So Tempting to Pick a Side

When you can name enemies and have plenty of company who will go along, it is hard not to vent frustration on the selected groups. The trouble is, the broad brush almost always leaves out important facts and ignores the real path of cause and effect.

There are always plenty of people who will spout facts and such so actually taking the time to tediously research every facet of thing is not necessary. Never mind that the story told is never all inclusive. That would be almost impossible to do anyway, like trying to control the behavior and choices of millions from some central planning committee. It's like trying to balance nature by decree.

When Tea Party stuff first came out, I was in agreement with most of it; contain governmental power and size, quit trying to spend money to fix problems which arose from spending too much and in places better left not in government hands. But then various people jumped to the front of the line and it became clear this movement broadened in scope and often the self appointed leaders espoused things I find irrelevant when speaking of what government ought do or not do. I still agree that it is good to have a constitution and eliminating things which violate the limits it placed on central power is fine.

I'm somewhat on board with a state's rights agenda, but I fully believe their powers ought to be severely limited as well. I give them the right to secede but if they are just wanting to limit individual freedom, bad news. It is a sticky thing.

If it is news to anyone that very wealthy interests have served to corrupt every process in which the government is involved, then you've been deaf, dumb and blind up until now. They've even used the military in ways which seem odd and not fair to the people who serve, let alone the people who just work, raise families and try to get by.

So, in some ways I agree with the Occupy crowd. Things should not be as they are. Beyond that, I doubt many would be in accord with my views. For one thing, I abhor mob actions which stop traffic or impede the daily lives of others. I think it was in Boston that there activities prevented the Food Bank's planned food drive. And the Brooklyn Bridge thing was out of bounds in my mind.

I've yet to see a sign which says "This Is What Respectful Individual Freedom Looks Like". Maybe because none of us have ever lived or known of a time when people resisted the temptation to curb the behavior of others, even when it was not a threat to them or others. The twentieth century was cluttered with rationalizations and weak arguments justifying dictating the choices of others in the name of cost to society or the greater good. Too bad. It has done the opposite of raise the level and character of civilization on most fronts.

What often happens in times like these is that one group pushes the buttons of other groups, who are equally loathe to figure out they are all being played in one way or another, and the next thing you know, someone goes home crying, or in a box. Then that is used to fan the fire even more. True reason and principle are so far lost that trying to find the root of the mess is impossible.

I do not know how things should be structured. My feeling is that minimal structure and minimal restraint on individual freedom is the place to start. All the best efforts in the other direction have led to amazing theories and rationalizations but not a more sane peaceful world. Instead of having a war every now and then with clear losers and winners who go home and relax for awhile, we have never ending "peace keeping" missions, nation building and reorganizing enterprises and police actions. Half the time we fight those we armed for some other vague purpose. I just can't buy the excuses, based on how the efforts are conducted.

And the results? Most of it is so foreign to anything we know, we aren't even sure what the results are. Someone is making money and achieving more and more control over the public. I think the broad title of Wall Street misses the mark by a mile. I would say I can't prove it, but I believe if I dedicated my life to it, I could prove it. But I admit, I have no desire to do that.

I just want to have a clean house and no complications before I die. And I hope to steer clear of all official authorities and mobs who may decide that I am the problem.