As a follow up to my recent essay submitting that the 2016 Presidential Election has actually done a favor to America by exposing the hypocrisy of all political persuasions, I decided to review the official 2016 party platforms of the Republican, Democrat and Libertarian parties. (links provided to each for your reading pleasure) I focused really on each respective Preamble rather than specific policy intents, primarily because the preamble contains those statements and beliefs upon which the policies purport to derive.

Not surprisingly, all three mantras are filled with similar expressions of who they think they are. Not surprisingly there are many similarities in the overarching “value statements” even though each party would have you believe that they are very different from each other. I boiled out the main points for each, and adjusted them to the first person perspective so you can review them yourself. However, I also added some color (literally and figuratively) to show how I understand the adherents of each party actually internalizes these values, based on the behavior of the last several decades worth of American political attitudes and realities, and in particular what has bubbled to the surface in this election cycle. There will always be bad ideas and good ideas in governing. We will not always all agree. But we simply cannot continue our present course and hope to ever surmount the challenges we face today.

Agree or disagree- your choice. But as I alluded yesterday, when you look into the mirror and fail to recognize your own shortcomings, or worse yet, insist that others are to blame for all your problems, we all lose. In that spirit, I propose my own political platform at the end of the article. I invite you all to join me in restoring some semblance of sanity to the conversation.

(In no particular order…..)

2016 REPUBLICAN PLATFORM

I believe in American exceptionalism. (Despite evidence that America falls behind many other industrialized countries in many measurable categories)

I affirm that all are created equal, endowed with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Unless they are illegal immigrants, Muslim, LGBTQ, female, atheist, or Democrats)

I believe the Constitution was not written as a flexible document, but as an enduring covenant. (Except for the parts about corporations being equal to people. All amendments after the 10th (Bill of Rights) are probably unworthy since they weren’t part of the original document.)

I believe our constitutional system — limited government, separation of powers, federalism, and the rights of the people — must be preserved uncompromised for future generations. (Except for things like drug laws, reproductive rights, unborn people, aide to Israel, and corporate welfare rules- those should all be mandated by the government regardless of my claim to support limited government.)

I believe political freedom and economic freedom are indivisible. (Especially for corporate money in politics and the right to avoid taxes.)

I believe that people are the best stewards of our country’s natural resources. (And by people, I really mean private business – there should be no restrictions on private business with regard to land use and environmental quality.)

I wish for peace — so I insist on strength. (I mean I insist on forcing other countries to bow to our will.)

The men and women of our military remain the world’s best. (But the leadership of the military are a bunch of idiots.)

I seek friendship with all peoples and all nations. (And by friendship I really mean fealty. Except for Muslims. And gays. And atheists.)

Our economy has become weak with stagnant wages. (And the only solution is lower taxes on the wealthy.)

Our standing in world affairs has declined. (Because the world won’t do what we tell them to do.)

Remove the power from unelected, unaccountable government. (By power I mean regulations on companies, judges who don’t agree with me all the time, and protesters.)

Relieve government regulations. (Like, totally.)

Return to people and states the control and power to make  decisions about what’s best for themselves, families and communities. (Unless those decisions have to do with unwanted pregnancies, who can get married, or anything to do with guns.)

(Next….)

2016 DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM

Out of many, we are one. (But I generally don’t like right-wingers.)

Wages have barely budged and the racial wealth gap remains wide. (And the only solution is higher taxes on the rich.)

Congress is full of gridlock and dysfunction instead of finding solutions to the real challenges we face. (But that’s only because of the Republicans refusing to compromise. It’s not Democrats fault….as much.)

Cooperation is better than conflict, unity is better than division, empowerment is better than resentment. (Unless you don’t agree with our policy positions that is.)

We are stronger when we have an economy that works for everyone. (But especially the public sector employees and their unions.)

I need an economy that prioritizes long-term investment over short-term profit-seeking, rewards the common interest over self-interest, and promotes innovation and entrepreneurship. (This is mostly just because it sounds great, but I strongly value nepotism in awarding long-term contracts and have no problem when tax schemes are diverted into pet projects.)

I know that our nation’s long struggle with race is far from over. (And I will use this as a distraction instead of adopting real plans to change this reality.)

I believe a good education is a basic right of all Americans. (But don’t worry too much about how they get it or what constitutes “good.”)

I firmly believe that the greed, recklessness, and illegal behavior on Wall Street must be brought to an end. (Just so long as it doesn’t screw up my 401k or harm my investments personally.)

I will fight to end the broken campaign finance system. (And by fight I mostly mean say it’s bad while doing very little to end it, especially if it helps my candidate.)

I believe that climate change poses a real and urgent threat to our economy, our national security, and our children’s health and futures. (But I’ll actually do very little to make changes in my lifestyle to help.)

I believe we should strengthen our alliances, not weaken them. (But I don’t really know how to do this because I still think we’re the best around.)

