Thursday, February 5, 2009

I want my...I want my ther-a-py...

I've always said we are a Bi-Polar society...and no amount of Lithium or Depakote can even begin to remotely stabilize the roller coaster nation in which we live...the ups and (more often these days) downs are beginning to take their toll...

I heard President Obama on CNN this morning say that he "rejected the notion" that (in effect) what he was doing (by promoting the $800, and now $900 billion pork-filled stimulus package) was contrary to "the people's" wishes because, "the American people went to the polls in November and voted resoundingly for change."

Yes, we fired Bush...he was an ineffective president, the lamest of lame ducks. He did everything half-assed...he couldn't/wouldn't win (the war), but wouldn't get out...he wanted to "be a uniter, not a divider," and then became the essence of division. He bemoaned the fringe elements of politics, but too often catered to his own "fringe" base...

But, does the "change" we requested equate to business as usual? Congress is (basically) the same. The "new" administration is "bubbling" with leftover Bushies-Clintonites. Granted, the Republicans fumbled so badly, even I wanted a Democratic Congress...well, I thought I did, at least until Herr Harry and Frau Nancy took the reins...

But, do we really want to go down this road? I mean, become Europe Lite? When we take money from one group and give it to a second, is that really where we want to go? If so, please speak up, so I can get in the second line. Okay, I get it...WE voted for change...WE rejected all things "supply side, capitalistic, trickle down, whatever you want to call it," right?

WRONG! We only fired Bush (in my opinion). I don't think we wanted more federal intrusion in matters involving our individual freedoms. I don't believe we wanted "job growth" to be, for instance, referees in midnight basketball leagues...and no, I'm not saying that ALL programs are bad...

Recently, an article was published in our local rag, the Scab-ramento Bee, hailing projects built during the 30's as part of the New Deal spending spree under FDR...the piece mentioned some bridges, water towers, even sewers and other infrastructure projects...and also controversial "projects" (just as in today's stimulus bill) like gardens, flower beds, and painted murals...

And naturally, there were conflicting thoughts regarding effectiveness of such "stimulus." They were from the same "bi-polar" crowds as today...one side reporting the "stimulus" (projects) didn't really help and the economy didn't recover until the war (World War II) and the other side maintaining that "with the exception of a brief recession in 1937-38, the 'spending spree' was helping the economy climb out of the abyss created by the Republicans."

What to do, what to do...well, I do know one thing...we'll do what we always do...and then wonder why we aren't getting different results. We'll eschew our mood stabilizers and instead veer far left (because that is the current mandate) until we veer right again...oh well, at least we'll get another Tower Bridge (over the Sacramento River) out of it...

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