My Periodic Rant

I agree with and desire to have a balanced budget. I differ with the neocons, though in how to achieve it. It cannot be had across the backs of the most disadvantaged for the benefit of the most wealthy, though.

I believe in investing in American excellence. I grew up during the 60's, when we spent good money on public schools and got a wildly successful ROI. America excelled at everything; maths, sciences, inventiveness and innovation. We can have that again; but it will never happen while the neocons are busily destroying public education to promote pseudo-religious agenda.

I believe in investing in American potential. Too many brilliant minds are passed by or marginalized due to the lack of opportunity to excel -- or even to compete in the game at all. To me, that is an abhorrent waste of human potential and such a waste brings us all down. Look at where we rank in the world now as opposed to a mere 30 years ago. We were indisputably on top -- then we allowed the idealogues to dismantle everything it took to get us there. Where we rank in every major measurable these days is a long way from the top.

That's wasteful to the point of sin.

I believe that open and honest dialog is essential. Secretiveness, disingenuousness, half-truths and directed perceptions practiced by the far-right wing have done much to destroy everything we worked so hard to achieve. The "louder is righter" behavior has rotted our society and created deep divisions -- such divisions being artificial, created from idealogical dogma. I believe that the sooner we stop shouting at one another and start listening, we will find ways to become an nation of excellence once again.

The problems the radical right have created are by no means insurmountable. America rose from the idealogy of the McCarthy Era to put astronauts on the Moon. We strengthend the Constitution by stating that all Americans should have equal rights and opportunities to excel -- not just the rich or the white. Because of that, more fine minds entered America's quest for excellence and all Americans benefitted from it.

There isn't a thing we have today that didn't arise from that era: personal computers; microwave ovens; the foundation technology for cell phones, iPods, and the like; new plastics that have myriads of uses and applications; MRE's; GPS; and probably 10,000 other items we now take for granted.

Sadly, there has been little "new" technology since then. Since America stopped investing in excellence in her own people, we've slid ever lower in potential and actual output. We've simply recycled and marginalized people the way we've simply recycled existing technology.

That's lazy, wasteful and sinfully shameful. "Conservatism" does not entail marginalizing or being wasteful our most precious resources. Neoconservatism does.

There is a wide, wide plain of possibility starting at 1cm to the left of the neowackos. So long as we talk about our mutual strengths and use those to benefit all Americans, this nation will again excel, succeed and lead.