For a few days, I started thinking this Obama thing might turn out better than I had expected. I watched as the term "President-Elect" became almost holy in nature as his minions (and even himself) started talking about all the miracles he was going to do within minutes of taking the office. I also started watching many people seem to realize he wasn't going to be able to deliver on all his promises. There was talk of "lowering expectations" from the Obama camp, and that put me a little more at ease.
I saw two outcomes from Obama and Congress.
This morning, I have come to the realization that I am wrong. #1 will happen and the populace will care not one whit about it and vote the bastards right back in.
I have no faith in my fellow Americans any more. Friends of mine who I know are smart, intelligent people are full bore Obama supporters. People are calling for a national holiday celebrating Obama. Politicians' masks slipped and they realized nobody cared. Now we have prominent Democrats openly advocating things like this
We have been guided by a Republican administration who believes in the simplistic notion that people who have wealth are entitled to keep it and they have an antipathy towards redistributing wealth and they may be able to sustain it for a while but it doesn’t work in the long run.
Obama's web site calls for draconian gun control that never worked and has no chance of reducing crime, but does have the effect of reducing legitimate gun ownership. He also calls for "mandatory volunteerism". Of course, half of that changes each day as his team sends those pages down the memory hole. And of course, Obama doesn't seem too keen on letting others make decisions, he's going to start issuing executive orders rather than wait for Congress to approve.
Orwell would have been flabbergasted.
I'm frightened. I'm literally scared of how far we've fallen from what makes America so great. Rugged individualism, personal liberty and responsibility, freedom - these aren't just quaint phrases, they are what made American the most prosperous, generous, and powerful nation this planet has ever seen. However, it's evident that a large swath of the population prefers collectivism, shared 'responsibility', and a false sense of safety over the possibility of succeeding.
I watch England, day by day, fall apart at the seams when it comes to being a Western Democracy and a free society. I hear stories of "reeducation" for preschool children to prevent racist actions like sticking out their tongues. CCTV cameras every 30 feet. Forcing property owners to remove fences lest the thieves hurt themselves trying to cross them. And when you show Americans that this is the fruits of communal labor, most of them just shrug and go back to watching who gets kicked off Dancing with the Stars.
I used to have hope my fellow Americans wouldn't stand for this. Then I watched Joe the Plumber, the quintessential "little guy" speak his mind to a politician and have his life ripped to shreds in an attempt to destroy him not by the politician, but by other Americans. I'm losing hope day by day that we'll get through this.
I used to pooh-pooh the idea that schools were just indoctrinating the kids because I came out fine. My schools never taught that kind of crap and I've noticed that all my friends on Facebook from high school all seem to share my view for freedom (I'm literally shocked to see how many of them self identify as libertarian). But that's Georgia, and it appears we were more the exception than the rule. And without children being taught about our history and what it means to be an American in schools, there's no hope for future generations to roll back the tide.
I'm depressed. Severely, thoroughly, and completely. I long for the days when the Democrats actually stood for the little guy rather than just using them to stand on. I crave the time when the Republicans actually professed for smaller government. But now, they're both the same - statists who simply want to control your life, be it who you can do the Gumby-Pokey with or how you spend your own money.
Bleh. I'd disconnect, but that would be giving up. I just don't know where to fight anymore. It's like the battle is 360° around me and to focus in any one direction means instant death.
What do you think? Is there hope? Am I being overly morose? Up my meds?
"This is the time for tightening the helmet straps not hand wringing and crying like a liberal sissy. To hell with them and the ugly witch that birthed them!!... 'We are not even out of the kill zone yet, and some of you are already trying to write up the After Action Report. Lets keep things real and not waste our time on "what if" or "how did we let this happen'.... Stay frosty."
It's like the battle is 360° around me and to focus in any one direction means instant death.