Does The Emperor Have Any Clothes?

Any writer wants to be a lightening rod for his readers and avoid alienating them lest they pigeonhole too quickly and marginalize the message.  No one can be everything for everybody.  If a writer wants to capture a large readership, casting a wide net will certainly alienate a certain few.  Any viewpoint risks distrust especially now when we are all trying to make sense and recover from the financial meltdown.

These are challenging times and we find our lives, even the world in a state of flux rarely seen.  We have little confidence that rationality will rule as America rides the rough economy out.  We hope that our leadership will continue to be just and respected by free thinkers throughout the world.  Billions have been lost by investors as former University professors with no particular interest in finance are at the helm of our futures.  Dare I say, in this world of political correctness, that liberals, proud in their tradition of compassion have shown themselves to be like the emperor with no clothes as they delve into the rational world of finance.  Were this a screenplay, I'd insert a reference that some feathers would have been ruffled, "Ah, he's one of those," would smirk a scholarly type, deferential that those he considers his equals would surely be in agreement that the "less informed" live in the world of commerce.  All the arrogance and posturing are now merely window dressing to ACT II.  There is a real need to resolve issues that have real consequences.  No one welcomes such a challenge, but victory will be sweet.  I fear mere debate of Collegiate U.N. politics that resembles Chicago politics is functioning in our great nation as our president drops back to punt.  Will President Obama adapt to changing circumstances?  Will the fears of left wing pundits be realized that he has no intention of saving the financial world from ruin?  

Unfortunately, this is not a Saturday morning TV show on SciFi.  This is your life!  Even under a severe conservative belt tightening measured recovery, we're looking at 5-7 years before we reaccess.  Certainly a healthy financial world exists in a delicate balance as we saw whan the house of cards fell.  We will probably make lifestyle choices that will affect our outlooks well into the future abandoning our consumptive habits.  We must recognize indications of rapid recovery as bubbles, always under construction to serve a few.  We are still lucky to have the best conditions known to man under which to weather the storm.  We will see if President Obama does truly want a healthy future for his daughters rather than the effects of a grand experiment that history has shown to be a waste, potentially bringing suffering to the spirit of a free world.  Does the emperor have clothes?

Squeaky Wheels are Rarely Conventional

The squeaky wheel gets the oil. Groups with specific aims and agendas find ways to further their causes. Some have great success. Others fall be the wayside or percolate out of sight. Some grow from fledglings to powerhouses. The Internet has made transcontinental and even global reach relatively easy.

There has always been a silent majority that has solid core values and is unaffected by fringe groups and other extreme special interest groups because of their steadfastness in living and creating admirable lives for their families and loved ones. Special interest groups often brush on core issues, but often only tangentially as a contextual frame of reference for a more extreme position.

I'm cavorting around the Midwest this weekend preparing to attend my niece's wedding. After a few years in Southern California, I was reluctantly becoming convinced that irreconcilable polarities were no longer open to debate. The Midwest gives great hope. Debate is not dead! The heartland has true heart!

So often in "sunny southern California", once I've chosen a conservative stance on an issue, I'm given a sullen stare pregnant with disdain for my ignorance of being less educated than the liberal one who has quickly realized that I am unworthy of their time. I see such a reaction as insecurity on their part as they have often had an unwillingness to freely debate outside of their comfort zone. One could even call such a resistance to change stodgy and full of vanity. How is it that the liberal with all that open mindedness is so resistant to change? The vain have no need for outside viewpoints once they feel that critical mass for acceptance has been reached for their viewpoint. Open debate is intrinsic to inclusivity. The liberal mind is convinced of it's open mindedness, yet vanity dictates a selective open mindedness, such as Al Gore's global warming hysteria, a topic not open to debate. The indoctrination of the youth is almost complete. Orwell's groupthink has erupted from the most unlikely place.