Which Is Scarier?

Once upon a time, if a tall ladder didn't do it, you used two and got it done. But things have changed.

On the one hand, many politicians, bankers and CEOs are brazenly robbing the tax-supported treasury to the staggering tune of trillions while grandstanding and BS-ing us. The infrastructure is crumbling and Nero is playing the fiddle, and somebody keeps re-electing and re-hiring these crooks... other crooks, perhaps.

On the other hand, the "young" have languished. Most are a waste: overindulge; don't grasp the concept of work; chose part-time, dead-end, low-paid work instead of striving for better careers; passively amble about, caring more about their looks than their careers; live irresponsibly avoiding paying bills or sharing duties but use their disposable income for frills; and/or deal with anxiety by completely withdrawing from society to the point that they lock themselves in their bedrooms and belittle parents or spouses while parents or spouses allow and enable them. They BS us too. It's the gime-gime-gime entitlement mentality. They have no sense of purpose. They have no dreams. And they refuse every chance to do the right thing. Love and kindness is wasted on them because they will always be unhappy. These ahole parasites don't contribute.

In the middle is us.

I'm not sure how to fix it because I can't even explain it... we somehow lack the mental health to do it. I see a crash coming.

I'm not sure which is scarier, but I'm scared. I don't like it and don't want to accept it nor develop a positive but false attitude of hope about a rosy future. We need to proactively develop a real nasty, kickbutt attitude instead... an "I'm mad and won't take it anymore" one.

Lord Jesus have mercy on us.



- © 2011 by Willy

Money:

If money is the root of all evil, why do churches beg for it?

Like many things, money can do good as well as bad. Just like some people are wonderful and some are butts. Religion teaches the facts of greed but then the pastor sells salvation. Just like paying lip service to a balanced budget but going on a spending spree. People can get greedy, and many do. After the necessities are covered, why would anybody want more? It's disgusting.

Can you tell it's Sunday?


-© 2009 by Willy

P.S., "With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my crooked arm for a pillow, is not joy to be found therein?" - Confucius, a looong time ago.

Why Are We Here?

I'm thoroughly disgusted. The shallow-and-selfish have ruled me much too long, and have thrashed me in doing so... from broken heart to broken retirement... but the worse injury is that they have broken my spirit. I'm sick and tired of it... I'm mad as hell, and I won't take it any more!

Let me back up. Our real purpose may be love in action. This includes contributing to others through kindness... thus serving others. I know that this is not a popular activity... matter of fact, you're seen as an idiot for doing so among the shallow-and-selfish... but then look at the shape we're in due to them.

Arthur H. Prince stated that the purpose of life is not to be happy. The purpose of life is to matter, to be productive, to have it make some difference that we have lived at all.

I agree with that, but if THEY don't contribute, what good are they? And if we're here to contribute to others, then what is the purpose of those others we contribute to? Why are THEY here? OK, so, either EVERYBODY contributes, or I quit them!

In the case of the financial sector, and as stewards of the public dollar, it's the obligation of government to exercise due diligence to protect the common wealth and serve the public good. This is something much lacking lately. Advocates of servicing the public need are not doing their job, so I'm withdrawing from all Wall Streeters, big bankers and their ilk.

Withdrawing? What? Well, I won't take it any more. I'll say no to the greedy gunk that have been controlling our destiny and getting rich at our expense. I won't give them my dollar and enable their bad behavior. I've been gradually withdrawing from financial sector markets into less risky and more tangible assets. Not only that but I have been simplifying my life and cutting down on buying... by fixing, finding a used one, reducing consumption or making do without.

I will be kind to others, but I will also closely monitor their behavior, and will disengage when I see a lack of reciprocity. I will play the well-known solution to the Prisoner's Dilemma (see Scientific American, starting circa 1982). I will be Nice, Clear, Provocable and Forgiving... and continuously observe and monitor them. If they don't contribute, I'm firing them.

I'm now dealing with my co-dependence to a much grander scale. This is going to mend my spirit. The financial sector and other shallow-and-selfish can kiss my $.

- © 2008 by Willy
.

Political Corruption

The term Political Corruption is becoming redundant. The poster child for this was Tricky Dicky's resignation clip "I'm not a crook," right after his vice-president, Spiro Agnew, resigned amidst charges of extortion, tax fraud, bribery, and conspiracy. President and Vice-President! That was in the early 70's, but it seems that there's a whole lot more of it now, at all levels.

Right now Illinois governor Blagojevich is in the news, and the media should be digging in to see who else is connected to the alleged blatant Senate-seat-for-sale scheme. I sure hope it does not taint the presidency.

New York's powerful Rep. Charlie Rangel, long time chairman of the hugely powerful House Ways and Means Committee is being investigated for ethics violations regarding an oil and gas drilling company gift.

But it's also happening in minor states and municipalities. When Alabama's Secretary of State pays her company and family out of campaign funds, and the same state's Attorney General accepts box seats for a pro baseball game from a state utility... and neither one thinks it's wrong... then corruption has become either the norm or unusually wholesale. It comes in Sam's Club sized packages, and it has permeated society.

God, save us all from these disgusting predators. Let them be hoisted by their own petard... let their own insatiable greed flatten them.

And, God... bless the honest man. Honest politics is a business of serving with patience and its economy is one of deferred compensation. Once out of office, the honest man can cash in on books, speeches, lobbying and introductions through contacts made and knowledge gained.


- © 2008 by Willy
.

Greed

Greed is why Wall Street sold out America but the arrogant, greedy, thieving, conniving bastards and bitches are not limited to the world of money and investment. Amazingly, it goes down to the everyman who took out a 120% mortgage he knew he could not pay and spent the cash today, figuring to move out tomorrow.

There's no reason to strengthen the ramparts because the looting and pillaging of America were done from the inside. We did not have to worry about the Reds nor the terrorists... we screwed ourselves in the name of selfish greed, and now we're about to bankrupt the country.

We've pawned the national silverware to finance the plastic spork with which to eat the fat goose that laid our golden egg.

I've seen this same trend in relationships: Nobody cares about anybody... it's just what's in it for them, today. Not just Where's-Mine greed but Screw-You greed. No code of ethics or morals anywhere.

How disgusting can it get? "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." - Cicero, 55 BC.

The inmates are running the asylum, raping and plundering as they go.

It's horrible!

.
- © 2008 by Willy