I don’t really consider this rant to be political: there’s no party you can exactly pin it to. But…
Is my America under attack?
I suppose part of it is.
But it seems to me that nearly all of it is not. Not the real America.
Sure, I’m willing to defend my America, the one I can point to in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
But am I willing to defend ALL of America? Am I willing to defend CRAP? And security specialists? Fat chance.
Here’s a list of what I AM NOT WILLING TO DEFEND. That is, if some ‘bad guy’ wanted to take them away or mess with em somehow, I’d say “Have at it, man.”
*TV
*stadiums
*motor obsession
*big boxes
*conspicuous consumption
Now, I don’t want to just make a list of things that I think are wrong with America. But these aren’t just little niggles: how much of our nation today is fully represented by those 5 things? I think one could say that the above is mostly what our country is today. And, not coincidentally, I think they’re strongly related to why people might attack us. But that’s not all: What are we willing to give up to keep these things? Methinks that most so-called Americans today would give up both Constitution and Bill of Rights to keep their addiction to those 5 things flowing. Thus I insist that those 5 things are UnAmerican.
And this isn’t a red/blue state or flyover rant, either. I’m talking about the whole country. Every part of it has been taken over by the contagion.
What the heck, I’m going to keep the ball rolling. How much do the rest of these fads, trends and addictions make up today’s America as well? Are they worth defending? Would we be worse off without them?
*minimalls
*freeway exit development
*Jerry Springer
*fun/party culture
*fads like SUVs, Harleys, NASCAR, jetskis, loud boats, generators on RVs, big RVs, noise in general
*nonviolent drug prisoners
*mental medications due to stress
*chain stores
*big corporations
*destination resorts
*1-hr+ solo driver commutes
*obesity
*sweatsuits
*casinos and lotteries
*public rudeness and vulgarity
*cellphone jabber
*divorce with kids
*unskilled teenage workforce
*insurance abuse and overuse
Sure, none of the things in either list are 100% bad, and we all participate in them in some way, but if we had less of them would anyone be attacking us?
If we had less of them, as we lost them would we get stronger or weaker as a nation and as individuals? Would our ability to defend ourselves grow or shrink?
I suggest that everything on my lists qualifies as an impairment! And I don’t see any part of the Constitution or Bill of Rights that would give rise to them. You can’t blame America for them, but they’ve sure taken us over.
I say let’s drop em and keep America instead. We don’t need any stinking laws to drop them, either. All we need is for the president and all our leaders to stand up and say those things are all bad and stupid, and then for them to lead by example. In a few months we’d have our country back. It wouldn’t take long. If we try to keep things the way they are today, we’ll have to give up America—and our Constitution and Bill of Rights—and become a Police State exploited by a very, very few morons, who are themselves watching TV and the rest of it. And anyone with a bomb is going to be attacking those few and anyone working for them.
Crap equals slavery. Make mine free.
[Let me know your views on this subject in the OYB Forum. Thanks!]
