Life grinds our obtuse spots,
if we are aware enough to let it.
© 2012 Peter Free
12 January 2012
What is PeteFree.com trying to do?
This is a not-for-profit website.
Its political portion — more thoroughly explained in the following section — is intended to focus attention on the two most significant problems that the United States faces:
(i) plutocratic control of our government
and
(ii) Americans’ relatively recent penchant for perennial and overextended militarism.
The remainder of this site predominantly addresses important developments in medicine, science, environment, education, and culture.
Occasionally, I add “how to” and “review” blurbs that appear not to have been completely addressed elsewhere.
Scientific matters are treated more comprehensively in my BrainiYak.com blog.
Thesis — the United States is losing freedom’s heritage
Perennial militarism, avarice, and spendthrift lawmaking are undermining this nation’s future.
At the highest levels of society, intelligent behavior, motivated learning, and integrity-based leadership are in retreat.
Today, we consistently elect and appoint a self-interested elite to power. This group is comprised of more than a sprinkling of hypocrites, panderers, and self-aggrandizing cowards.
The United States has become a plutonomy, which is a nuanced synonym for plutocracy.
Wealthy, predominantly corporate, interests have subverted democratic institutions to do their will.
Congress is dysfunctionally worse than useless.
The Supreme Court has reverted to the elite-protecting, anti-modern institution it has historically been.
The Presidency mixes near-regal prerogatives with reality-avoiding ineptitudes.
More specifically . . .
The American plutocracy:
(i) ships our jobs and productive capacities overseas,
(ii) while it avariciously continues the unsustainable expansion of American military occupation(s) around the world,
(iii) which wastefully and immorally kills our military personnel,
(iv) while simultaneously provoking long-lasting resentment from other cultures.
The price of these stupidities
If this oligarchical trend continues, the United States will:
(a) lack the manufacturing and intellectual base it needs to create real wealth — as opposed to the manipulative, pretend-wealth that the financial sector is founded on;
(b) egregiously lower the standard of living for ninety-nine percent of the American population;
(c) provoke violent resistance from foreign nations and cultural movements that legitimately fear a perpetually-at-war America;
and
(d) effectively end meaningful personal freedom for most United States citizens.
Why is plutocracy bad?
One cannot be free and penniless at the same time.
Our personal liberty cannot survive, without the individual sacrifices that are necessary to mutually support each other as an American community.
Plutonomy, plutocracy, plutarchy, oligarchy, and oligopoly are all anti-American.
The goal of American society has never been to support the extraordinary wealth of any “one percent” on the impoverished backs of the remaining ninety-nine percent.
Can we wake up to these threats to American freedom?
Our leaders did not become the self-interested, manipulative liars most of them are, without our participation.
We deceived ourselves. We wanted something for nothing.
Lower taxes and more services? Preaching the virtues of democracy and liberty by killing non-combatant others?
Get real.
Avoiding thought-obscuring emotions would be a good start
Our ideologically-based gut reactions are often wrong. Purely emotional thinking usually ignores Reality.
Irrationality is not the way to wise policy.
Organizationally . . .
Corporations have a social obligation not to ruin the society that gave them the legal authority and protection with which they operate.
Government needs to act in the public interest, rather than as Plutocracy’s Paid Hand.
And the American public needs to recognize that Americanism is an inclusive, rather than an exclusive philosophy.
A better social and economic trajectory is possible, if we act soon
Duty, honor, integrity, and sacrifice are not in short supply.
They are just no longer fashionable.