A Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Political Nonsense

Although I've considered getting into politics, I'm sure that I'd be better suited for support and/or advisory roles than for actual, political leadership.

Yet, I can still run political thought experiments.  For instance, are the USA's foreign policies concerning Cuba actually working?  This is different than asking if they're politically popular.  Are they getting desirable results?  For the USA?  For NATO?  For the Cuban people?

The "war on drugs":

Is it even working?  Should we be concentrating on decreasing the demand rather than obsessing about the supply side?  If the demand shrivels, then the suppliers don't have much power.

"Welfare":

It can be arduous to get on for many people who actually need it.  When on it, one has to deal with multiple programs, each with different requirements, rules, financial limits, etc.  And then it is a nightmare to try to get off of it.  Likewise, Medicare is needlessly complicated.

The USA monetary system:

Is it logical or even sustainable?  Why does it seem that there "must" be inflation?  Is the relationship between the US Congress and the Federal Reserve even constitutional?

What about the absolutely insane national debt?  Is inflation our primary modality for paying it off?  Which is to say, devalue our money so that the absolute value of our national debt decreases.

What about the equally insane amount of debt that accompanies "higher learning?"  One needs a college degree to get a "good" job ... in order to pay back an insane amount of debt ... that negates the value of having a "good" job in the first place.

A debtor is beholden to any, and every, creditor.  Hence, we have sold the USA in exchange for ... what?

A crumbling infrastructure?  An antiquated power grid?  A sick joke of a public education system?  A broken penal system?  A food and agriculture system that promotes obesity, heart disease, neuropathy, tooth decay, etc.?  Maybe only 10% of the adult population in the USA is healthy enough for military service.

Is it not ironic that we Americans are equally overfed and malnourished?  That we poison our drinking water in the name of promoting our health?  That money is "free speech" instead of "a medium of exchange?"  That corporations are "people" instead of financial communities and legalized fictions?

We protect our "flag" better than we protect our children against predatory advertising aimed at exploiting those same children.  Our.  Children.  You know: the ones that we're supposed to be human enough to be protecting?

Hello??  Anybody paying attention??

In substance and in theme, over the last 40 years: many movies — and other public media — qualify as child pornography.  (Case in point: teen "sex" films.)  Point of order: as a writer, I too have to mind my p's and q's.  I do not excuse myself.

We pass laws that many to most American adults don't know how to read — nor have the time to read — because many laws are insanely long.  (Hmm.  If a law is longer than the first version of the US Constitution, then it's probably too long.  Maybe: break it into "chapters??")

As for "legalese": why-oh-why is that NOT diligently taught in public schools?

Unelected, special interest groups own pet politicians.  Moreover, these unelected groups far too often originate our laws.  On the Federal level, members of Congress work harder at raising campaign funds than they do at performing their jobs.

We are supposed to have a "President," not a "Prime Minister."  A "Congress," not a "Parliament."

Look.  I don't care what political party a politician belongs to.  That's the horse that they rode in on.  I do understand "loyalty."  I do understand that we humans are "social critters."  But, as an American citizen, I could frankly care less.

Let me explain something:

Part of the general job of an executive branch is to ensure that the laws originated by the legislative branch, and adjudicated by the judicial branch, are carried out and enforced.

The US President is head of the US Executive Branch.  Hence, a US President often must do things that they think are bad ideas ... simply because doing so is part of the job.  Functionally, an American President is America's "chief law enforcement officer."

It's been posited that the job of being an American President has become impossible for any one person to do.  This, methinks, is an extremely dangerous state of affairs.

Another curious point is that the US Executive Branch has been making laws for quite some time.  Methinks, the US Judicial Branch is doing likewise.  While this may seem both convenient and efficient, it blurs the division of power that we Americans (allegedly) rely on for governmental "checks and balances."

Perhaps if Congress actually did its job — rather than fanatically obsess about reelection — then it could write, pass, and even repeal laws more efficiently.