On Nov 8, 9:54*pm, "Fred" wrote:

I would like to see the federal gov't spending our billions of tax $$ here
on US citizens instead of bombing the desert making Raytheon and KBR etc
wealthy

I can control myself but honestly *I have little hope for the nation
collectively
I am skeptical about a country that idolizes rock stars and baseball players
making untold millions
I have little hope for the collective consciousness of the US people
watching American Idol, Survivor and its untold # of spin offs and other
**** like that.

Yet I did see a ray of hope in this landslide
I think that the results were as repudiation of the last 8 yrs of assholes
running this country as it was a cry loud and clear for change!

It is time for a change and I (still at this point an American citizen) am
ready for it.

Fred

It´s a little too simplistic to say that a country gets the government
it deserves, but there is some truth in it. Unfortunately, the
tendency is always to blame others for whatever goes wrong, and also
to codify various things in order to have a target as such to rail at.

In all the various political factions there are "good" and "bad"
people, and there are a lot of people doing good and bad things for
what they perceive as the right reasons, or for various other
motivations like personal gain, power, religion, ideology, etc.
Unfortunately, due to the mass involved, these things have become ever
more complex and intertwined. It is quite impossible for any "normal"
individual to influence these things, but one can still influence
oneself. The more individuals there are doing "good" things, and
eschewing "bad" things, the greater the tendency for the mass to do
the same.

In an ideal situation, this should automatically result in the
greatest good for the greatest number. There will always be people who
are dissatisfied with what they have, or how they live, quite
regardless of how well off they are. Nevertheless, one must keep in
mind that the Western world as a whole enjoys a very high standard of
living, very much in advance of the rest of the world, and actually
the majority of people have little to complain about. Also interesting
is that the people who have the most are the ones who do the most
complaining and whining for "more" and "better", or indeed begrudge
others what they have, or indeed are.

By and large, the standard of living, the value of life, freedom, and
education, and indeed the average lifespan itself, have all increased
steadily for a long time in all the Western nations. Many illnesses
have been beaten, the "quality of life" as such is for very many
people largely a matter of individual choice, free speech and the rule
of law hold sway, people are safer and more secure than they ever have
been.

Individuals are of course still subject to the vagaries of the human
condition, like illness, personal tragedy, and various random events
causing them problems. Poverty and ignorance are still major problems,
also largely a result of inadequate education.

Various groups, and of course many individuals, still vie to control
what other people do, or even think, power over others is apparently
extremely important to them. There is little one can do about it,
except resist to the best of one´s ability.

Even the simple fact that you can write whatever you want to on here
is an indication that you are not only one of the privileged, but able
to use that privilege in any way you please.

What this actually means, is that you would be better off, and so
might many others, if you ceased whining and complaining, and thought
about what you might do to help those less well off than yourself. Who
knows? You might then also be a great deal happier as well.