Make America Great-Ful Again

WHOA!  Apparently 4 years, 2 months and 27 days have passed since my last rant and here I am sitting at a newer computer pondering this fact and wondering what the hell happened???  There has certainly NOT been a lack of subject matter, and as my dear spousal unit would testify there has been a time or two when I was encouraged to shut the hell up or go unload on the blog (usually after stupidly reading Charles Krauthammer c/o the Arizona Republic).  Yet, as time passed by and life unfolded, the call to rant has slowly receded - until now!

Why now?  Well, for beginners I retired, and lo and behold there is more time for pursuits beyond working.  I also became a grandfather which has been an amazing trip. There is also another presidential election unfolding and this time we have a real whopper going down.  I recently logged on and read through a few of my old blogs and it was quite apparent that not only has little changed over 4 years but some things are undoubtedly worse.  Of course, Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election (as I boldly predicted...... OK it wasn't all that bold). The Middle East remains a slowly evolving catastrophe, the rich are vastly richer, the climate is hotter every year than the last and to top it all off, Obama still hasn't ended the beyond stupid War On Drugs (more on that later)!  The Repubes are scarier than ever considering the unthinkable fact that reality TV moron Donald Trump is their presidential nominee, and they've controlled both the house and senate since the 2012 election. And, apparently a whole bunch of un-college educated, older Republican white dudes are really, really pissed off (thus Donald Trump).  So while the world is looking as fucked-up as ever, I.M. Frog's outlook on things has actually been headed the other direction.  That's right - I have never been more optimistic about the future than I am today. This is not to say I have given up the fight.  No way!!! When the revolution comes, and assuming I'm still walking the earth, count me in!  And, an occasional rant on the state of the current affairs is not going away.  Yet with the benefit of today's hindsight, this ranting amphibian has chilled baby, and the need to chronicle political bullshit going on in this world has faded, replaced by both a measured acceptance for the way things are and a creeping feeling that the future is slowly brightening, like a beautiful sunrise as you wait for the first light of the sun to crest the horizon.

So, it's pretty cool to realize this.  Like looking in the mirror one day and wondering who that person is staring back at you, these moments of clarity are a necessary part of both aging and acceptance. Cool is not really the word I would use to describe looking older, and I would be lying to say I don't miss being a younger fellow at times, but being okay with this fact is very cool.  So as the horrors of life for so many millions of earth's inhabitants has continued to be daily news, my gratitude for the incredible life I get to live has grown immensely.  Being born white in America puts me in the top 5% of all human life on earth, and this reality means that the opportunities that came my way were made possible by this luck of the humanity draw.  I'm one lucky sucker, and how could I possibly believe otherwise?  For that matter, how could anyone in a comparable position believe otherwise?

Good question.  A recent poll I scanned contained this result:  "Ideologically, those who identify themselves as very liberal are far more pessimistic about the direction of the country than those who identify themselves as very conservative, while African Americans, Hispanics and Asians are more optimistic than Whites".  No shit?

I know many people with a perfectly fine standard of living that have obtained money, status, etc. yet continue to believe that things are horrible and the country is a presidential election away from being flushed down the toilet .  I get the previously mentioned Trump supporters and their mis-directed anger, but what about all of the peeps living the good life that are certainly less angry but just as negative about what's going on.  Where's the gratitude America, and why do you fall for all the lies about the state of society and the bogeyman that is waiting around the corner to take your guns, money, liberty or whatever?  Oh I know, you worked hard and sacrificed for a career and money and finally achieved that American Dream while all of the luckless deadbeats just want free shit.  And then there's you overly pessimistic uber-liberals who didn't get your man Bernie nominated and know Hillary hates peace and can't wait to draft your children to march on Benghazi.  So you're pissed and now voting for the Libertarian who doesn't know what an "Aleppo" is.  Sure, America has warts a plenty but it's nothing that we can't fix once we stop seeing the glass half full of Flint water.  Come on man! Ever considered how damn lucky you are to be living without fear of starvation or dysentery from drinking sewage infested water?  Probably not.  Ever considered that you have never been forced to flee your home before being bombed to hell and then watch your precious child drown while trying to cross water for a better life anywhere else?  I didn't think so.  We have lost our way and more importantly our perspective while engaging in a circular game of shit's bad and so it is. Time to lighten up!  If you have family, shelter, food and a friend or two then you are one lucky son-of-a-bitch.  You are a lottery winner and it's time to cash in your winnings and get behind the revolution to make society a more gracious, caring place for all of us.  Even a Republican can ignore the agitators and empathize with their fellow citizens that need a helping hand. Turn Fox News off and look around.  Sure, there are those who game the system and get away with some extra food stamps, but most of our fellow citizens are basically decent people and would work their asses off for a fair paycheck and the chance to get a little ahead.  And a lot of those same people apparently have a rosier outlook on America's future than us privileged, whiny whites.  That's really messed up. Drumpf has it right people, let's make America great-ful again!