I was virtually unconscious during my first nineteen years of life alternating among rebellion, confusion, and lassitude. The Korean War and my four years of Air Force service, I believe, saved my life. I continued to rebel, be confused, but the lassitude went away.
It has been easy for me to identify my country's enemies. My government was always available to identify the bad guys we needed to learn to fear and despise.
They were, for me, first North Korea, followed by the North Vietnamese and somehow all of those countries that were a part of the Communist Hordes who were coming to enslave us, take all of our money, and seduce all of our women.
The enemy was clearly defined. While it was a bit complicated, the internal political opponents of a liberal like me were the Republicans, who are not "the enemy" but rather are the "loyal opposition" who had the best interests of our country at heart. They had a different way of accomplishing things: by doing what they considered to be in our countries' best interest.
I now wonder where all of that has gone. Few if any Republicans were my enemies.
So many are "pretending" to be Republicans and they try to engulf our national agenda with hateful stuff. They are like Rush Limbaugh, and Glen Beck, both of whom are reincarnates of Howard Beale.
I blame almost everything that is not properly reported by the mass media on the four over the air Broadcast Networks.
This is not about the technical deliverers of the messages, but rather those like Rush Limbaugh, Glen Beck, and those happy right wing extremists who work for Fox and News Corp as well as those great Americans Sarah Palin, Michael Steele, and Newt Gingrich.
Shame, shame, shame on Chairman Steele, and the remaining Republicans who choose to do battle with everything that Obama suggests. Looking back on the last eight years it takes a good deal of gall for these guys to oppose anything promulgated by President Obama.
It was not that long ago that Rush Limbaugh told his listeners he was asked by "a major American print publication" to offer a 400-word statement explaining his "hope for the Obama presidency." He responded:
"So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, 'Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.' (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here's the point. Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, 'Oh, you can't do that. Why not? Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don't care what the Drive-By story is. I would be honored if the Drive-By Media headlined me all day long: I Hope Obama Fails. Somebody's gotta say it."
OK. Here is a dictionary definition of Liberalism:
A political or social philosophy advocating the freedom of the individual, parliamentary systems of government, nonviolent modification of political, social, or economic institutions to assure unrestricted development in all spheres of human endeavor, and governmental guarantees of individual rights and civil liberties.
Now how complicated is that?
How would it be if we were to define THREE political parties in our country? They would be:
The Democrats
The Republicans
The Loonies
Now for a pop quiz. Who is responsible for the mess we are in?
Is it:
a. FDR
b. Harry Truman
c. Jimmy Carter
d. Bill Clinton
e. George W. Bush
f. Barack Obama
g. Ronald Reagan
h. Walter Cronkite
i. George H.W. Bush
j. The Jews
k. The Pope
l. The Blacks
m. The New York Times
n. JFK
o. Lyndon Johnson
p. None of the above
q. Bernard Madoff
Our country is in deep trouble, and Obama is doing mostly the right things in order to remedy this horrid situation. The Republicans have incredible chutzpah. [This means the quality of audacity, for good or for bad.] It is incredible, to me, for them to complain about what the Democrats and the President are doing to try to fix our "broken" nation.
The Republicans almost en mass have no shame whatsoever when they complain about the stimulus and health care bills.
Having galvanized their party to fight the President whenever and wherever they can, is it conceivable for them to ever act in the best interest of our nation?
Shame, shame, shame on them!
Always remember, it is better to live in poverty and disease than to accept the Socialist teachings of an African American President!
Now how simple is that?