Where the Hell are the Heroes?
The Skeptic thinks America needs a hero, the Skeptic fully understands that sounds awfully corny but it's the truth, we desperately need someone to just stand up and say enough is enough. We've got morons occupying our cities for reasons most of them don't understand, all they know is it feels better to protest than it does to actually do something. We've got news organizations that totally misunderstand, or totally ignore, the purpose of a news organization, on the off chance any reporters are reading this, it's to report the news, not to drive the agenda, if you want to change things go into politics. We got a situation where the fringes of both political parties are controlling the entire party and not letting either party compromise with the other. The Skeptic could point out dozens of other problems but he thinks most of us know what the problems are, what we don't know is how much longer we'll have to put up with this sort of nonsense. Somewhere in this great country there must be a man or woman with the courage to stand up to their own party and start a serious dialog with the opposition party. The Skeptic isn't talking about little baby steps here, he's talking about a come to Jesus moment and it could come from someone on either side of the aisle, left or right, it doesn't matter but we'd all better hope it comes soon.
It's difficult for the Skeptic to believe that most of our politicians believe what they're doing is good for the country. Sure some of the dimmer bulbs might believe it, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid probably believe the stuff they say, and you won't get any argument from the Skeptic that Sarah Palin isn't the sharpest knife in the Republican drawer but most of these people serving as elected officials can't be as stupid as they seem, they can't be. Could they? It's not possible that many morons could get themselves elected to office, is it? Just by way of an example of what the Skeptic is talking about, do the Democrats honestly believe all the social programs they've created over the years have done any good at all? Really? With all the evidence to the contrary, do they honestly believe that handing out freebies to people gives them any incentive to work rather instead of sitting on their ass while others work for them? Seriously? There are more programs available today for the poor than there ever were in the past but we have more poor people than ever. Think about it for a minute, why do you suppose that is? Be honest now, is it even remotely possible that all these programs make it easier to be poor? It's okay Democrats, you can admit it, your heads won't explode just because you agree with the Skeptic. And on the Republican side, do these guys sincerely believe that spending so much money on the military is necessary to keep us safe? Do they really think it's a good idea to continue borrowing trillions of dollars to protect Europe, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines? They sincerely believe this is a good idea? Let's see, borrow trillions that we have no hope of paying back with interest that is killing us to protect countries that compete with us, and worse, often give us no respect or thanks. Really Republicans? Seriously? A good idea? Do we crave the approval of the rest of the world so badly that we are willing to commit national suicide by trying buy friends with borrowed money? The Skeptic is all in favor of a strong national defense and in favor of helping friends but the world is a different place than it was when we built all these military bases around the world. First and foremost, we can't afford it anymore and secondly, we don't need them, we have submarines loaded with missiles of all types that can wipe out entire countries with the push of a button, we have missiles buried in the heartland of America that could blow up the entire world with the simple turn of a key. We don't need soldiers stationed in every damn country that will agree to take them.
With all the problems we face today it would be the perfect time for a prominent Democrat to step up and admit the failure of all those social programs, it's not as if anyone who is paying attention doesn't know these programs don't work, we all know it, but it would take a Democrat, preferably a prominent Democrat, to stand up and at least question the wisdom of such a generous welfare state. The far left would obviously be livid as they always are when they sense someone is about to do the right thing but the Skeptic senses most people would react favorably.
The same could be said for any Republican willing to question the need for so much defense spending, a good argument would be that by borrowing so much money to pay for our military we are actually weakening ourselves rather than making the country stronger. The military would probably scream just as loudly as the left would scream about cuts to social programs but once again, the Skeptic thinks after the initial dust up was over and people had time to think about it they might just see the benefits of cutting back.
In fact, the Skeptic would be willing to make a good sized wager that if you could catch middle of the road Democrats and Republicans in an unguarded moment they would both agree we spend too much on defense and social programs. In the case of both parties, it's the true believers that drive the agenda but everyone knows there isn't that much difference between the average Republican and the average Democrat. They probably wouldn't admit that easily but it's the truth, most Democrats wouldn't agree with anyone on the far left of their party and the same goes on the Republican side so if someone came along who could separate the middle of the road types from the true believers with a serious, well thought out plan the Skeptic thinks America would rally to that person.
Yep, if only someone would step up and do the right thing, it used to be the norm in America, people used to do it all the time but it just seems that we are so far apart these days that the Skeptic wonders if anyone even knows what the right thing is anymore. Like how about we just take a more reasonable approach to things, like say the Constitution for instance. The left loves to say the Constitution demands a separation of church and state but it really says nothing of the sort, it merely demands that the government not establish any state religion. It's quite simple but lawyers and the Supreme Court have made it something else entirely, they've made it unnecessarily complicated. We have so much more to worry about in this country than this sort of thing, does it harm anyone if prayers are said in school? What possible harm is there to the atheist if a town allows a Christmas display on the town common? If the Skeptic were an atheist he would laugh it off, really, what better fun could an atheist have than to watch foolish Christians worshiping a God that atheists are sure doesn't exist? Think about the kind of things we are doing to each other and our country. Is it worth the time and money that we spend on litigating cases like this? Is it worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to prevent someone from putting up a religious display on public property? It's not as if the government put up the display and demanded anyone pay it any particular respect so why should anyone really care? Are we so damned sensitive and insecure that this is how we choose to waste our time and money?
