Report: You Live In An Embarrassing Country...The Onion
- After reviewing Obama's last 5 years and all the failures associated with this administration, I recalled "Heart of Darkness," a novel by Joseph Conrad. The novel is rich in symbolism. One of the many symbols Conrad highlights is darkness (hence the title). Darkness, to the best of my memory, denotes evil, corruption and madness. The film, Apocalypse Now, had some of the same symbolism.
- And while our current situation is not as dark as the novel and the film portray (there been other periods in our history when all was much bleaker as in the Civil War), it certainly appears our nation is descending into a strange and disturbing state of darkness.
- How can any rational American feel otherwise with a political class and its enablers who are devoid of any scruples or honor (I include both Democrats and Republicans in this political class, most of whom happen to be Progressives)? I've written about the pathetic state of the nation for years now from high unemployment, high poverty levels, a divisive administration, an incoherent foreign policy, and the worst economic recovery in our history.
- But all of those and more are just symptoms of what the real problem is facing our great nation. We're currently living in a nation where the political class and its promoters in the media want us to believe all is well, all is normal (many refer to this as the "new normal." Garbage). It's an illusion created to divert our attention to the problems they've created. We've been deluged with notions of power, lies, hope, change, transparency, polarization, corruption, cronyism, gridlock, shutdown, faux negotiations, etc. etc. The irony in all of this is they want us to believe they (the political class) can repair the very problems they've created. In addition, when we do witness a few courageous politicians like Ted Cruz who alert us to the true intent of the political class, they are derided and even referred to as crazy, hostage takers, anarchists, etc. even by their own party. These young conservatives are a threat to the "gray bearded" elites in the Republican Party.
- Not long ago, I asked my readers if America is resilient enough to withstand a 1000 cuts. I asked myself that question after reading a quote by Thomas Sowell. He wrote then, "When Barack Obama squanders his own credibility with glib lies, he's not just injuring himself during his time in office. He's inflicting a lasting wound on the country as a whole." Sowell was prescient because we are now seeing the consequences of the actions by the political class. Pres. Obama's poll numbers are low and his policies have created a part-time employment economy.
- The truth is we're much to blame for the creation of this corrupt political system. Once again, Sowell reminds us "voters are not blameless. Having chosen an untested man to be president, on the basis of rhetoric, style and symbolism, we have ourselves to blame..."
- Having said all of this, am I still optimistic? Yes, I am because this nation's history reinforces my optimism. But using Capt. Willard in Apocalypse Now as a metaphor for the country, I hope we still have time to retreat from the heart of darkness.
