Author: Jay

And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.     Matthew 12:25

As anyone that has read my blog will likely notice, I am not what you’d call a religious person.  I was raised in a pretty strict Christian household and attended church regularly my entire life up until I hit my 20’s, but since then The Church (not the band, but the institution) and I have had a complicated relationship.  Nonetheless, when I started thinking about what to write as our nation’s Independence Day celebration came upon us, my mind kept going back to that biblical verse.

And I’m not gonna lie, I had to look it up.  My days of Bible verse memorization are long behind me…

You may recognize the words, often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but he cribbed ’em from the Bible.  When Lincoln used them, he was speaking on the topic of the Civil War and slavery, but the sentiment is every bit as valid today, if not moreso, than it was then.

We as a nation ARE divided.  More than ever before.  It’s no longer a North vs. South, Red vs. Blue or Black vs. White situation.  It isn’t a binary thing.  We’re so far beyond the binary, the very concept seems quaint by comparison.

No, the fracture is much deeper than that.  Much more widespread.  Far more insidious.  And the fractured (We the People) seem to be reveling in it! 

The United States is not a sports league.  If you’re looking at your fellow countrymen as “the enemy”, you’ve been hoodwinked my friend.  For the last several decades we’ve been drenched in the whole diversity hogwash, and it is eroding our foundation as a nation.  We were sold on the lie that Globalism is the way of the future, that we’re all the same… But how is that working out for the rank and file amongst us?

Diversity has its merits, I’m not going to deny that.  Humans have the capacity to see things from different view points and to reach different conclusions based on those view points. That we as US citizens have the right to speak out about those view points is a wonderful thing.  I’ve been around the block enough times that I am acutely aware that something that never occurred to me might be plainly obvious to someone else, and vice versa. All that being said however, the important thing is that we, as Americans, should be in favor of the things that make America stronger as a nation and her people more prosperous.  And I don’t mean prosperous in a strictly monetary fashion, but in the growth of knowledge, of innovation, of a shared spirit of community.  Now, I’m no expert on politics, socio-economics, or anything really, but my eyes and ears have brought me to the conclusion that the almighty Diversity has been nothing but devisive, and literally nothing about it over the last two decades has strengthened our nation.  On the contrary, I’ve never seen more angry citizens than in the last decade.  I’ve never felt less unified with my compatriots, and likey they with me. 

We have been bamboozled, folks.  Our generosity as a nation and our compassion as a people has been subverted for less than altruistic reasons.  I’m not gonna pretend to know the why’s and wherefor’s of it all.  I’m sure somebody, somewhere can tell us why we as a nation have been compelled to do the things we have done, but that’s not me.  I can say for certain it wasn’t one thing.  There wasn’t a flick of the switch and suddenly everything went sideways.  No, this was planned, it was schemed, this is all by design, but with a slurry of unintended consequences as a bonus prize.  All I know is the America I lived in, the America I cherish, has all but disappeared over the last decade.  Not too long ago I ran across the phrase “suicidal empathy”, and that hit me like a cast iron skillet upside the head.  I think that is a big part of the problem.  Things here, post-WWII, were pretty darn good for the most part.  And being a generous people, we set out to help.  We Americans didn’t want to see children starving in famine ravaged countries.  We didn’t want to see other nations stomped under the boot of communism.  We didn’t want plagues running rampant when simple things like plumbing could make a huge difference.  We wanted prosperity for others.  Success wasn’t viewed as a zero-sum game. 

That doesn’t appear to be the case anymore.

Now we have foreign born people making their way here, and defrauding our “safety net” programs, to the tune of billions of dollars.  We have outsiders making their way into our institutions, whether they be education, government or the public sector, and demanding things that are not only un-American but quite simply, unreasonable.  We are still sending millions of dollars to the Taliban for cryin’ out loud!  The same people we spent 2 decades engaged in a war with, handed over millions of dollars worth of military hardware to and spent untold blood and treasure trying to defeat.  We have state legislatures making laws they know good and well are in direct defiance of Constitutional law and pass them anyway, then spend millions of OUR tax dollars fighting for these laws in court.    Why, may I ask?  What possible good can this do for your average US citizen?  Why do we put up with it?  Why do we keep the same flippin’ lunatics in office, when CLEARLY they are not proficient at their jobs?  How is it possible that things turn around from here?

“When you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing – When you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors – When you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect them against you – When you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice – You may know that your society is doomed.” —Ann Rand

Somehow, over the last few decades, the American spirit has been replaced by a cynical, mean spirited shadow of its former self.  Everywhere you turn, there’s a grift, a scam, a manipulation. Nobody trusts anything anymore.  Not the government, not the police, not the news media, not even their own neighbors in a lot of cases.  And why would they? Instead of a common goal, instead of a common culture, we’re being torn apart by these vultures.  These vampires. You’ll often hear the phrase “a high trust society” these days.  But you know when you never heard that phrase?  When we actually had one!  The reason it’s talked about so often is because it’s gone, for the most part.  When you’re only out for yourself or at best your particular “tribe”, you tend to think everybody else is too, which leads either to battle or isolation.  Neither of which are good for the citizens of a nation. 

