My latest rants, June 2012

Our country has been in a consistent state of angst for about five years now.  That angst is fairly widespread and even though there are a few pockets of "small amounts" of angst (North Dakota, Texas) it seems the American  condition is generally one of angst.  I think the condition drives success.  Ever since the caveman humans have wanted to do better for themselves and their kids.  That was always the direction Americans took and with the Constitution leading the way and protecting us, America became the success of the planet.

What happened then?  My parents  and grandparents lived through the Great Depression and they came out of it in a war.  Looking back that seemed to be why the 10 years of misery ended.  Even though FDR and his Congresses passed many many laws and alphabet soup agencies to deal with the unemployment, the misery of no work was not dented.  I believe the reason is the overbearing rules and regulations we imposed upon ourselves.  Each rule and regulation takes a little bit more of our independence and individuality away. 

FDR did his best I guess but the results did not prove more government works when it comes to success.  What drives the country to be the best is the desire of the individual to succeed.  Getting up every day to go to work or to your own business as an entrepreneur is what makes the place work.  Not more and more regulations.  If the checks aren't arriving because of over regulations destroying jobs, what will be the outcome?  I believe the trends we have seen driving America into a "nanny state" have sapped the desire of many into a dearth of success.  I think it has been the unintended consequences of "good intentions" or maybe as some say, the result of a "plan" to control people.

When I watch the news or some cable show on National Geographic  or whatever, there seems to be a overarching desire by some people to force me to knuckle under to their view about protecting myself or people in general.  This human condition I call "nosy".  But we are bombarded by this loving embrace of the "nosy" people so consistently that many think they have a "right" to tell us what to do in all aspects of our lives.  Car seats and air bags, second hand smoke and trans-fat.  Coconut oil on my popcorn.  Erectile problems and abortion.  No salutes to the flag or prayer in schools.  Now no "big gulps" in New York City.  All this crap makes angst since most people just want to be left alone yet can't escape the constant bombardment by the "nosy" people.

There are no humans that are alive today that will get out of here alive.  But, it is the duty we have as humans to educate the following generation to take our place and carry on.  Americans of my generation seem to want to live forever and that is what is driving them to foist all these laws and regulations in some hope they won't croak.  What it is doing is making a mockery of true life and affecting the decision making of the people we are teaching to take over.  If someone wants to drink 32 ounces of soda, who cares?  If a motorcycle rider wants to ride without a helmet, who cares?  If I want to ride in the truck bed down to the Yuba River, who cares?  I guess our esteemed lawmakers do since they made all of that a fineable offense.

The Federal Government passes thousands of new regulations every year.  All posted in the Federal Register.  I have read the Register and my goodness, it is truly a scary place.  When it is written into the FR, it becomes the force of law!  If people actually knew how many of their personal rights are vanquished in that daily Register there would be a revolution.  But the media is lazy I guess and unless you personally go there you will be ignorant.  Much sexier I guess to report on a fire or a murder than a new regulation tightening down a tax rule on your "landscaping business"<

So, we have made every American a lawbreaker simply by waking up in the morning (just not enough police I guess).  This creates the angst and has made a huge explosion in the sale of Prozac and other drugs, legal and illegal.  Better to be on the planet with your brain on Mars than both on this planet.  At some point people hopefully will start paying attention and throw off this desire to be controlled.  The ones that have not accepted this condition have been called extremists and in my opinion that is OK.  To be extreme in the love of freedom is no sin and Barry Goldwater said something like that way back when.

So, Americans, as ArnieS said when running for Governor in 2003, let's "blowup" the boxes and then we will be forced to think outside of them!