two very serious months ...

Yesterday, as the President finished his speech at the RNC convention. It was ok - a good summation of what needs to be done in the Republicans' point of view. And a few weeks ago I heard what the Democrats think what should be done. Each convention put on a nice show. And both had divergent theories ... or did they? There was at least one convergence. They both say they are America, the hope for the World. I tend to agree with both of them. So in what form does the world ... or more important America need this hope?

So we think about it. We need jobs? Yes, we need jobs. We need to keep our jobs here in the country, sure ... but I wonder if job loss is the result of policy or just the normal evolution of economics. I need healthcare insurance. We all do, some we can afford. Why is it so expensive though?

Education, who doesn’t want fair education for all? Neither of the parties address that what really is wrong with education: parental involvement. The majorities of citizens use public education as day care, and assume their children are learning to read. Joining your children in their school athletics, drama, music or other extracurricular activities, is good but it doesn’t count alone. Alone it's just a surreal attempt of reliving your childhood through your children. If you’re not involved in the books more than the bleachers, get out of the bleachers.

I don't see an apocalypse in the markets. I don't know of anybody that's lost a car or home that didn't deserve it through immature personal finance. Unemployment trends do bother me. But I have feeling it's a lag in adapting to again to the economic evolution of our country. Especially where our social evolution seems to be taking us. We can't fool ourselves to think we are still a rural economy, that started its end in 1901. Now we have to come to the realization that we are at the wane of a manufacturing economy. But what now? We came from the fields, to the factories to ... where? Information economy? Hyper-service economy? Who knows, we are just starting to see it, and have yet to identify it. And we are whining about it because we don't know where it's going from here. We must adapt or perish. We will survive our slow adaptation to economic evolution, we always do.

And speaking of perishing. There is a more pressing matter to our survival. And we must adapt to all this kind of change, and all threats to our species. The American Species. It is hard to disregard that our species is at threat. But when there is a physical - philosophical threat to our species we cannot afford to adapt slow. We adapt slow - we die.

I remember September 11th 2001. I was recently laid off from a job. I had a new baby, a new wife, and a new home. And although I was worried about my economic stability, I didn't feel any physical threat to my own life, nor my family. I was watching TV that morning when the news cut away to the coverage in lower Manhattan. It was a dream, a horrible horrible dream. I then felt some worry of threat. Real threat. The kind of threat I felt for four years at the end of the cold war when I was wearing a uniform. As a G.I. you shrug off the reality. That even though your are in a dangerous world, you get through. No, bullets didn't go over my head, in combat anyway. But I do remember one trip to Central America that felt too real. And the 18 months I slept within artillery range of North Korea wasn't always fun. Don't kid yourself the world is very dangerous. Its not just talk to frighten people ... it just is. The 'Superpowers' could have wiped human life off the planet from 1950 to 1990 with one hellish firework display and very cold black poisonous winter. No, the world isn't a safe place. But should we live in fear?

The cold war ended. And only the mess needs to be cleaned up. As we cleaned up the mess a new horrid brooding vermin bred in the world. Terrorism isn't new. I remember many such news stories in my youth. I didn't understand the seriousness of the IRA, why the Marine barracks in Lebanon was blown up. I didn't understand the hijacks, the planes exploding over Scotland. It became an issue in ‘other’ places around the world. Until September 11th, 2001.

So which administration can lead us in the destruction of this vile scourge? Probably the best one is the one in place now that’s been trying to snuff it out for the last three years. Have they failed enough to switch? Most likely no, we’ve just started and this will last long past anybody’s second term. Will the Democrats do better? Maybe. But do we gamble with this?

I’m a middle of the road, independent voter and citizen. I am for anyone that has demonstrated that they can do the job, and all the jobs. I do not think the Republicans can handle all the jobs. They’ve blown the budget out of the water. They middle class is thinning out into a debt burdened consumption monster that needs saving and discipline. The lower class (still much higher than many places in the world) is scraping by. The upper class appears to be doing better, perhaps in aim to help the economy recover. But to rely on their generosity is foolish.

What I don’t like about Republicans: the far right GOP seems to want to steer us into a one nation, one God, one right, one wrong . . . self righteous, outwardly judgmental nation of the outwardly pure. It seems to me the far right GOP has re-wrote history thinking infant America was a homogenous religious colony. No, it was an economic colony. Most of the founding fathers were people of God. But they were also students of the Magna Carta, they were capitalist, they were Quakers, Protestants, Deists, Catholics, Agnostics and Atheists. They were idealists, dreamers, adventurers brave and true … they were also, land grabbers, slave traders, racists, chauvinists and pirates. They were inventors, farmers, writers, soldiers, traders, missionaries, fathers, mothers, sons and daughters. The founding fathers and primordial citizens were just as diverse then as they are now. Furthermore, I don’t feel any male human being has a right to make a decision about a female’s body. The last time heard about this it was called rape. I hate abortion. But I can’t give birth, I can’t have an abortion, I can’t make that decision as a male.

