Too Much Time On My Hands

“Yeah, I’m sittin’ on this bar stool, talkin’ like a damn fool, got the twelve o’clock news blues. And I’ve given up hope on the afternoon soaps and a bottle of cold brew. Is is any wonder I’m not crazy? Is it any wonder I’m sane at all?” ~ Tommy Shaw, Styx

I’m always looking for new ways to generate content for this space. Until a large winter storm hit my region a few days ago (something which doesn’t often happen around here) I hadn’t had much time for writing lately, these last few days I’ve had nothing but time. Unfortunately that will end soon enough and life will get back to the normal drudgery I so enjoy.

I’ve been working this afternoon to find new ideas to explore and develop into the kind of content that I hope you would enjoy reading here. I started down one such path over the weekend with the Jesus For The Non-Religious series. I’ve been working a bit on the second chapter this afternoon – boy, did I ever bite off a mouthful with this project, but that’ okay, I’m up to the challenge. I planned on that project taking several months anyway, so maybe it’ll just take a bit longer than I thought.

I spent some time this afternoon looking through my quotes and lyrics file trying to find something that strikes a nerve or fires a synapse or two, but so far nothings ringing my bells.

It’s amazing how so many people change from youth to middle age, and I’m not really talking about physical changes, though that certainly happens too. Many people turn out 180 degrees from where you’d think they would given the type of people they were in high school or college, while others seem to never change. I wonder how different I am now compared to the kid I was all those years ago. I don’t feel different, but I’m sure I am.

Sure, I’ve gotten a bit thicker around the middle, but not a lot, and my beard has turned almost completely white (I swear, I do not dye my hair, though several have accused me of it). Otherwise I really don’t feel all that different.

I’ve always thought about the deeper issues – social justice and equity, politics, and even religious and spiritual matters, and that hasn’t changed even though I am finally beginning to come to terms with my personal beliefs, or perhaps more accurately, my disbelief. I just haven’t always been as open outside my immediate family.

Then again, I’ve evolved considerably when it comes to politics, which are really just another reflection of one’s philosophy of life. In 1984, the first time I registered to vote, I had three choices: Democratic, Republican, or Libertarian Party. I chose the Libertarian Party, mostly because I liked to smoke pot, and they wanted to legalize it!

Since then I’ve been registered as all of the above at one time or another, though today I can’t stomach what any of them represent, at least not fully. If pressed for a label I’m probably a mutt – a little bit of everything, but in America, that just won’t do. There simply aren’t any viable choices to for those who don’t fit either of the mainstream parties, and that’s more of a flaw in our system than a flaw in our people.

The Libertarian Party was taken over years ago by a more conservative leaning base, and since then I’ve decided that government regulation of many industries and even the provision of some services is necessary. The Democratic Party, the party which has received the bulk of my support in recent years is close – dangerously close – to losing me altogether. I have almost nothing in common with most conservative ideology today, so the odds of me ever supporting a Republican candidate again are about as good as flooding in the African Sahara.

Politics has been described as the art of compromising what you want to get what you need, and there’s a great deal of truth to that statement, but the Democratic Party, which now controls two out of three branches of the American government have shown themselves to be nothing more than the spineless lackeys of the corporate overlords who own both major political parties here.

If I didn’t know better I’d think they were just going through the motions in order to keep us thinking there really are two distinct options to vote for. Oh wait, I don’t know better!

Last year when this Congress and President Obama took office, they had it within their power to reform many facets of out dysfunctional democracy and leave the next generation a revitalized political process, a cleaner environment, and more secure social infrastructure, but they failed on all accounts.

Instead they capitulated to the freak show of the political right and wasted an entire year giving the other side the time and energy they needed to possibly set up an electoral coup that I sincerely hope doesn’t happen next November.

I’m sick to death of both dominant parties in the American system – thugs and pansies – you figure out which one’s which, it’s not hard – and I think most of this country is just as sick of them as I am.

In the United States we are indoctrinated from birth with the idea that ours is the best, the greatest, the free-est nation ever to grace the surface of this planet. Unfortunately, most of us never bother to question that assertion.

When this nation was founded, that argument might have been plausible, but today much has changed and many nations around the world have adopted democratic forms of government: Canada – democracy; France, England, Germany – all democracies; India – largest democracy in the world. In fact, the United States of America has more in common today with China than we do with most democracies in the world.

China has embraced capitalism – American style capitalism – and they have elections too. Like us, they get to vote only for parties and candidates that the ruling elites allow onto the ballot. Not much different from our much lauded republican form of governance if you really think about it.

In fact, the biggest difference between our nations is found in the realm of social controls. The Chinese by and large prefer things the way they are from what I’ve gathered listening to people who’ve actually lived there and have first hand knowledge of the culture. Tighter social parameters mean less social turmoil, and a much more stable society – politically, economically, and in many other ways.

I’m not arguing that we in America should move in that direction – to the contrary, I would say we’ve already been moving in that direction for decades, and if we don’t move forcefully in the other direction very soon, that’s exactly where we’ll end up in a few more years.

What we desperately need is a populist movement which demands and accepts nothing less than a more open democracy; open to many smaller, more vigorous and diverse political factions which make up the American political landscape, none of which would be very likely on their own to gain majority control of our government.

Diversity not only fosters better understanding and greater tolerance between people, but it also demands more flexibility and cooperation from all parties involved; something conspicuously absent from our political discourse today.