Ignoring Reality for Ignorant Ideology

     Moving into this nicely brisk fall morning before sunrise I'm grateful for a faith which gives hope in these times of utter ignorance being paraded as something to be celebrated.  Wednesday while quoting rates to a home buyer I was told:

     "I'm not interesting in locking an interest rate because defaulting on the Federal debt will be 

      the best thing that ever happened to this country and rates will drop."

Exactly. As we all know historically when businesses or individuals go bankrupt, they immediately get higher credit scores and better interest rates on their next endeavors.  As someone who teaches economics (among other subjects) when I suggested that his vision wasn't going to be the result he stated "You watch too much CNN and obviously have no idea. I'll probably just pay cash anyway but good luck with your delusions."

    Self-analysis says I actually watch CNN less than 20 minutes a week, if that.  Between the three jobs, family needs, community development and my PhD studies any television watching needs to be a learning experience (History, Discover, Smithsonian channels, etc.) or an escape.  Sunday morning talk shows used to be a standard, but watching politicians state lies as facts and then dodge questions to repeat the easily documentable falsehoods from ideological ignorance turned that into an effort in futility. 

     How one can watch high six figure talking heads laugh about how the government shut down doesn't have any impact because they're not feeling any effects confounds me.  Mostly that kind of talk sends me off to prayer which is a far better option than anger over the abuse America is heaping on the less fortunate in society.  Most of whom want to do better and are trying to climb the economic ladder but buried under the tyranny of the moment and decreasing wages regardless of educational attainment.

     One really can't watch television news these days to understand any subject because it doesn't teach or inform but seeks only to entertain or push oligarchical agendas.  Apparently Joseph Goebbels "If you tell a lie big enough and often enough people will come to believe it" is the new mantra of the Koch brothers and the politicians they've bought elections for so far in gerrymandered districts.

     It greatly saddens me that one of my first thoughts this morning is how close America is to repeating the collapse of the Roman empire. Mired in self-interest, greed, gluttony and ignorance of a purpose driven life while overreaching globally.  Fortunately I know my children (now men) are safe this morning, a roof over our heads for another month and there are choices about what we can eat today.  That puts us in the top 10% of the global population, though we're in the bottom 20% in America.

     And as the sun now rises there are opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of those whose paths cross mine.  Globally and locally.  The shame upon America is that we no longer can gain truth from many "news" sources or those elected to govern our nation.  We can't say lead, because there isn't any leadership going on there, any more than we would say that Hitler or Goebbels were leaders.  We can find measures of truth in fictional dramas, and that is a really sad state of affairs for a nation.

    Although the statistics written into this speech from The Newsroom ranks the United States higher than either our students or adults do in multiple skills, the point of the writers is dead on.  We used to aspire to be smarter and lead, not because we had more money or better weapons, but because the cause was righteous and fair.

   I believe we can be again.  But until we can manage to be just to our own citizens and take care of each other instead of what's been happening in the past 30 years, leading globally isn't possible outside of drones and bribes.  And that's not leadership. It's the absence of leadership.