I hate the death penalty. For three simple reasons: It isn’t a deterrent, it isn’t justice, and it’s revenge. Second it’s bringing the State to the level of the murder. Third, radical fundamentalist nations, dictators and fanatical theocracies use capital punishment to control their populations.

What I love about Republicans is equal in weight. They appear to be more decisive, consistent and committed. They promote self reliance and accountability. I do like their idea of a hand up instead of a hand out. For the most part I believe in their economics. Trickle down does make sense, if it trickles down fast enough to avoid people on the bottom from falling off. Investment and ownership is very important. I do appreciate their wish for smaller government, I’m not sure they’ve actually achieved that but it is a good aspiration. I do like the promotion of most values. Christ-like values are the most ideal in any western civilization, I just don’t think you need to be a Christian to get credit for living those values. And I do value a strong almost hawkish flavor of militarism that the current administration has demonstrated. It is required in these times, it was necessary in the cold war. There is and was no choice. When there is no more threat then we can put up our guns.

I the GOP are better dressed. I don’t know why I said that. I just seems that way to me.

The Democrats are equally bad or good in my eyes. The far left Democrats are dissolved and diluted. They tend to take on all issues focusing on none. They hug a tree but don’t know fully why, they oppose war but don’t understand that it’s a necessary tool sometimes. Sometimes the promote equal rights at the expense of individual rights. They’ve turned trade unions into lobby power bases instead of labor rights advocates. They seem indecisive. The seem to promote government intrusion to private lives . . . of course the Republicans do this too, just are more particular how and when.

What I do like is their since of fairness, and the strive to have a safety net for all citizens. The mission to protect the weak from big business and big government. A more subtle approach to foreign policy. Patient, but on some things too patient. Explain your case before the United Nations, but don’t require the UN’s permission for anything. Work with other nations, but don’t concede to other nations. I think we’ve earned the right to take such a stand. I like the sense of protecting diversity. More acceptant of the variations in our population. I don’t think civilization if going to collapse if homosexuals get married. More willing to sacrifice more for the protection of the environment. More artfully expressive, less oppressed. I admire the ambition to protect the poor without requiring a tithing of faith first.

And of course the democrats get all the hot chicks.

These are just the extreme of the parties. I know there is a clump a mass of majority citizens that sit either left or right the ideal middle. I would also risk saying they, with myself included probably out number either of the parties. We are truly patient. We wait to hear all sides. We love the environment but not at the expense of people. But that doesn’t mean keeping obsolete industries alive at the expense of the environment. We’re pro-life and pro-choice. We promote freedom of practicing religion but also the freedom from requiring to practice religion to be considered an equal citizen. We see through lies, hypocrisy, spin and political tricks. We love football and musical theatre. We promote individual accountability and social welfare. We believe in fiscal accountability and honestly. If we really need a program then fund it, but don’t tell us you’re not going to tax us. Cut the fat out of government. Compromise more in congress. We don’t send you there to represent us at all cost. We send you there to represent our wishes not to deadlock government, don’t waste time, money and crying out loud quit creating division in government where there isn’t any in the population. That’s just congressional and administrative arrogance. Promote all ethical science. Practice ethical and balanced foreign policy. Then just maybe so many fanaticals won’t hate us so much.

We so much want a party in the middle. But honestly we will always have a two party system. The trick is to have them melt into the middle instead of ripping in opposite directions.

I do not know how I’m going to vote. I think we need some safety nets that have been torn down. I think we need to be taxed evenly. I think we need to be represented evenly. I think we need to be even stronger militarily. I think we also need to sure about why we fight, be honest. If we can wait do, if we can’t don’t. For pete’s sake double check your intelligence. If a mad man is controlling oil, and keeping in power by torturing and killing his own citizens maintain that power. That’s good enough reason for me. Torturing and killing people will always be a reason to intercede by force. If you don’t know if there is terrorist affiliation or weapons of mass destruction. Find out! If people in this world are being oppressed and tortured and the responsible government refuses to change the situation. You have my permission to go in there and stop it. Don’t let it get out of hand. President Bush was right to invade Iraq but for the wrong reasons. Clinton ordered bombers on Serbia to stop genocide. Right reason. We let down the Iraqi people 10 years ago.

And terrorism. The scourge of the planet. We need to stop it by force anywhere anytime without warning. The terrorist stop at no boundaries, neither should we. We must inspire the world citizens to fight with their bare hands if necessary to defeat this cancer. Anyway I rattle on ….

…. I don’t know yet how I will vote this November. I do know we have to prioritize the war on terror. It’s the only war we should be fighting. The American citizens and the congress will take care of the domestic issues. Leave the administration of values to our clergy, parents and families. The president and the military should focus on the security of the nation and the fight on terror. If you don’t believe this … then read this article. “Russia Standoff Ends in Bloodshed for 200”

This could be a school in our neighborhood someday.

Please Vote … and vote with the big picture in mind. We will survive with either President, at least for four years … just think through the next two months, seriously. Think beyond four years.