things change into the same...

in America, there is change and then there is the appearance of change----like the TV commercial dominated society we have become, thoughtless wonders we...some ideas that appeal to us because they are cute or trendy, or more likely the opinion of our friends...I call them friend shepherds - they guide a flock of sheepish friends, guiding tastes in clothes, tastes in cool, approving an disapproving, by virtue of superior knowledge of life and happiness. They guide their friends through the perils of life, to the barn in the season of shearing, and of course the season of lamb chops too.
But here we have it, Segregated Public Schools, well segregation by wealth has always been the case here and continued with only small interference from the Civil Rights movement and government policies of progressive administrations--it has been a difficult thing for Americans to give up their idea of privilege. I think the whining Tea Party movement is born of this -- a sense of privilege lost,

how dare they tell me I can't carry my gun in public-- so that everyone will know I am a dangerous man, not to be taken lightly as my appearance might suggest-- having a palatial home, a space age car, and more credit cards than a wallet can hold...is not enough, someone has to lack all those things, many ...most people must lack them, then i feel ...like a real American; [oh and anyone who disagrees should leave the country...taking the memories of your children and family lost in war with you...]

yes, the Tea Party is a reflection of something very insidious indeed, privilege raised to the point of worship. The loss of understanding, the reduction in essential intelligence about a thing-- we must be free to have health insurance on our own, and not as part of a mandate--- we must be free to become burdens on the public, we must be free to be poor and uninsured against our will...

Dorothy Height and Benjamin Hooks died in recent days, Civil rights leaders who gave productive lifetimes to raising the level of life in the US. I also read that parents in Mississippi take their children into racially exclusive schools, not for racially discrimination purposes I'm sure ...but maybe somewhere a friend has been a shepherd.

Maybe the idea is to have more friends like Benjamin Hooks and Dorothy Height, then I would call them...Angels.

there will be war and rumors...

Foreign policy is important, sometimes vital to the nation's economy and security.  A nation that depends increasingly on the jobs we have exported to produce needs and wants is more and more vulnerable to the effects of events everywhere.

The Republican party-- which has centered it's approach on engaging in warfare at every opportunity-- would like to convince the public that:
it has a superior view of American international interests; and
that military policies and foreign policies overlap to an extent that perhaps only humanitarian aid is outside of the scope of military foreign affairs.
The result is that they would keep us at war and  profits from those wars would fuel their political base.  Corporate America is overwhelmingly Republican as is the military leadership, they say.

I have fundamental doubt about the affiliation thing, but the rest is unfortunately true.  It makes life smple for Republican leaders: GET SOMEBODY-- GET THE GAYS, FAMILY VALUES  man + WOMAN= Family.  Get the poor it is their fault they didn't pick rich parents.  Read the bible and support killing in the name of freedom. the art of hiding the ball at its best.

The lack of ideas and meaningful direction in governing the domestic agenda--the reason they are the Party of --No...is that governing is not important to them, war is.  That is the big payoff.  I think they are right, fixing domestic problems is not nearly as expensive nor profitable---quick example-- for the money we spent --no,  wasted in Iraq doing a job that might have been done much better and more quickly by an international effort without an invasion---lets say $1.5 trillion over  eight years--- every child in the US could have had health insurance, a college trust fund, down payment on their first home, and spending mney for weekends at the mall...or a ringside seat at the Iraq civil War, $1.5 Trillion essentially donated to a nation with more oil than political will to find peace.

Oh, I know my Republican friends, I hear your robotic voices - -- if we helped a generation of children become wealthy  and successful it would ruin the country, it would be un-American like giving rights to gay people, or saving lives in New Orleans instead of just finding a way to blame Democrats; but still it shows what you can buy when you pass by the daily special on war in aisle 7 and shop around a bit, many Americans see, there is an appealing sale on CHANGE.

How to measure...Change

Maybe the problem is that today's government is being measured by yesterday's standards, fear and loathing and the rainbow of dread ( I know you want to forget the red, orange chartreuse alerts--but I wont let you...;).  We were whipped into a frenzy to invade Iraq, and when allies insisted on sharing in contracts and rebuilding, they were dismissed. So it shaped up as a painless war, full of high-tech show, an opportunity to reward the people who elected George Bush, many of whom had made money in the first Gulf War--the righteous one- repel the invaders of Kuwait.  This one was not righteous, it was calculated and largely purposed to hide a vulnerable condition of our national defense, re-elect the man who oversaw the terror attacks; and spend as much money as possible before a grief stricken nation began to ask--we are invading who? For what? and why isn't my life as important to you Mr, President as the oppressed majority in Iraq...I mean we need roads, bridges, better education, democracy, economic growth, health insurance, better access to education, --did I mention roads and bridges?--all right here Mr. Bush---the answer was a trillion plus dollars spent in Iraq, which now---wants us out, wants to do business with practically everybody else but US companies, and are running elections that look a lot like Bush's elections, so much for democracy .

Instead of US, our money went to Iraq, we got the Republican style of management, see. e.g. New Orleans, hurricanes and old people...and they are still saying we can't afford to help Americans, still trying to convince people it is right to resent anyone who is not rich, and that it is a good thing for the poor to use their assets --even the lives of their soldier children-- for the benefit of the rich...oh man, if there were a higher superpower on the earth, like China may yet be, they will look at this era in America and say...they were so wrong headed, then found a chance for CHANGE.  Yes even China of the future may one day routinely do much more for its people than we do willingly here, the POLITICS OF RESENTMENT RUN DEEP, AND ONE PARTY HAS MADE IT,... ITS LIFE BLOOD.