Knocked Up

 

 

That seems to be a pretty apt description for this particular presidential campaign.    Both of the conventions have been beset with little drama's of their own.  The GOP had Hurricane Gustav stealing the show.    The Dem's had Hurricane Hillary.    Both turned out to have been a tempest in a teapot.    But hey, not watching that stuff beats not watching a bunch of drunks raising their hands, stomping their feet, showing theirenthusiasm, and trying not to puke or fall over while the camera is on.... 

It may be my age speaking, or a certain myopia regarding the 'good ol' days', but it seems that we have no statesmen left, just a bunch of guys of questionable character and qualification in suits trying to sell us something.

This is a lot like trying to pick between the lesser of Jimmy Hoffa or John Gotti.   Anyplace I look, in any particular race, I don't see a candidate who conspicuously passed on an opportunity, (I might add the adjective consistently to that phrase) to enrich themselves in their present positions while they tireless strove to defend the rights and ideals of the little guy.

Face it, those that want to end the war are not getting enough of the profit from it, and those who want to make health care universal are heavily invested in that particular industry.  The other party seems to think that there are a few dividends yet to be had from the status quo, then they will get on board with something that will pay.

There are no good choices here.   We are on our own, very literally.

I think that all there is left to decide is whether we the people wait until the system collapses on its own, and there is nothing left to salvage, or whether we bring it down beforehand and have something left to (possibly) build with.

 

I want to see and hear a candidate who favors the individual, a strict de-constructionist if you will.   I am not against the rich, (hell, if given a choice, I would choose to be in that class, but I hope I would have the scruples not to step all over my peers getting or staying there), but I am not in favor of government defending and protecting their position at the expense of all else.   I am in favor of a tax code that protects individual effort and rewards initiative, but taxes speculation and usury in all its forms, (btw, usury is not necessarily a bad thing).    

 

The Constitution of the United States gives no rights or prerogatives to business or corporate entities, and yet our government seems to exist by and for them, even at the expense, (literally and figuratively), of the individual.  The questions of legality and constitutionality are covered and mired in so much legalese BS that even the most seasoned of jusists couldn't reason his or her way through it with any degree of certainty of outcome.   Legal principles are so murky that they need to be restated in simpler terms, distilled if you will.  That process entails some risk as well as benefit, but inaction entails all risk and no benefit.

In the past twenty years or so, there have been a couple of candidates that have really caught the imagination of the public, albeit for a short while, (the kinda faltered when it came to donations and popular support when the full extent of their agenda's became known).    Think Steve Forbes and the flat tax and Ron Paul and his smaller, non-intrusive government.   Their ideas were not bad, it was just perceived by many that they went too far with them, or that they were slanted in favor of one demographic over another.    A successful candidate would do well to use the ideas of the libertarian movement as a sort of moderating element, to keep from becoming altogether too Democrat or too Republican.   

Just a reminder:     a restructuring of the tax code is a good way to keep everyones attention.    

Do you think it will happen?     Don't bet on it.

 

How is that for a stark vision?   A bit like a "Mad Max" sequel, crossed with "Escape From New York".

 

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In other news, Karl Rove was heard at the RNC to refer to Joe Biden as a  "blowhard doofus".   He must have seen him at a club meeting or something.....   

It seems that the seventeen year old (unmarried) daughter of the GOP VP nominee is in a family way.    And the nominee's husband has had a DUI.     Kind of refreshing really.    After all, they are living out on the last frontier, and its not like they are better than the rest of us or anything.....

Mr Obama should quietly issue a denial that he is the father of the child and let it go.  That  should be followed by a similar release from John Edwards.   And maybe a sly grin from Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton....

 

 

There.   Those are my observations for the week.

How the hell are you guys doing?