Depression. Recession. Progression.
Depression.
I've been out of the writing mood for some time as I'm putting in long hours on horrible cases with difficult clients. Yesterday's indictments managed to get me on the computer this morning and since the wife had trouble sleeping last night I might manage to get a post done today.
The indictment of Libby was so depressing. One would like to think that mature, balanced people run this country and instead we are treated to a front row seat to an adult demonstration of how a junior high girls' click would decide to ruin another teenagers life. Good God. I have little sympathy for the Bush crowd because it is clear at this point that they lied us into war regardless of whether not it was based on a "Good faith" belief in WMDs or not. It seems rather clear that the administration was informed of and had access to facts and people who could provide at least as strong a case against invading Iraq as the administrations case for invading Iraq. Rather than doing what rational leaders and managers do, which is to weigh the pros and cons of a problem and solution and balance this weighing with a cost /benefit analysis, this administration chose to simply destroy the "cons" and therefore eliminate, at least in their minds, the need to conduct a cost / benefit analysis. One would think, given the Republican mantra and platform position that all government actions should be subject to this type of analysis, that the administration would have done so.
At the heart of the problem is that George desperately wants to be seen as "better" than Ronald. The psychoanalysis of his Reagan obsession would be fascinating to read. I believe it would go something like this:
Ronnie took on Daddy as his back up QB.
Ronnie was the All-American QB / boy next door, loved by the whole town.
Daddy was the runt side kick who worked hard, did his duty but never really had a chance to shine because Ronnie hogged all the glory.
George looked up to his daddy, like we all do, and was pissed by Ronnie stealing his daddy's thunder.
Nancy disses Mommy and Daddy!!!! George is burning inside.
George also, deeply and secretly, loved Ronnie for showing him that it was possible to overshadow Daddy, something he desperately wants to do.
Daddy gets elected to be QB of the nation!
Daddy gets unelected to be QB of the nation after four years.
George hates the snobby conservatives for leaving Daddy.
George runs for QB to prove that a Bush man can beat Ronnie.
George caters to the wacko conservatives and blows right past the snobby conservatives.
GB is QB!!!!! "I will beat Ronnie..... I will beat Ronnie..... I will beat Ronnie."
George does everything he can to mimic Ronnie only with a "bigger and better" plan... Everyone knows bigger is better and size matters... (that's a whole different psychoanalysis that we will leave until another day)
George invokes Ronnie every time he talks.....showing that he is doing what Ronnie would do... only bigger and better.
Wacko-conservatives start to say things George likes... "He is the best QB ever." "You are the best Governor ever!" etc.
George, although he doesn't read the news or much of anything other than western novels, likes what he hears.
George has strange dreams involving Ronnie's large conservative staff.
George doesn't care about policy or soldiers or deficits or gas prices..... he is beating the socks of Ronnie.
I AM THE GREATEST PRESIDENT EVER!!!
(analysis - - - Illusions of grandeur)
Anyway, the whole thing is sick, twisted and depressing. Not unlike Clinton but only a bit more perverse (which is really saying something considering Clinton's taste in cigars).
recession.
Although I have more than my share of undergraduate and graduate level economic credits I do not have time and definitely do not have the inclination to keep up with this crazy economy information that is coming at us. With that caveat, I have a dreadful fear of a major economic collapse in the US. It will be unlike anything we have seen in the past but that is hardly surprising given the strange economic behavior we have seen in the last four years.
Let's try to make a good analogy that more than a few of us can relate to.
You're a young professional, single, good looking and you have a two years in at the big law firm. You still are sitting on the $130,000 student loans you incurred in law school. You are living good! Steaks, dates, beers and betting trifectas, life is awesome. Your only concern is that three days before each payday you run out of cash but no worries, you still have $5,000 credit available on your credit card. Each month after you pay the minimum on the card, you have a little less credit available... Jezz, did I start out with a $10,000 limit? Oh well.
