on the their back.

5. Put limits on how much U.S. currency individuals and companies can send to other countries. We have been funding the attacks by terrorism through monies being funneled out of the country. Also, many companies are not investing in the U.S. and taking the profits from here and using them elsewhere. We cannot have sustainable growth if this continues.

6. Make sure that all production from mining, drilling, and recycling fill the needs of this country first. We ship out oil to other countries when we could be producing it here a lot cheaper. Same goes for iron and paper. A tariff should be placed on any company not utilizing local productive sites in lieu of making a profit in other countries. They should be required to keep the output from facilities in this country at as high a point as possible to keep our people supplied.

And finally -

7. Do away with the 2 party system of government. The election documents shall not show any party affiliations. This will include the ballots. Individuals running for office should be judged on their own merits and not what party they belong to. This is not to say that during the campaigning process they cannot associate themselves with whomever they wish. Only that the government will no recognize any such associations. This will hopefully curb the party line voting that clogs the House and Senate.

Well that's where I stand. Have a comment or suggestion let me know. I would like to hear ideas.

The Looking Glass Ain’t Half Full Yet

Or “What the Hell is Right with Introspection?”


This is a look into the fallacies of self-inspection and why the answers we find are the biggest lies we can tell ourselves.

Many notable scholars and psychologists tell us that to be truly happy we must learn all we can about ourselves. We are to do this by examining our past deeds and the motives for the things we’ve done. This, of course, is the highest form of mental masturbation.

Each time we do this “self-examination” we color our findings with justifications and clouded reasoning. It is impossible for a person to be truly honest with themselves. Oh, there are those who say that it is a prerequisite for anyone who wants self-enlightenment to “look inward.” But the truth we must have an idea of who we are before our inspection starts. And almost without exception that self-portrait is wrong.

We see ourselves as either who we want to be or who we’re afraid we are. This is what drives us to the same point each time we feel the need to look in the mirror for a reason for something we said or did or didn’t say or do. And what we see is never the whole truth. It is only the mirror looking back. It cannot see the future or the past. It can only show the here and now.

It is this simple truth that must be accepted. A person does not change because they see themselves one way and want to be different. They change because they look past the mirror and see what mistakes they’ve made and endeavor not make them again. It’s not the motivations or the reasoning behind the actions it is the deeds themselves. A painting does not care what type of paint is used, the result is what matters.

So the next time you, dear reader, hear someone speak of doing some introspection ask them what they are looking for. Chances are they will not be able to really tell you. They may come up with some canned response about “enlightenment” or “inner peace” but if pressed they will usually fold under the burden of ignorance. The real truth will be they looked in the mirror and it wasn’t full yet.