Undoubtedly, politics becoming a full time job was a major mistake.  Allowing our legislature to make the rules for themselves was a huge mistake.  Allowing essentially unrestricted money into political campaigns is a MASSIVE problem.  The idea of checks and balances written into our founding documents was inspired, but clearly didn’t go far enough.  The idea used to be that service to one’s country was an honor and a privilege, but the privilege part of it came from being entrusted by your fellow citizens to represent them, not flying around in private jets, not attending “galas” where your night on the town costs more than one of your represented peasants will pay for a year’s rent. Privilege shouldn’t be cocktail parties, “campaign donations”, and insider trading secrets.  Our so-called leaders, the majority of whom become millionaires while “serving”, should not be living so high on the hog while the rest of us see the value of our labor siphoned off to support the “underprivileged”, the “underrepresented”.  Not to mention foreign nations.  I got news for all those nitwits – we’re ALL under represented!! And whatever we have left over continues losing buying power year after year.  Our largest growth industries in the US should not be government jobs and healthcare! 

As an aside, for those of you in the back row – the ballooning health care industry is BECAUSE our environment is being routinely poisoned, pharmaceutical “remedies” don’t actually cure anything and often cause even more damage than what you started with, and our food supply contains very little actual FOOD.  Which is peculiar if you think about it. Isn’t it the GOVERNMENT’S JOB to regulate pollution and drugs and the food supply?  And with there being so many new jobs in the government sector, shouldn’t those things be well taken care of?  And yet…

But by all means, let’s riot over what’s going on in the middle east, or for disallowing mentally ill men playing make-believe to compete in athletics against females, or I dunno, a murderer being sent to prison for… murder?!? Good grief.  The priorities of our people have gone positively bananas.  We have utterly lost the common ground.  It seems as though it no longer exists.

Recently I (unfortunately) watched a video clip by some young lady – college aged by the look of it – bemoaning the recent trotting out, once again by the Dem party, the ol’ “Big Tent” schtick.  And she went on a tirade about how she doesn’t WANT to be in the Big Tent so long as Palestine, transgenders, college loans, undocumented people, stolen land, patriarchy, blah, blah, flippin’ blah… You know the routine.  She went on for several minutes about everything wrong in her view of the world, blamed it on everyone else, offering no solution whatsoever, no substance whatsoever.  Her words were nothing but a litany of politically correct buzz words.  The whole scene was, quite frankly, meaningless.  And yet, she was so earnest and emotional about it.  She was SERIOUS.  But she had nothing of value to offer anyone.  And we’re supposed to be sad or demoralized because she doesn’t want to be included in the Big Tent?!?  Uh, nope.  If you’re so miserable here you think COMMUNISM is the answer, you’ve clearly got a screw loose.  We don’t need, or have any use for, that kind of energy in these parts.  And the saddest thing of it all, is that you could most likely go out to your favorite social media site and find a hundred videos just like that one in a matter of minutes.  This is the result of “the long march through our institutions” coupled with social media.  And it’s a recipe for disaster.

As a nation, we have lost the plot.

We are America, we are not the savior of the world.  Other countries’ problems are just that, other countries’ problems.  It’s not like the information and the technology isn’t out there for anyone with a room temp or better IQ, to solve some problems.  We’ve got plenty right here at home that need some serious attention, and aren’t getting it.

I have said many times on this blog and IRL, that I love my country and I loathe my government.  That’s every bit as true today as it’s ever been.  Even on this special occasion.  That is not by any means a contrary opinion these days.  And while I absolutely consider myself to be an optimist, I find myself feeling like more of an accelerationist, in that I wish the entire facade would just come crashing down, so we could pick up the pieces and start all over again.

We had a strong start, but made some poor choices along the way.  As Bugs Bunny used to say, “we should’a turned left at Albuquerque”, so to speak.

The government’s job isn’t to support YOU or your pet causes, it is to PROTECT its citizens.  Full stop.  And from where I’m sitting, they have been doing a piss poor job of it. From my perspective, jaded as it may be, they (.gov) have been far too nice about the things that simply aren’t that important in the big scheme of things, far too lenient towards those that would cause us the most damage and far too blasé toward what matters most here, the American people.

But as I have also said many a time, America is her people, NOT her government.  And though we’ve been deluged with Nons lately, I know for a fact there are plenty of good, solid Americans still out there.  And I do not mean that in a racial sense.  Sure, it was Euros that started the ball rolling, but being American -at least to me- is all about what’s inside.  It has nothing at all to do with your wrapper.  The American spirit is still alive and well, I still see glimpses of it every day.  It’s been getting shoved aside, threatened with “cancellation” and bullied relentlessly for the last decade or so, but it’s still there.  Maybe on this auspicious occasion, we should all take a look inside and find the remnants of that spirit , take it out, dust it off and try it on for size.  I think you’ll find that it fits like a glove and can be very comforting.  The spirit that tells you, “yes, you can”.  The spirit that guides us to think big, to become better versions of ourselves.  The spirit of self-determination, not grovelling to Uncle Sam to coddle you and make everything safe and easy, so you can coast through life on auto pilot without being offended or left out or treated in a way you believe is beneath you simply because you exist.

