Either disconcerting or liberating..
..that I can pack up my belongings and move in a few hours. I find it gratifying to know that I'm such an efficient packer though. After ten moves in the past six years, I've learned how to prioritize my packing. It sucks not having a truck though. I dislike having huge hemi hogs on the road when there's an energy crisis, but at the same time, how am I supposed to move six hundred pounds of furniture without one?
I've been thinking about types of governments lately, mostly because I've been analyzing how Ron Paul's dream contrasts to our current government. I'm starting to realize that I don't like capitalism so much. I agree, in principle, that it's a good system, but in reality, if you let it run uncontrolled, you're just asking for trouble. In an interview with Paul by Jon Stewart, he responded to a question about how bad corporations are by saying that Bill Gates is a billionare, and he does good things. But I think that Bill Gates is an exception to the rule in that case. And the reason our current congress is so out of shape is more or less because it does the same things that corrupt corporations do.
The problem is, on the surface, capitalism works. But in a capitalist society, its citizens are automatically competitors. You're never left satisfied. When I was watching a PBS special on Enron tonight, one of the executives said something like "An excessive, rich lifestyle isn't something you can just turn off with a switch." And as much as we'd like to say we wouldn't do the same if we were in his shoes, can we really? Our lives are very much centered on getting more: getting a better job, with more money, with more for retirement, with more benefits; getting a bigger house or a nicer car; wearing better clothes; affording the best education for our kids. Where does it end?
When I look back on history, I can't help but see our government as ups and downs, where corporate America and the rich executives of the country balloon upwards and upwards until the government finally steps in and makes drastic changes (such as in FDR's programs) only to stabilize again to the point that people want more and more (elections of more conservative, "return to normalcy" presidents) whereby we have wonderfully prosperous years again until corruption builds up to the point where the government has to be fierce again.
The problem right now though is that our country is so torn apart by big issues that the corruption continues widespread. Having a powerless congress doesn't help either. I also can't help but get the feeling that our politicians are so scared in standing up for what they believe in, that nothing is getting done. Young people like Ron Paul, because he has an ideology and he sticks to it no matter what. I would like to see other candidates be similarly courageous but with policies that could help America rather than hinder it while the country's in a mess.
I also can't help but feeling that history is eerily repeating itself just 40 years later. There was great prosperity in the 50s, but there was also great doubt about our security, so much so that everything red or communist was shunned upon in this country (similar today's Patriot Act and fear towards Arabs and other foreigners). Then the country got sucked into a false war against the "communist state of the world" in which there could be no ultimate victory. Rock and roll and drugs brought about great social change which made all policies and ideologies even more passionate and controversial including those regarding civil rights and sexual freedom. You could compare this to our current state of social change involving the Internet along with gay rights and the over-the-border amnesty issues.
Certainly you can either agree or disagree with that point of view, but I have to choose to accept that both periods of our history were very parallel. How will it end though? When we pulled out of Vietnam, sure it was a victory for the Viet Cong, but ultimately it was not a victory for communists of the world. With social change brought terrible tragedies in the late 60s including the assassinations of many political leaders, rioting students and workers, and even celebrity suicides. Will we continue to spiral out of control while our congress continues to stabilize itself by using more and more underhanded methods (i.e. Nixon) only to hit bottom once the government collapses in on itself (i.e. Carter)? Or can we recognize our past mistakes and try our hardest to prevent further depletion of our American values?
I've been thinking about types of governments lately, mostly because I've been analyzing how Ron Paul's dream contrasts to our current government. I'm starting to realize that I don't like capitalism so much. I agree, in principle, that it's a good system, but in reality, if you let it run uncontrolled, you're just asking for trouble. In an interview with Paul by Jon Stewart, he responded to a question about how bad corporations are by saying that Bill Gates is a billionare, and he does good things. But I think that Bill Gates is an exception to the rule in that case. And the reason our current congress is so out of shape is more or less because it does the same things that corrupt corporations do.
The problem is, on the surface, capitalism works. But in a capitalist society, its citizens are automatically competitors. You're never left satisfied. When I was watching a PBS special on Enron tonight, one of the executives said something like "An excessive, rich lifestyle isn't something you can just turn off with a switch." And as much as we'd like to say we wouldn't do the same if we were in his shoes, can we really? Our lives are very much centered on getting more: getting a better job, with more money, with more for retirement, with more benefits; getting a bigger house or a nicer car; wearing better clothes; affording the best education for our kids. Where does it end?
When I look back on history, I can't help but see our government as ups and downs, where corporate America and the rich executives of the country balloon upwards and upwards until the government finally steps in and makes drastic changes (such as in FDR's programs) only to stabilize again to the point that people want more and more (elections of more conservative, "return to normalcy" presidents) whereby we have wonderfully prosperous years again until corruption builds up to the point where the government has to be fierce again.
The problem right now though is that our country is so torn apart by big issues that the corruption continues widespread. Having a powerless congress doesn't help either. I also can't help but get the feeling that our politicians are so scared in standing up for what they believe in, that nothing is getting done. Young people like Ron Paul, because he has an ideology and he sticks to it no matter what. I would like to see other candidates be similarly courageous but with policies that could help America rather than hinder it while the country's in a mess.
I also can't help but feeling that history is eerily repeating itself just 40 years later. There was great prosperity in the 50s, but there was also great doubt about our security, so much so that everything red or communist was shunned upon in this country (similar today's Patriot Act and fear towards Arabs and other foreigners). Then the country got sucked into a false war against the "communist state of the world" in which there could be no ultimate victory. Rock and roll and drugs brought about great social change which made all policies and ideologies even more passionate and controversial including those regarding civil rights and sexual freedom. You could compare this to our current state of social change involving the Internet along with gay rights and the over-the-border amnesty issues.
Certainly you can either agree or disagree with that point of view, but I have to choose to accept that both periods of our history were very parallel. How will it end though? When we pulled out of Vietnam, sure it was a victory for the Viet Cong, but ultimately it was not a victory for communists of the world. With social change brought terrible tragedies in the late 60s including the assassinations of many political leaders, rioting students and workers, and even celebrity suicides. Will we continue to spiral out of control while our congress continues to stabilize itself by using more and more underhanded methods (i.e. Nixon) only to hit bottom once the government collapses in on itself (i.e. Carter)? Or can we recognize our past mistakes and try our hardest to prevent further depletion of our American values?