A shovel-ready world

There are a lot of innovators and innovations out there in this world. It is apparent, by the fact that humanity has survived this long, that we know a thing or two about survival.

But, in that thought, how we are we doing at thriving?

An individual is held aloft as an example of success or failure. Somewhere, along the way, someone saw fit to give resources to someone they believed could do this or that. Whether it be someone who can balance the books of a store or can disassemble and reassemble a machine without affecting it's ability to work.

Along these lines, humanity has failed it's lesser strong. While we hold up the strong and bemoan the weak, we forget that we are a global village, of sorts. Long gone are the inability to have little knowledge of our neighbors and co-inhabitants. Turn on the television, internet or radio. There we are. In our voices, in our actions, our story is told and told again. We do things and we move about the planet, fat and happy.

Somewhere along the line, however innocent the transgression, we forgot to prop up the weak. Sure, we have safety nets, in some, not all, places but the idea of living is lost on the majority of those deemed successful.

Effort is something that seems to have it's origin in the genetic tree. Where, at once, our ancestors were successful at not only passing along our genes but making sure the next generation gets to keep going, it was supposed to be a tool to teach those next to us how to be successful as well. No cheating, no cutting corners, just honest work that brought about resources. And, after the effort, we got to benefit but the effort.

But, in today's world, a lot of that simple effort is lost on the fact that we must push beyond that which we find mundane. We must also do a lot of maintenance, lest we lose what we have. This is the information we wish to learn from our parents, our elders.

Getting back to my original point, their is a lot of innovation out there that is ready to benefit those who already know but need that fiscal push over the top. It is just unfortunate that those who could really use the boost, those that got left behind by time, will not be the benefactors, or will truly understand why they never got the chance.

Culpability

When you do something, anything, you need to responsible for the outcome of these action. What you do, as much as you say, can have affects long after the words leave your lips or your hands leave that button.

But, as an outside observer of the current state of politics in America, I can only see a lack of responsibility in the halls of government, at least from those who are most visible.

I am using the ideas of culpability and accountability as my battle cry for this political season. Do you what you say you will and don't forget to govern all, not just those you wish. Politicians seem to forget this, living in a bubble that the lowest common denominator become lost in the rhetoric and pep rallies that are currently driving us toward the November elections.

Don't believe me? The politicians speak to change, acting as if, by saying it more and more, it will actually happen. But what changes? Where do those bottom dwellers get their fair shake? And, if they intend to get our votes, hear our voices, will they live up to the ideals set out by the definition of being in a democratic society?

In my travels and through my life, I listen to those voices that I both agree and disagree with. There are those that live a life that is fulfilling and those that pretend to. Often, because of what I have observed, I can see through facades. It's not as if their are intentionally misleading, it is that they are fooling themselves.

A good example is the naive acts of the uninformed. There are those, the majority of voters, that base their decisions on arbitrary pieces of information: Skin color, sex, social status. They strive to understand the controlled messages put out by candidates, not realizing it is mostly snake oil. Promises are made, not kept, and the voter, those who hold faith that their voice was heard, are left without that which they voted for.

I find it interesting that, while we wage war in Iraq, it is not the Republicans that hold themselves to scrutiny over the bad decisions made by their leadership. And yet the Democrats, pretending to want to stop it, don't pull the plug when they have the power to do so. Meanwhile lives, livelihood and future consequences are so simple to rectify that someone like me, an educated, working-class citizen could solve it in a moment.

The term "politics as usual" will be around long after November. The cumulative affect of what went into process decades ago has turned our country into a big turd. While we want to believe all is well, we don't see that the land of the free is sold and we have all become tourists.

so, come November, and later January 20th, 2009, I won't be holding my breath or wringing my hands. I realize the reality is that culpability and accountability are just words critics of the body politic can use to sell books and create conversations at the coffee shops. It's too bad there is no true revolutionaries left in America. And, if there were, the government is way to powerful and complex to actually make a difference... Man, life's a bitch.

Peace.