Last night I took my girlfriend and my kids to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band play at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey. It was an amazing three and three-quarter hours of music. As a singer, songwriter and live artist, Bruce is simply without peer in the annals of rock and roll history.
As I was there with my family, singing at the top of my lungs, I marveled at Bruce’s talent and energy, and at his unsparing, and often painful, take on life in America. He has always been the champion of the working man, the 99%, or the 47% that Mitt Romney so casually dismissed recently.
That got me thinking about the direction of this country, economically and politically. Let me state upfront that I’m a fiscally conservative Democrat with some Libertarian leanings. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of our elected officials really represents my interests any longer (if they really ever did), and that leaves me very sad, frustrated and angry. It seems as though the national good, our collective interest, has been abdicated by the extremists, special interests and partisan political hacks. Goodwill and compromise for the greater good has been replaced by nastiness and divisiveness in the callous hopes of “stealing” a few votes from the fringes. It’s disgusting, and I’m fed up with it.
Do you wonder, as I do, what could be done if these Super PACs were banned, and the untold millions of dollars being spent by billionaires to elect their puppet, I mean candidate, were diverted to paying down the national debt, or building a road or a school, or maybe curing cancer? What if there were a real debate on taxes and entitlements rather than simply partisan rhetoric about soaking the rich or trickle down economics? What if there was an honest discussion of OUR view of this country and it’s future, rather than being bombarded by vitriol-soaked ads cranked out by some caffeine-fueled media geeks? I could go on, but you get the point.
I’m mad as hell and ready for a change. And I don’t mean Obama or Romney. I mean a real change. And I’m afraid that only a serious crisis will precipitate that change. I’d rather we make some of these changes of our own volition, but I’m afraid the kind of change I envision will ultimately be thrust upon us, whether we’re ready for it or not. And it won’t be pretty.
9 Responses to “I’m Mad As Hell”
It always amazes me who we pick for candidates out of 300 million people in the U.S., but every time I travel to a different country I think our system isn’t so bad after all.
David, you’re right that our system is to be the best option available, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s broken. And I too wish we had some better choices.
Kirk Sampson I just read it. I’m a conservative that leans more toward the middle and I agree with it all. I’m afraid we are too far gone. Politicians long ago voted themselves life long rights that put them to far away from what the rest of us experience. It’s all about winning to keep their status quo. Not helping the people that put them there. I am deeply for my children and grandchildrens future from what BOTH sides have done to further their cause
Thanks for the comment Kirk. I’m with you 100%. It is so damn frustrating.
I read your article and agree with almost everything. I’m a Republican with some liberal ( a few anyway) leanings. I wish the GOP would get off The Right Wing bandwagon, abortion rights, gay marriage etc. None of those issues will destroy us economically. As a Republican, I am more afraid of big government than corporate America, although both parties are in line with their hands out… The Clintons and WalMart ( thank you Hillary we now have one on every corner.) I can survive whatever happens in the next four years… corrupt politics, more outsourcing of jobs, corrupt unions and their hypocrisy (I live in a blue collar area where all the union brotherhood folks live in houses built by nonunion labor. ) My fears are for my children’s futures. My husband and I have been responsible and will leave them with no financial burdens, we will not force any banks to absorb our credit card debt. If only our country, one that not so long ago was the industrial leader of the free world, had done done the same.
Laura, that “right wing bandwagon” is what keeps me voting Democratic every year, especially with my two daughters. As for big government, the Republicans talk a big game, but at the end of the day, they’ve done absolutely nothing (nor have the Democrats by the way) about shrinking the size of government when they’ve had the chance. But I just don’t see it happening because of all the special interests fighting to the death to save their fiefdom. I would LOVE a much smaller federal government. How do we achieve it?
Well said Greg! There doesn’t seem that anything will stop the greed driven Washington DC political engine except for a dramatic melt-down. In some ways I hope it never happens as it would severely rock our present day way of life, however a melt-down/correction would benefit future generations to come.
I think our two main political parties are the biggest non-violent street gangs in the nation. The way congress pisses and moans about each other on capitol hill is out of control and nothing gets accomplished for the common good of the people. If we were to elect leaders based on individual merits rather than belonging to one of these political gangs we would be taking a step in the right direction.
Thanks Matt. I don’t want the blowup either because I have 50 clients and three kids, and it would hurt all of us. But something’s got to give. Maybe you and I will have to start our own political party. What shall we call it?
Love the phrase, “fiscally conservative Democrat with some Libertarian leanings.” I’m a socially liberal Republican with some Libertarian leanings. Sadly, we are the 1%! I actually think that we have a lot of company and would guess our views align 97% of the time – and I have often considered switching from the party I was brought up in, but what is one to do in this polarized political environment where the greatest country in the world is not addressing he great challenges of our time and risking becoming Britain?