Politics as usual

Just as Marco Polo needed a paiza (passport) to travel about the Mongol empire of Kublai Khan, Americans today need a rusty shovel to dig their way out of the muck and mire that passes for politicking. To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, we cannot trust anyone to verify data. No person of importance or influence speaks straight because an agenda, power or greed provide the motivation. A medical expert in a study of traumatic head injuries writes about "mounting empirical evidence" and "enormous costs" as well as 100's of 1000's of deaths" that could be prevented. Yet he simultaneously admits the findings in his study are "very preliminary." Truth or dare? Presidential Republican candidate Mitt Romney (not out of contention) loved soundbites pandering to his evocative contrasts between Wal-Mart and Wall Street. Democrat candidate Hellary Clinton wants to steal Exxon’s excessive profits even though Exxon pays to the government, via taxes, an amount equal to what the bottom 50% of taxpayers, that is 65,000,000, pay in taxes. Wow! Truth to power. The Red Cross must now screen recipients of aid because of the fraud perpetrated upon them by ‘victims’ of hurricane Katrina. Remember Katrina? Reality denial about it from liberal politicians years later is still standard fare. Even the sad death of young Natalie Holloway in its abstract terms, cannot be evaluated in its proper context as a reality show. Her parents who allowed her to party abroad as a high school senior and Natalie putting herself in harm’s way, were not victims. Her privileged ( probable) killer in Aruba who banged the broads at night and surfed by day, enjoying ‘wave after wave’ was ready, willing and available. What I like best about history is the tragedy of inevitability following supposedly rational actions.

The first Great War provided the opportunity for hundreds and thousands of horses to break down under the strain of unrelenting advances by the German armies into Belgium at the start of the invasion which was accompanied by massacres of Belgians on a huge scale. That’s what I call a tragic, reality check. Who could have seen it coming? Or cared? Certainly not a politician. Influential politicians started World War I and finished it, but America’s politicians today perpetuate a war between opposing ideological camps. Sadness and shame are on order.