History … is, indeed, little more than the register of the crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.
Edward Gibbon (1737–94), English historian. "The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"
I haven’t been moved to write much of anything lately, primarily I’ve been very busy with work. And, what leisure time I have is divided up with minimal chores, firing off missives to Realtors, DMVs, city hall and reading (newspapers, magazines, books), but this morning’s New York Times editorial section really points out that the country is truly being mismanaged and the citizenry are too busy eking out a living to care.
There is something terribly wrong with the country. What is worse is that the people continue to let the president run roughshod over clear thinking and common sense. It is amazing to me that the New York Times has four strong editorials/opinion pieces against the current White House Administration: the lead editorial “The Bait-and-Switch White House,” “Mr. Bush’s Oil Security Blanket,” “At Ease, Mr. President” by Garry Wills, and Maureen Dowd’s column attacks the craziness of Dick Cheney, and still there is not a movement afoot to strongly curtail this administration from inflicting even more long-term damage. I'm not even taking into consideration the number of books documenting the mismanagement of the Iraq war.
Extremists on any subject fail to see that the world is gray, not black or white. We know from thousands of years how humans will react when egos and insecurities are not addressed and yet world leaders continue to make the same mistakes over and over. And, the people let them, following into goose-stepping hell thinking they are being patriotic.
Our country is not only on the wrong track, but is seriously derailed and it has a ripple effect around the world.
3 comments:
On The Mark says: It will take bold leaders in Congress to force change (although the demonstrations throughout America today help). When Bush's strongest supporters drop him, then he's truly done. That's what finally drove Nixon out of the White House. When his strongest supporters in Congress walked over to the White House and told him it's time to leave.
Someone forgot to remind the New York Times Editorial Board that the health insurance they receive would be considered of the 14K gold variety, way over Bush's %7500/$15,000 tax "deduction" limit. They also forgot to ask accounting about the difference between an adjustment to income and a tax deduction: the first is more valuable than the second.
In New York City, a gold-plated policy costs upwards of $8,000 a year for one person, and comes with fewer "in-network" choices every year.
The problem with the New York Times is that if you know anything about the subject on which it is focusing, you are aware of dangerous a little bit of knowledge can be. The paper shows that off every damn day.
The middle ground seems to be unoccupied and that is what concerns me. You are so very right that the world is not just black and white.
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