I believe in the power of development and diplomacy. (Absolutely. Almost always.)

I believe our military should be the best-trained, best-equipped fighting force in the world, and that we must do everything we can to honor and support our veterans. (But really can’t we all just get along?)

I respect differences of perspective and belief. (Except for those on the right. Primarily those on the right.)

I believe in protecting and guaranteeing civil rights and voting rights for all citizens. (Because there is never a good reason not to, right?)

(finally…)

2016 LIBERTARIAN PLATFORM

I seek a world of liberty. (And by liberty I mean leave me then hell alone.)

I believe all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one should be forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others. (So like, no taxes man. Because I can build my own road and put out my own fire and educate my own family.)

I believe that only through individual freedom can peace and prosperity be realized. (And by freedom I mean leave me the hell alone.)                                

I defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest, and welcome the diversity that freedom brings. (So really, fewer rules and laws are best. No regulations because corporations will naturally do what is best for everyone.)

I seek a world where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government or any authoritarian power. (Who cares if you want to marry your pet horse, cut down all the trees that block your view, or dump paint in the local water source. I mean, if that’s your DREAM….)

(Another way…)

A MORE RATIONAL PLATFORM

I believe that no one country is better than another simply because they claim to be.

All are created equal, endowed with inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Our Constitution is a valuable guide but can change with modern needs and expectations.

Limited government is great for some things, but where people can’t agree or where corporations cause harm or where we all need to share resources, government has a role.

I seek friendship with all peoples and all nations so long as they seek the same from me. If they choose to not seek friendship that doesn’t automatically make them my enemy.

Cooperation is better than conflict and empowerment is better than resentment- but compromise for the good of most over the good of a few should be the guiding principal.

I believe in the power of diplomacy.

I believe in protecting the civil rights of all citizens.

I believe a comprehensive education is a basic right, as are health care, clean water, air, food and shelter.

All people have a right to not be judged on race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other difference over which there no personal control.

I respect differences of perspective and belief and encourage healthy debate instead of belittlement of others.

I defend each person’s right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and honest.

I seek a world where individuals are free to follow their own dreams in their own ways, but within the agreed upon constraints of society.

I believe that government in general should not bind itself indefinitely to most things and should expect changes as attitudes change over time, provided they always remain committed to fostering betterment in the world for all.

I believe in freedom of thought and speech, but not speech or thought based in discrimination, hate, or retribution.

I believe in a fair economy, one which rewards innovation and hard work without penalizing lower skilled tasks.

I believe in shared responsibility and shared benefits for the common resources, new technology and infrastructure.

I believe politicians should have limited power and terms and that governance shouldn’t be a “zero sum proposition.”

I believe that governments and individuals together have a duty to protect, preserve, manage, and develop our natural world in ways that promote longevity of resources, minimize short and long term destruction and foster renewability while looking out for the other species on this planet.

I believe military power should always be a last resort, should never be used to advance a single national ideology, and a shared responsibility by all nations who seek to work together.

I believe that no one person or profession is innately superior to another due simply to their current station in life.

A fair, responsible, fact based news media is vital to cooperation and rational discourse. Jaded or politicized reporting hurts us all.

I believe that religion in general has no place in governance so long as a plethora of religious thought exists.

Nothing would make me happier than a wholesale abandonment of our current party system towards something even slightly more agreeable. Let me know if you want to join the “Rational Party.”

The title of this post sounds a lot like a high school essay assignment, and in some ways I feel like it could be. Election 2016 has much in common with adolescence-from the nasty name calling to the easily debunked fallacies, from the widespread rumors to the false friendships- that it would be more appropriate as a class election than one for the leader of this country. Yet as I realize this truth, I also finally understand that this election cycle deserves more than just contempt. Instead, Election 2016 should be celebrated, for in this election the fallacy of American excellence has finally been laid bare for all to see. The notion that American democracy is pure, that American voters are responsible, that Americans  want decent leaders, and that Americans as a people value equality, respect, tolerance, progress, and basic human goodness….all those ideals have been exposed as little more than window dressing at a bankruptcy liquidation sale.

We’ve known for some time now that our politics are broken. We’ve known that our media is corrupted. We’ve known that equality as an ideal we’re far from realizing. We’ve known all this and yet been pretending the opposite is the truth, blaming “the other side” as the cause of all misinformation and negativity while lapping up the same drivel from our own “truth bringers” as we demonize those who support whatever we don’t personally abide. These things didn’t happen overnight, but Election 2016 bubbled them all up to the surface in such a way as to force anyone paying attention to either admit that everything is broken or be exposed as a total tool living in a house of cards.

Republicans can no longer deny that their base is heavily populated by racists, bigots, hypocrites and liars.

Democrats can no longer deny that their base is heavily populated by nepotists, apologists, hypocrites and liars.

Libertarians, Greens, and Independents can’t deny that their groups are heavily populated by contrarians, deniers, excusers, hypocrites and liars.