Then, one day, four years out of law school. Your out on the town with a hot date, you just finished up a really nice steak dinner and a nice bottle of red. Of course it is the end of the month so you put it on your card. No problem... Where to next, I'm not ready to go home yet. Of course at home I have some nice Coors light beer and it is the end of the month.... naaa, let's hit that new swanky bar with the $20 martinis...
Later, at 2:00 a.m., drunk off your ass from four years of partying the tab comes from the bartender at closing time. $300??? Jesus, did we really drink that much? Oh well, put it on my card...... Sorry sir, your credit card was rejected, perhaps you would like to pay cash..... No cash? No credit? Maybe you should consider filing for bankruptcy...
In a nutshell folks that is where we are headed. The American people, myself included, have exercised absolutely no control and our federal and state governments are right there with us. There is a movement in Congress to cut back on Medicare, food stamps etc. but we are kidding ourselves if we believe that making cuts that effect the lowest income earners in our economy is going to save our spoiled skin. No, the truth is that businesses are going to have to pony up as are the top one percent. Rather than rehashing the same old stuff, take a look at the The Contrary Investory website to get a good, easy to understand picture of what we are facing, without any political spin.
Progression.
In an effort to look at life and personal issues in the best light / glass half full, I have to say that perhaps a little bit of hardship is what we need as a society. The level of depravity, glutton and pursuit of wealth has become a sickness. I know because I'm a part of it and have the same problems. Adversity pulls people together, bonding us in suffering and making us stronger as a society. While I believe that George W Bush has been a disaster for this country for a morale, economic, and community point of view, I also believe that is we survive this administration we will become a better people and a better society as a result of having to work together as a country to undo the mess he has / is creating. I also believe that a Democratic president would not have made just as big a mess as George, but only because the republicans control Congress. One can only ponder the mess that the Dems would make if they controlled both the White House and Congress... Sorry for the digression from progression......
We will survive and will be stronger and better (can you hear the bionic man music?) but we have yet to start suffering. The worse is yet to come.
I've been out of the writing mood for some time as I'm putting in long hours on horrible cases with difficult clients. Yesterday's indictments managed to get me on the computer this morning and since the wife had trouble sleeping last night I might manage to get a post done today.
The indictment of Libby was so depressing. One would like to think that mature, balanced people run this country and instead we are treated to a front row seat to an adult demonstration of how a junior high girls' click would decide to ruin another teenagers life. Good God. I have little sympathy for the Bush crowd because it is clear at this point that they lied us into war regardless of whether not it was based on a "Good faith" belief in WMDs or not. It seems rather clear that the administration was informed of and had access to facts and people who could provide at least as strong a case against invading Iraq as the administrations case for invading Iraq. Rather than doing what rational leaders and managers do, which is to weigh the pros and cons of a problem and solution and balance this weighing with a cost /benefit analysis, this administration chose to simply destroy the "cons" and therefore eliminate, at least in their minds, the need to conduct a cost / benefit analysis. One would think, given the Republican mantra and platform position that all government actions should be subject to this type of analysis, that the administration would have done so.
At the heart of the problem is that George desperately wants to be seen as "better" than Ronald. The psychoanalysis of his Reagan obsession would be fascinating to read. I believe it would go something like this:
Ronnie took on Daddy as his back up QB.
Ronnie was the All-American QB / boy next door, loved by the whole town.
Daddy was the runt side kick who worked hard, did his duty but never really had a chance to shine because Ronnie hogged all the glory.
George looked up to his daddy, like we all do, and was pissed by Ronnie stealing his daddy's thunder.
Nancy disses Mommy and Daddy!!!! George is burning inside.
George also, deeply and secretly, loved Ronnie for showing him that it was possible to overshadow Daddy, something he desperately wants to do.
Daddy gets elected to be QB of the nation!
Daddy gets unelected to be QB of the nation after four years.
George hates the snobby conservatives for leaving Daddy.
George runs for QB to prove that a Bush man can beat Ronnie.
George caters to the wacko conservatives and blows right past the snobby conservatives.