The Skeptic wants to know why no one, Democrat or Republican, has been willing to break from their party and do the right thing. Is it too much to ask that both sides show some respect for the Constitution? Isn't there enough common sense left in America to realize that if we continue fighting with each other like this that eventually there will be nothing left worth fighting about?
It probably wouldn't take much, just a gesture from one side or the other, something meaningful, maybe someone who'd be willing to say publicly that maybe their party was wrong on some of the issues, that he realizes things have gotten out of hand and he wants that to change. Someone who is willing to say that he was aware that his side of the aisle had not acted in good faith and in the best interests of the country, that yes, he'd been in meetings where plans were made that benefited party over country and he wanted that to change.
Above all, the Skeptic just wants us to get back to a time when we could look past the petty issues and concentrate on what binds us together. Forget about the people who can't seem to live their lives without causing the rest of us to get ulcers, they're miserable people and they just want us to join them in their sorry lives. No matter what they say or how the phrase it they are not trying to make America a better place to live, America is a better place to live when we show a little respect for each other and pull together.
It'll take a real hero to bring us back together, unfortunately the Skeptic doesn't see anyone on the stage right now that shows any promise along these lines, the political world is filled with hacks and disingenuous people who are constantly looking for higher office but there doesn't seem to be anyone on either side who looks remotely like a hero. Quite the contrary, in fact, most of these people who like to call themselves public servants are bought and paid for by lobbyists and their clients, click here. For a true hero to emerge from this bunch will take a miracle.
What prompted this article was a story about the left targeting Senator Kerry so he wouldn't agree to any cuts while serving on the so called super committee. You can read it here. That, and another story, read it here, about the Obama administration opposing adding a prayer said by FDR to the World War II Memorial. It's this sort of thing that is just killing us as a country. The world is a complicated place but we don't do ourselves any favors when we turn other Americans into enemies over foolishness like this stuff.
There really is a huge political middle in this country, more people care about sports than they do about politics but most of us care about the country, it's the activists on both sides who are destroying us and most of us are sick of them. If this person the Skeptic is looking for ever does show up they could could run for president and win in a landslide, that's how desperate we are for a little normalcy in this country. It won't be easy for this hero, they will have to face the wrath of the interest groups that worked to elect them, they'll be called all sorts of names but in the end that person will be a real hero, the country's next George Washington. Teddy Roosevelt was such a man, while the Skeptic doesn't like everything TR did but he has to admit he didn't govern scared, he wasn't afraid to step on some toes in his own party and he wound up on Mount Rushmore with George Washington for his bravery. If someone steps up and brings us together and saves us from all the extremists we will still be talking about them a hundred years from now too. Take the Skeptic's word for that.
It's difficult for the Skeptic to believe that most of our politicians believe what they're doing is good for the country. Sure some of the dimmer bulbs might believe it, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid probably believe the stuff they say, and you won't get any argument from the Skeptic that Sarah Palin isn't the sharpest knife in the Republican drawer but most of these people serving as elected officials can't be as stupid as they seem, they can't be. Could they? It's not possible that many morons could get themselves elected to office, is it? Just by way of an example of what the Skeptic is talking about, do the Democrats honestly believe all the social programs they've created over the years have done any good at all? Really? With all the evidence to the contrary, do they honestly believe that handing out freebies to people gives them any incentive to work rather instead of sitting on their ass while others work for them? Seriously? There are more programs available today for the poor than there ever were in the past but we have more poor people than ever. Think about it for a minute, why do you suppose that is? Be honest now, is it even remotely possible that all these programs make it easier to be poor? It's okay Democrats, you can admit it, your heads won't explode just because you agree with the Skeptic. And on the Republican side, do these guys sincerely believe that spending so much money on the military is necessary to keep us safe? Do they really think it's a good idea to continue borrowing trillions of dollars to protect Europe, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines? They sincerely believe this is a good idea? Let's see, borrow trillions that we have no hope of paying back with interest that is killing us to protect countries that compete with us, and worse, often give us no respect or thanks. Really Republicans? Seriously? A good idea? Do we crave the approval of the rest of the world so badly that we are willing to commit national suicide by trying buy friends with borrowed money? The Skeptic is all in favor of a strong national defense and in favor of helping friends but the world is a different place than it was when we built all these military bases around the world. First and foremost, we can't afford it anymore and secondly, we don't need them, we have submarines loaded with missiles of all types that can wipe out entire countries with the push of a button, we have missiles buried in the heartland of America that could blow up the entire world with the simple turn of a key. We don't need soldiers stationed in every damn country that will agree to take them.
