Wednesday, December 31, 2008

2008


I feel conflicted about the year 2008, it came in and I thought I was doing fine, just with lifes normal difficulties. Little by little my world crumbled around me, like so many other people, but in the end I am still standing and looking for better things in 2009. In a year as tumultuous as any in my recent memory there was a lot of good mixed in with the bad. I would not change anything about the year for fear of undoing my blessings. I lost a marriage and gained love. I worked hard and saw my business go backwards, but now I know how to operate in a more streamlined fashion. I have given back some of my gains but I am smarter than I was before, and that will pay dividends in the future. I never lost any perspective and I feel more motivated than ever before to come back better and stronger and wiser than I was even aware I could become.

My sports teams failed me in 2008, but my mood does not hinge any longer on the outcome of any game. My political party lost more elections but I believe my conservative ideals were winners because they were taken up by both sides. I think our whole country is better off because we have stood our ground in the fight against the terrorists. I hope we have learned as a country we need to begin to live within our means. Sometimes growth can be painful and I think we can show the other side politically how to lose with class. I think in the end our country can stay united in our effort to bring peace and innovation into the world, if we have that one goal. If we never forget that we believe God is leading US forward.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

The Puppeteers and their Cast

I hate getting played, manipulated and led around by people who are self serving under the guise of 'reporting'. The Democrat Party won the elections of 2006 fair and square. The Republicans, and conservatives affiliated with the Republican Party were tossed from offices they had held for 12 years in majority. The country had good growth and some setbacks along the way but overall our trajectory was steadily upward. The Republicans somehow got lost and seperated from their principles that got them elected, and people stopped being enthusiastic about voting for lessers of the two evils, and 2006 happened and we got "change". Since 2006 we have seen our economy deteriorate rapidly and while we expect our elected representatives to legislate and govern all we have had is an effort to complete the undermining of President Bush. The war in Iraq was a hot button disagreement with Bush that was nuetralized when the surge succeeded and Iraq stabilized. Something had to be done to tarnish Bush and complete the Democrat victory. The economy was an easy target, simply because it was a house of cards waiting to be shaken. A Democrat victory could be guaranteed if the economy were to falter, and the newsmedia was unquestionably favoring Obama over McCain. So the stories about doom and gloom in the economy have been front and center for all to see and share in the pain and anxiety. I do not understand how the Democrat congress and Senate get a pass on the last 2 years. They have been in charge and Bush has been a lame duck. They set the agenda and could have made policy that would guide US through the impending down cycle that started in 2007 and continued right through the election year. Obama always says they (meaning the US government)were irresponsibly de-regulating financial and housing and energy policies that started the downward spiral we are still caught in. As if he had no ability to stand up and make the problems known or addressed. As if only Bush was privvy to control the direction we were heading. I guess running for President absolved him of all responsibility to exercize his leadership ability which we are now supposed to have faith in as our one great hope. I get the feeling this whole "crisis" has been exacerbated to bring about the change, and now all we can do is hope that when Obama steps into the oval office January 20 2009 that the media will start to try and become positve and optimistic, and that they have as much power to control the mood of the country for good as they do for evil.

Saturday, December 13, 2008

We Need to Believe


As the new ruler ascends to the throne we are encouraged to offer our support and trust. We must remain unified as a nation to build up our moral highground so our concessions to the world keep US above water. I have no doubt that President elect Obama plans on trading away some of our might for something he perceives as global unity. My fear is that he is either unaware or does not care that there are many in the world who do not wish US well no matter what we do. Obama thinks he is more persuasive than any enemy can resist. More reassuring than any dissentor's best arguments, and above all untidy political distractions. I want to believe Obama, I want to believe in the liberal way. It would be great if nobody was a crook, it would be nice if we all treated everybody with respect and kindness, just as we want to be treated ourselves. Then liberalism would work. But look at what is coming to our country, now its the Democrats turn to prove that politicians are all liars and swindlers and power mad. I am convinced that the power we cede to our political leaders corrupts them all equally and with no regard to party affiliation or their original idealism.

I want to believe that Barack Obama is above the muck and mire, I wanted to believe that George Bush was above all that, too. Its so easy to go negative when the politician immediately denies all contacts and associations, even as they are so readily available for all to witness . Its so hard to remain loyal to the hope that they are bigger than the ordinary, fallible, human being we annoint them to rise above. There are some natural human reactions we want our leaders to present, and some we want them to cloak, and others we want them to deny. That is why we depend on the press to do a thorough job of making it clear who the candidate really is. When the media has its own horse in the race we are lucky to get a clear picture. Unfortunately this time we did not get even close to knowing who Barack Obama really is. We will find out, and I for one am praying that if he is being deceptive, its the weak, faint-hearted liberals and news media world citizens who were deceived. They are the ones who will destroy our country as we know it, yet they are continually given a pass on bad judgement and mistakes, both accidental and purposeful.