with no power, nothing to do

I have absolutely nothing in mind as I begin this post. No agenda, no theme. But I suppose I must start somewhere.

Michele hijacked back and posted a couple weeks ago to talk about the Senate debate on the war and to answer some of the questions I posed. I just read through that post and, once again, the part about Americans being a "cowering, inarticulate" people afraid to express any opinions for fear of pissing someone off struck me, as did the bit about America being another "failed political experiment."

Sobering thoughts indeed.

Has anyone read anything serious about the fall of the Roman Empire recently? Or the fall of any empire, really. I haven't, but I'm guessing that there are checkpoints along the way to the downfall of any political, economic, and cultural juggernaut, and I'm wondering how many of those America has passed. Perhaps someone could do some reading and enlighten us. Or maybe I'll do some myself.

As far as people being cowering and inarticulate goes, hmm. Obviously, I am not an expert on the current state of America (which is why I pose so many questions in this blog), but, at least from the things that I read and from the people who respond here, I don't think people are necessarily inarticulate. I think people genuinely don't know what to believe anymore. Let me explain.

Every once in a while, when I gain a flash of interest in politics, I do this little thing where I try to put myself in a vacuum, a vacuum free of all other thoughts and influences and prejudices. And then I think of issues. War. Abortion. Health care. Social services. Etc. Whatever's on my mind, whatever issues I think need to be addressed in any functioning society.

So I go into my little vacuum. Actually, wait. Just as I'm about to go into my little vacuum, I think about what will be my guiding light once inside, because that shit gets fucking dark. So my guiding lights are love and compassion, usually. Something along those lines. So I go into my vacuum and say to myself, "Right. So what's your stance on the war?"

Then I answer myself. "Love and compassion, love and compassion. Well, love and compassion would dictate that we supply all of our troops currently in Iraq with food, clothing, medical supplies, and building supplies. We send them out into the country and have them rebuild destroyed structures along the way. We then re-write the budget so that a chunk of the funds that have gone toward the war effort will now be distributed to those who have lost loved ones. In the meantime, George Bush and his entire staff, along with every member of Congress and every participant in the coalition of the willing, go to Iraq to publically apologize for the unexplained invasion. Once every building has been rebuilt and finances have been distributed evenly to all parties (which could take several years and several billion dollars, but then again, so will the ongoing war), we begin working on changing the hearts and minds of the people who have been hurt or wronged. We establish goodwill running both ways, perhaps we even form a communication system for the parents of dead American soldiers and the relatives of dead Iraqis. Anything to bridge the gaps of fear and hatred and distrust."

So. How does all that sound? Reasonable? No?

Why not? It's more than just love and compassion. It offers practical solutions to the problems. It has a financial component. We're spending all this money on the war anyway, why not redirect it to a more positive solution? It addresses the issues of health care and infrastructure in Iraq. And it will likely reduce terror. Everybody wins.

I like my vacuum.

But then reality sets in, and I start telling myself, "this is impossible. Nobody would go for it." Even you readers of this blog, you who are critical of the war and of the administration, you who are compassionate and free-thinking and "liberal", are no doubt thinking something like 'this guy is fucking nuts.' Or if you're not thinking that, you're thinking that it is impossible, that it will never work.

This, I think, is the problem. On some level, we all agree that my plan is crazy. But that is because we do not, at the moment, believe that something like that is possible. This, I think, is part of the reason why, like I said above, we don't know what we believe. Every ideal we have gets muddled and squashed down by world politics and Red States and Blue States and bureaucracy. Rather than thinking in our vacuums, we are thinking about everything in relation to everything else. Or, worse, we are thinking in terms of everything that runs against what we believe and hope in our hearts.

That, my friends, is fucking bullshit.

I am a believer in the politically-incorrect but aptly-named Great Man Theory. That people come along every so often, people with conviction who are willing to stick to their ideals at all cost, and dramatically change the course of human history. Sometimes they're good guys and gals, sometimes they're bad guys and gals. But they stick to what they see in their hearts in their own little vacuum, and they make it happen in reality.

Now, I realize that even the good guys and gals probably had casualties along the way. And I also realize that if there are 6 million idealists running around the planet bumping into each other, there will be as much conflict around the globe as there is right now.

However, you gotta start somewhere. Think about this question: what is your guiding light? What guides you when you are inside your vacuum thinking about issues that matter? Forget about reality for a second. Decide who you are and what you believe, regardless of whether it is practical or not. That's all for today, class dismissed.