Recently across europe there have been the centenary commemorations and in some cases 'celebrations' of the start of WW1. Someone asked me what I thought of these. Unfortunately I always speak my mind. My take was that we will never forget. But, this was only an opportunity for the politicians to 'showboat' and the 'univolved' to posture. The vets from these wars were treated, in many cases, like dogs by their governments and politicians and many lived in poverty due to their mental, physical and emotional injuries. Now wouldn't it have been far better to have looked after these vets better rather than waste the cash on governments posturing albeit not many who fought are even alive today, if any. It makes me mad and sad that these guys were never looked after properly and their mental, physical and emotional conditions never attended to during their lives but the 'great and the good' uninvolved can now 'showboat' on the back of these ordinary guys. Many will say that was a long time ago and things have changed since, but have they, really, I wonder. Yes, we will never forget but the politians should quietly reflect upon these terrible conflicts not 'showboat' as a 'platform' for electioneering popularity. I often wonder whether others feel the same as I do or am I just another 'angry' voice in the wilderness.

 

I doubt you are just another 'angry' voice in the wilderness. I'm pretty sure your feelings are those of a large number of people. The key, to my mind, is how do you process that anger. How do you turn those strong emotions into action in an effort to do something positive?

I don't think a day goes by that I don't get into a political or philosophical discussion where I reiterate the words of Lotte Scharfman, "democracy is not a spectator sport." Sadly, here in the US (and I'm sure in the UK as well) we've come to treat politics as though it was a game and a poorly attended one at that. We love to talk about how bad things are and how we would or could do better. However, how many people actually do anything but grumble and change the channel on their TV.

People like to talk about how government is out of control and unresponsive to the needs of people. Well, when politicians have to raise millions of dollars to protect their hard won seats in office, why would they listen to you or me. We aren't the ones funding their election campaigns on TV. In fact, our efforts have been dramatically minimized thanks to recent Supreme Court decisions like Citizen's United and McCutcheon.

The point that I'm getting to is that we all need to channel that anger we all feel into something positive and constructive. For motivation look to people like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Lech Walesa and the countless others who, through their acts, motivated positive change in millions.

Another quote I like to cite is Margret Meade's. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Me, I'm committed to working with a group of people trying to convince a majority of states to hold a Constitutional Convention to adopt an amendment to change campaign financing laws in the US. To me, it all starts with electing representatives free of the need to go begging to money, especially from large, monied interests. Once we've changed the way campaigns are paid for, we can go about electing people who will remain responsive to their constituents.

In a short time, California and Vermont have agreed to hold Constitutional Conventions for the purpose of creating an amendment to the Constitution about campaign finance. Most Americans are unaware that we do not have to go to Congress for them to create a Constitutional Amendment. In fact, if 2/3rds of the states hold a Constitutional Convention and pass an amendment, it becomes law without any help from Congress.

People these days like to talk about the prescience of our founding fathers. Sometimes, I'm a little dubious but in this case, this addition to the Constitution was a brilliant way to insure that, in times of little faith in our elected officials doing the right thing, there remains a way to insure that our government is responsive to its citizens.

Wolf PAC


PS Offroadfrance I know you're British and most of the particulars I've mentioned have little to do with you but thought you offered the perfect opening. And, believe me, we are on the same page with regards to the way we treat our veterans.

 

Well thought through and detailed reply Paul and so very true. The country may be different but the general ethos remains the same.


We are definitely reading from the same page Paul. The political arena wherever always seems so self indulgent and self serving. It's a trait that runs through most government establishments. It usually boils down to power and greed as per your payday loans vid posted elsewhere.

I would like to believe they treat their own better vis the forces veterans but sadly they are treated with even less respect than the voting taxpayer and even worse once retired.

Problem is that one can campaign against many things but it's OK when one has the vitality but as you get older and more cynical the enthusiam for the fight deminishes and you realise the 'establishment' and ruling classes always win. This isn't my particular 'cop out' but more of a 'bids eye view' of the 'establishment' behaviour and the associated realities. Many have fought against the 'establishment' and against injustices but it's very difficult and expensive. We have been fighting them for almost 5 years now over a covered up error and then the 'invlountary euthanasia' of an elderly relative in a state hospital and it absorbs a disproportionate amount of time and energy, including emotional energy. As for the costs to date - don't even go there, lawyers, paperwork and trips back to the UK are very expensive. I'll win in the end or die trying and hopefully expose the wrong doings so many suffered over the period of a decade or so.

 

I am in my mid 50's. I was arrested back in the late 1970's protesting at Monsanto's corporate headquarters. I have always been involved in a variety of progressive causes. I have tried, as best I as can, to remain active however I've reached a point where my money, oft times does better than my physical presence. I give what I can. The fight never ceases.

The one thought I find solace in, as I get older, is that movement has always been, inexorably, in a positive direction. We have moved, in the blink of an eye (when thinking of how long man has trod about) from the harshest realities of a few hundred years ago to a remarkably fortunate existence today. The movement continues. Yes, there are events and issues that slow us or temporarily sidetrack us but the fact remains that we are moving in the right direction.

On the issue of veterans and their care, while we are horribly remiss today, we are still better than we were in 1914, just 100 years ago. Where we will be in 2114, who knows but my bet is on an even better level of care for our veterans, our poor, our mentally ill, all who are in need.

We get too wrapped up in the present to allow ourselves the opportunity to step back in time and observe how things once were. I laugh when I hear white, middle class Americans yearn for the wonderful days of the 1950's and Leave it to Beaver. How would they have felt about those times if they were African American or Latino or Socialists or Gay?

I am guilty of this as much as the next person. I'll rail against issues, events, ect. and will, absentmindedly comment about how much better is was in the past. We all do it. But an honest reflection and evaluation quickly brings into focus how much better off we are today. No doubt, the recent downturns in the economy have us doubting the future now more than ever. But, don't you think your parents and grandparents were voicing similar concerns in the 1930's?

We live in a moment and that moment is only a sliver in time barely giving us, regardless of our age, the prescience to know with authority what is next to come. All we have is what has come before, history, and the arc of history is a mighty positive one. We have to accept that we are but a small part in the machinery but an important one, nonetheless.

 

You are perfectly correct Paul, we all romantisize about when we were young back in the 40's, 50's, 60's but in truth on reflection things were just as tough if not tougher than today. I still have an ongoing legal battle with the aurhorities in the UK which has raged for 5 years now and it's a matter of principle not only for my M in L but all elderly, infirm and vulnerable people. You are right, the old vets were treated badly over decades and in recent years things have improved for them but it galls me to see the politicians 'showboating' at their expense when the money could be put to better use. Although I don't really worry about the direction of this planet for the future after my demise I often wonder what will eventually be the norm and whether people will become more internationally tolerant of others shortcomings or whether the world will still polarise at a cultural or national level and hates and petty dislikes will prevail ad nauseam. As you say, we live a mere sliver of time in the overall big scheme and our passing through as a guardian of that era should always leave some good marks and improvements but no footsteps. The problem as I perceive it today is the big corporations where some are totally unprincipled like the Monsanto's and they are greed and profit driven for the upper echelon and shareholders at the expense of the little guys. The issue is how does one bring them to book and to heel to 'toe the line' of acceptable principles, I suppose if we knew that we could change so many injustices. Onwards and upwards ................ motto ....................... 'never give up 'cos that's what they want/expect'