With all the problems we face today it would be the perfect time for a prominent Democrat to step up and admit the failure of all those social programs, it's not as if anyone who is paying attention doesn't know these programs don't work, we all know it, but it would take a Democrat, preferably a prominent Democrat, to stand up and at least question the wisdom of such a generous welfare state. The far left would obviously be livid as they always are when they sense someone is about to do the right thing but the Skeptic senses most people would react favorably.
The same could be said for any Republican willing to question the need for so much defense spending, a good argument would be that by borrowing so much money to pay for our military we are actually weakening ourselves rather than making the country stronger. The military would probably scream just as loudly as the left would scream about cuts to social programs but once again, the Skeptic thinks after the initial dust up was over and people had time to think about it they might just see the benefits of cutting back.
In fact, the Skeptic would be willing to make a good sized wager that if you could catch middle of the road Democrats and Republicans in an unguarded moment they would both agree we spend too much on defense and social programs. In the case of both parties, it's the true believers that drive the agenda but everyone knows there isn't that much difference between the average Republican and the average Democrat. They probably wouldn't admit that easily but it's the truth, most Democrats wouldn't agree with anyone on the far left of their party and the same goes on the Republican side so if someone came along who could separate the middle of the road types from the true believers with a serious, well thought out plan the Skeptic thinks America would rally to that person.
Yep, if only someone would step up and do the right thing, it used to be the norm in America, people used to do it all the time but it just seems that we are so far apart these days that the Skeptic wonders if anyone even knows what the right thing is anymore. Like how about we just take a more reasonable approach to things, like say the Constitution for instance. The left loves to say the Constitution demands a separation of church and state but it really says nothing of the sort, it merely demands that the government not establish any state religion. It's quite simple but lawyers and the Supreme Court have made it something else entirely, they've made it unnecessarily complicated. We have so much more to worry about in this country than this sort of thing, does it harm anyone if prayers are said in school? What possible harm is there to the atheist if a town allows a Christmas display on the town common? If the Skeptic were an atheist he would laugh it off, really, what better fun could an atheist have than to watch foolish Christians worshiping a God that atheists are sure doesn't exist? Think about the kind of things we are doing to each other and our country. Is it worth the time and money that we spend on litigating cases like this? Is it worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to prevent someone from putting up a religious display on public property? It's not as if the government put up the display and demanded anyone pay it any particular respect so why should anyone really care? Are we so damned sensitive and insecure that this is how we choose to waste our time and money?
The Skeptic wants to know why no one, Democrat or Republican, has been willing to break from their party and do the right thing. Is it too much to ask that both sides show some respect for the Constitution? Isn't there enough common sense left in America to realize that if we continue fighting with each other like this that eventually there will be nothing left worth fighting about?
It probably wouldn't take much, just a gesture from one side or the other, something meaningful, maybe someone who'd be willing to say publicly that maybe their party was wrong on some of the issues, that he realizes things have gotten out of hand and he wants that to change. Someone who is willing to say that he was aware that his side of the aisle had not acted in good faith and in the best interests of the country, that yes, he'd been in meetings where plans were made that benefited party over country and he wanted that to change.
Above all, the Skeptic just wants us to get back to a time when we could look past the petty issues and concentrate on what binds us together. Forget about the people who can't seem to live their lives without causing the rest of us to get ulcers, they're miserable people and they just want us to join them in their sorry lives. No matter what they say or how the phrase it they are not trying to make America a better place to live, America is a better place to live when we show a little respect for each other and pull together.
It'll take a real hero to bring us back together, unfortunately the Skeptic doesn't see anyone on the stage right now that shows any promise along these lines, the political world is filled with hacks and disingenuous people who are constantly looking for higher office but there doesn't seem to be anyone on either side who looks remotely like a hero. Quite the contrary, in fact, most of these people who like to call themselves public servants are bought and paid for by lobbyists and their clients, click here. For a true hero to emerge from this bunch will take a miracle.
What prompted this article was a story about the left targeting Senator Kerry so he wouldn't agree to any cuts while serving on the so called super committee. You can read it here. That, and another story, read it here, about the Obama administration opposing adding a prayer said by FDR to the World War II Memorial. It's this sort of thing that is just killing us as a country. The world is a complicated place but we don't do ourselves any favors when we turn other Americans into enemies over foolishness like this stuff.
There really is a huge political middle in this country, more people care about sports than they do about politics but most of us care about the country, it's the activists on both sides who are destroying us and most of us are sick of them. If this person the Skeptic is looking for ever does show up they could could run for president and win in a landslide, that's how desperate we are for a little normalcy in this country. It won't be easy for this hero, they will have to face the wrath of the interest groups that worked to elect them, they'll be called all sorts of names but in the end that person will be a real hero, the country's next George Washington. Teddy Roosevelt was such a man, while the Skeptic doesn't like everything TR did but he has to admit he didn't govern scared, he wasn't afraid to step on some toes in his own party and he wound up on Mount Rushmore with George Washington for his bravery. If someone steps up and brings us together and saves us from all the extremists we will still be talking about them a hundred years from now too. Take the Skeptic's word for that.
