I’ve been thinking about realities by Fred Cederholm
Column for on/after Nov. 12th, 2006
I’ve been thinking about realities. Actually I’ve been thinking about the elections, lame ducks, changes, bi-partisanship, and beginnings. The 2006 mid-term elections are now behind US/us.Whether your candidate(s)/party was victorious - or lost, all Americans should take pride in a system of government where transitions of power are (dare I even suggest it) “peaceful, orderly, and civilized.”
You see we have survived the most costly, most negative, and most mud-slinging campaign in our nation’s history. Control of both the House and Senate has shifted from the Republicans to the Democrats. It’s true that some of the elections were close enough to mandate recounts; but for the most part, every one must acknowledge that the pendulum has swung from the party of the elephant to that of the donkey. The day after, President Bush and Vice President Cheney met with the presumed new House leadership for a photo op and a meeting. A day later, the presumed new Senate leadership did the same. Were the foundations/ ground rules for détente between the White House and coming 110th Congress established? (Hardly.) Were partisan slurs and slams of the campaigns just passed forgotten? (Shelved, or at least back-burnered - maybe.) What appears to be so unreal becomes our reality in the video clips.
Politics is the ultimate theatre --- especially when the cameras are running. Ya just gotta love it when you see true professionals (actors/ politicos) giving the performances of their careers. It’s all part of the job and is “done in the best interest of the country.” William Shakespeare wrote: “what’s past is (mere) prologue…” How true! The Democrats have not controlled both the House and the Senate since before Reagan’s election to the Presidency in 1980. While the Congressional branch is clearly going into lame duck mode until the new Congress takes office in January 2007, will the same be true for the White House? Time will tell… and the posturing during the next 60 days should prove most interesting.
While the “majorities” in both the House and the Senate have changed, the realities of the problems facing this nation have not! The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq will continue with no “face saving” end in sight. More service men and women will be activated, re-activated, re-re-activated, and shipped to the battle zones in the near term. Our national debt sets new record highs every second of every minute of every hour of every day not just because of the costs of a war run amok, but also because of a profligate and porcine Congress who never met a dollar they couldn’t spend – and more.
Our dependency on foreign energy sources will continue FAR into the horizon. Our trade deficits will continue - if for no other reason than the things America wants, needs, and buys are simply no longer made here. The metamorphosis of the US economy from a manufacturing one (with full benefits) to a service one (with its “you’re on your own, sweetheart” underpinnings) continues to expand those numbers in the work force without health insurance and livable pensions. The ticking of the time bomb of a Social Security implosion grows louder and louder every year. How long will it take to restore this country’s reputation as a responsible member with higher standards within the community of nations?
The aforementioned problems facing US/us didn’t happen overnight. Anyone familiar with my columns in print (or on-line) should know that while I believe there has been a clear escalation of the mistakes and deterioration behind our collective/ present situation(s) over these past six years, the origins of our problems/ policies go way back and embrace both of the major parties. Believe me when I say that there is plenty of blame to go around. The D.C. mantra of “Ubi est mihi?” (where is mine?) needs to become the “Mea Culpa” of “wherefore ‘we’ have sinned against you (the American people) by what ‘we’ have done and by what ‘we’ have left undone.” The problems facing this nation are so immense they will require a bi-partisan cooperation that has not been seen since the darkest days of the Great Depression and that of the Second World War. THAT is the reality we now face as a nation.
The electorate spoke loudly on November 7th. A change of course was needed because we were headed in the wrong directions for all the wrong reasons. The American people knew this and they voted accordingly. To those elected (or re-elected) never forget that what the electorate giveth (in 2006), they can taketh (in 2008). A Chinese proverb states: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – start walking Congress! I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.
Copyright Questions, Inc. 2006 all right reserved.
I’ve been thinking about realities. Actually I’ve been thinking about the elections, lame ducks, changes, bi-partisanship, and beginnings. The 2006 mid-term elections are now behind US/us.Whether your candidate(s)/party was victorious - or lost, all Americans should take pride in a system of government where transitions of power are (dare I even suggest it) “peaceful, orderly, and civilized.”
You see we have survived the most costly, most negative, and most mud-slinging campaign in our nation’s history. Control of both the House and Senate has shifted from the Republicans to the Democrats. It’s true that some of the elections were close enough to mandate recounts; but for the most part, every one must acknowledge that the pendulum has swung from the party of the elephant to that of the donkey. The day after, President Bush and Vice President Cheney met with the presumed new House leadership for a photo op and a meeting. A day later, the presumed new Senate leadership did the same. Were the foundations/ ground rules for détente between the White House and coming 110th Congress established? (Hardly.) Were partisan slurs and slams of the campaigns just passed forgotten? (Shelved, or at least back-burnered - maybe.) What appears to be so unreal becomes our reality in the video clips.
Politics is the ultimate theatre --- especially when the cameras are running. Ya just gotta love it when you see true professionals (actors/ politicos) giving the performances of their careers. It’s all part of the job and is “done in the best interest of the country.” William Shakespeare wrote: “what’s past is (mere) prologue…” How true! The Democrats have not controlled both the House and the Senate since before Reagan’s election to the Presidency in 1980. While the Congressional branch is clearly going into lame duck mode until the new Congress takes office in January 2007, will the same be true for the White House? Time will tell… and the posturing during the next 60 days should prove most interesting.
While the “majorities” in both the House and the Senate have changed, the realities of the problems facing this nation have not! The conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq will continue with no “face saving” end in sight. More service men and women will be activated, re-activated, re-re-activated, and shipped to the battle zones in the near term. Our national debt sets new record highs every second of every minute of every hour of every day not just because of the costs of a war run amok, but also because of a profligate and porcine Congress who never met a dollar they couldn’t spend – and more.
Our dependency on foreign energy sources will continue FAR into the horizon. Our trade deficits will continue - if for no other reason than the things America wants, needs, and buys are simply no longer made here. The metamorphosis of the US economy from a manufacturing one (with full benefits) to a service one (with its “you’re on your own, sweetheart” underpinnings) continues to expand those numbers in the work force without health insurance and livable pensions. The ticking of the time bomb of a Social Security implosion grows louder and louder every year. How long will it take to restore this country’s reputation as a responsible member with higher standards within the community of nations?
The aforementioned problems facing US/us didn’t happen overnight. Anyone familiar with my columns in print (or on-line) should know that while I believe there has been a clear escalation of the mistakes and deterioration behind our collective/ present situation(s) over these past six years, the origins of our problems/ policies go way back and embrace both of the major parties. Believe me when I say that there is plenty of blame to go around. The D.C. mantra of “Ubi est mihi?” (where is mine?) needs to become the “Mea Culpa” of “wherefore ‘we’ have sinned against you (the American people) by what ‘we’ have done and by what ‘we’ have left undone.” The problems facing this nation are so immense they will require a bi-partisan cooperation that has not been seen since the darkest days of the Great Depression and that of the Second World War. THAT is the reality we now face as a nation.
The electorate spoke loudly on November 7th. A change of course was needed because we were headed in the wrong directions for all the wrong reasons. The American people knew this and they voted accordingly. To those elected (or re-elected) never forget that what the electorate giveth (in 2006), they can taketh (in 2008). A Chinese proverb states: “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” – start walking Congress! I’m Fred Cederholm and I’ve been thinking. You should be thinking, too.
Copyright Questions, Inc. 2006 all right reserved.
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