Listen, I’m not some rose-colored glasses, pie in the sky, rah rah Patriot.  I see the homeless encampments, the litter and graffiti, the drugged out whack-a-doos begging for money. I read the police blotters in our local papers, I see the government crime stats.  I keep abreast of what the crooks in Sacramento and D.C. are up to (most of it bad).  In addition to being an optimist, I’m also a realist and a pragmatist.  I can see how far off course we are, I can see the division, I see the rot.  I KNOW that some hard choices need to be made.  I understand that not everyone is going to like everything.  That is simply a reality, it’s not a personal attack against you. I see the charlatans and the grifters out there stirring the pot, trying to profit off the misery and/or misfortune of others.  I see the same clips you all do, of people out in public losing their minds over the most trivial things.  The wanton destruction of property.  The smash and grabs.  All flavors of reprobate and degenerate behavior.  And these things get to me.  It’s demoralizing.  It’s beyond sad.  It is heartbreaking.

But I also see the random stranger holding a door for someone.  I see the stranger picking up the item the senior citizen dropped at the grocery store.  I see the volunteers at the per shelters and the volunteer docents at the museums and the state parks.  The neighbors bringing a meal to the new parents that just brought a baby home.  The churches that let the unhoused park for the night in their parking lot so they don’t get harassed. The Amish building shelters for those that lost everything in floods. And more.  So much more.  Kids playing soccer in the park.  The local minor league baseball team.  The college radio station.  That one little hole in the wall restaurant that makes the best whatever you’ve ever eaten in your life.  The Christmas fairs, farmer’s markets and the downtown parades with the local high school marching bands.

And yes, fireworks on the Fourth of July.

That’s my America.  That’s the world I want to continue to live in, the country I want my daughter to grow old in, the homeland we want to leave behind for our someday grandchildren.  That is the America worth saving.  That is the America you can be proud of.  Is it perfect? No.  Is anything perfect? Also no.  But is it 1000x better than what the “democratic socialists” AKA communists, have in mind for us if they get their hands on the reigns of power.  I look at socialism the same way I look at labor unions – unfavourably and with great disdain.  We don’t need socialism to  make the US a better place, in fact it would make things considerably worse.  No, what we need is a re-prioritization of the needs of Americans.  And I do emphasize NEEDS, not wants.  I want plenty of stuff – a million dollars and huge pectoral muscles would be a great start…but what I need is clean, healthy food and water, a roof over my head and the freedom to forge my own path.  That’s all anybody really needs to get by in this life.  Of course a stable economy and a massively reduced tax burden would also be very welcome by me and a few hundred million other citizens.

Whining, complaining and throwing tantrums isn’t what made this country what it was.  Vision, determination and more than a little grit did.  This Independence Day, take just a moment to recognize that.  Two Hundred Fifty years is nothing to sneeze at.  Find that thing, whatever it is to you, to be grateful for as an American.  We can get back to fixin’ the problems tomorrow.  With a little reflection, you just might come up with a great idea!  And with a dash of determination and good ol’ American grit maybe you can turn those ideas into reality.

What we need in these United States is a renewed sense of UNITY.  That is one ingredient that has been sorely lacking for a long time now, and that is what is going to help us right this ship.  Maybe it’s time to look up from our screens, get outside, talk to some people in the real world.  You might be amazed to find that we all have a LOT more in common than we realize.  And that commonality, that sense of community is what is going to take us to where we need to be.  That is how we get that domestic tranquility that our founders envisioned.  Not that long ago we could disagree with each other, we could discuss our differences rationally, and still be friends and united as Americans.  We need to get back to that.  A good idea, a good plan is self-evident.  If your ideas need to be screamed into someone’s face, if you need to burn down a building or deface a public monument to make your point, then I’m sorry to say, your idea sucks.  It’s time to rethink your position.  And I get it, our current president is very decisive himself, a braggart and clearly an egomaniac.  But our president isn’t our country, our heritage, or our homeland.  Presidents and governors and assembly members, et al, come and go.  We’ve had hundreds of them and we’re still standing.  Beaten and bruised sometimes, sure, but we live to fight another day.  Don’t let your loathing of one guy, or one party or one policy diminish what our forefathers risked their very lives to build.  Not everyone is a leader, a genius or a visionary but no matter who you are as an American, you have a part to play in our success.  Remember that.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Happy Birthday America. And Happy Independence Day to all my fellow Americans.

Thanks for stopping by.