GB is QB!!!!! "I will beat Ronnie..... I will beat Ronnie..... I will beat Ronnie."
George does everything he can to mimic Ronnie only with a "bigger and better" plan... Everyone knows bigger is better and size matters... (that's a whole different psychoanalysis that we will leave until another day)
George invokes Ronnie every time he talks.....showing that he is doing what Ronnie would do... only bigger and better.
Wacko-conservatives start to say things George likes... "He is the best QB ever." "You are the best Governor ever!" etc.
George, although he doesn't read the news or much of anything other than western novels, likes what he hears.
George has strange dreams involving Ronnie's large conservative staff.
George doesn't care about policy or soldiers or deficits or gas prices..... he is beating the socks of Ronnie.
I AM THE GREATEST PRESIDENT EVER!!!
(analysis - - - Illusions of grandeur)
Anyway, the whole thing is sick, twisted and depressing. Not unlike Clinton but only a bit more perverse (which is really saying something considering Clinton's taste in cigars).
recession.
Although I have more than my share of undergraduate and graduate level economic credits I do not have time and definitely do not have the inclination to keep up with this crazy economy information that is coming at us. With that caveat, I have a dreadful fear of a major economic collapse in the US. It will be unlike anything we have seen in the past but that is hardly surprising given the strange economic behavior we have seen in the last four years.
Let's try to make a good analogy that more than a few of us can relate to.
You're a young professional, single, good looking and you have a two years in at the big law firm. You still are sitting on the $130,000 student loans you incurred in law school. You are living good! Steaks, dates, beers and betting trifectas, life is awesome. Your only concern is that three days before each payday you run out of cash but no worries, you still have $5,000 credit available on your credit card. Each month after you pay the minimum on the card, you have a little less credit available... Jezz, did I start out with a $10,000 limit? Oh well.
Then, one day, four years out of law school. Your out on the town with a hot date, you just finished up a really nice steak dinner and a nice bottle of red. Of course it is the end of the month so you put it on your card. No problem... Where to next, I'm not ready to go home yet. Of course at home I have some nice Coors light beer and it is the end of the month.... naaa, let's hit that new swanky bar with the $20 martinis...
Later, at 2:00 a.m., drunk off your ass from four years of partying the tab comes from the bartender at closing time. $300??? Jesus, did we really drink that much? Oh well, put it on my card...... Sorry sir, your credit card was rejected, perhaps you would like to pay cash..... No cash? No credit? Maybe you should consider filing for bankruptcy...
In a nutshell folks that is where we are headed. The American people, myself included, have exercised absolutely no control and our federal and state governments are right there with us. There is a movement in Congress to cut back on Medicare, food stamps etc. but we are kidding ourselves if we believe that making cuts that effect the lowest income earners in our economy is going to save our spoiled skin. No, the truth is that businesses are going to have to pony up as are the top one percent. Rather than rehashing the same old stuff, take a look at the The Contrary Investory website to get a good, easy to understand picture of what we are facing, without any political spin.
Progression.
In an effort to look at life and personal issues in the best light / glass half full, I have to say that perhaps a little bit of hardship is what we need as a society. The level of depravity, glutton and pursuit of wealth has become a sickness. I know because I'm a part of it and have the same problems. Adversity pulls people together, bonding us in suffering and making us stronger as a society. While I believe that George W Bush has been a disaster for this country for a morale, economic, and community point of view, I also believe that is we survive this administration we will become a better people and a better society as a result of having to work together as a country to undo the mess he has / is creating. I also believe that a Democratic president would not have made just as big a mess as George, but only because the republicans control Congress. One can only ponder the mess that the Dems would make if they controlled both the White House and Congress... Sorry for the digression from progression......
We will survive and will be stronger and better (can you hear the bionic man music?) but we have yet to start suffering. The worse is yet to come.
posted by tregen at 7:23 AM
1 Comments:
I thought you were going to start with Nostradamus...
Great Bush psychoanalysis too. Reads like Starwars.
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