The media can no longer pretend to be unbiased, truthful, thoughtful or investigative.

And America can no longer pretend to hold the high ground when it comes to democracy.

“Hold on there partner!” you might be saying to yourself as you read my condemnation of nearly every person around. I’m a (insert political persuasion here) and I’m not a (insert negative attribute here). Take a good long look in the mirror. Yes you are. And so am I if the truth is to be told.

We are all guilty of one or more of the aspects I’ve associated with the political persuasions listed above- and in some cases it’s just a part of human nature. At some point or another we have all told a lie or been part of a hypocritical conflict, decrying the position or behavior of another while secretly indulging our own internal demons. And while we’re not all racists, bigots, nepotists or contrarians, this election has exposed that a vast percentage of America is one or more of those things. We’re an unruly mob of ugliness when it comes to politics, and in some cases, when it comes to our deep beliefs too.

How else can you explain the tacit acceptance of the filth that Donald Trump puts forth daily? How else can you explain the ability to brush aside the barely legal activities of Hillary Clinton? How else can you explain the unrealistic positions of Johnson or Stein? How else can you explain the wavering of the great mass of “undecideds” who will throw in behind one of these candidates? When Hillary Clinton spoke of baskets of deplorable she should have included more than just the supporters of Trump- she should have included us all and put herself, Trump, and the other candidates at the top of the heap.

Listen, nobody is perfect, and I’m not expecting them to be, but let’s at least be honest with ourselves and recognize that what seems like a vile departure from decency is really just an unvarnished look behind the mask of who we really are. You can’t consider yourself a good religious person and then reduce the behavior of the two main candidates as mere foibles while decrying the other one as “the destruction of all that America stands for.” You can’t consider yourself to be intellectually honest and then craft excuses about why certain behavior should be overlooked because “that’s how it’s done” or “well the other side did it first.” What we have to recognize here, and to say out loud, is that America needs an intervention or we really will become that proverbial demagogue of international humanity.

It’s time to step back from our self-imposed brinksmanship and accept that we need to become better people. It’s time to stop making excuses for each other’s worst behavior while fomenting our own discord. It’s time to put an end to divisive politics for sure, but also to divisive living in general.

It;s OK to disagree on the amount of and proper use of taxes. It’s OK to debate whether or not we should provide support to other countries or explore outer space or how to educate our children or protect our citizens.

But it’s not OK to devalue each other based on race or gender or sexual orientation or personal religious beliefs. It’s not OK to support others who would divide us for their own personal gain. It’s not OK to turn away from the hypocrisy others only to embrace it for yourself.

All these things have been boiling under the surface of our “polite society” for far too long. Finally, thanks to the 2016 Presidential Election, we are seeing ourselves for who we are. It’s not a pretty picture and we have some serious work to do moving ahead. Our next president is going to be someone none of us should admire. Deal with it. But let’s perhaps take the next four years to actually make ourselves better-as people, as parties, as a country. Let’s work on us, and demand better than this from our leadership- political leaders, business leaders, spiritual leaders-and come back as a better country altogether.

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.  To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

-Colin Kaepernick

I’ve heard a lot recently about how a professional athlete’s refusal to honor the American flag and anthem before a sporting event is probably the most indecent thing any American citizen can ever do.

I’ve heard it from friends, acquaintances, co-workers, and many multitudes I’ll never know through articles and social media posts.

To all those so quick to condemn actions they may not even understand, or worse yet, refuse to attempt to comprehend and see only the pale surface of what they think is going on I have a few things to say of my own, starting with this: Calm the fuck down.

If you are among the offended, which is your right incidentally, ask yourself a few simple questions to determine if your outrage is genuine or simply a product of our never-ending and ever divisive new media culture.

Question One: When watching a televised sporting event, or when listening to one on radio, do you demand silence from yourself and your viewing/listening partners for the duration of the anthem or pledge?

Question Two: Again, when watching TV or listening on radio, do you put down your beer or your bowl of chips, standing reverently in silence, hand over heart, staring at the televised image of the flag?

Question Three: Do you heartily condemn others as a regular part of your life when you notice them not honoring the anthem or pledge as much as you’ve done so in this case or do you give people “a pass?”

Question Four: Do you even own an American flag? And if so, do you display it, honor it, treat it reverently?

Question Five: Do you object to the image of the flag on sports helmets or uniforms?

(EXTRA CREDIT)

Question Four: Do you have any knowledge of the history behind the pledge, or the fact that “Under God” was only added to the pledge 50+ years after it’s original conception, and only then to bolster the “red scourge” of McCarthyism in American politics, a time of irresponsible witch hunts in American society?

Question Five: Were you aware that there are additional verses to the national anthem that specifically rejoice the subjugation of African-Americans?

I don’t really need to hear your answers to these questions, they are simply for you to reflect upon as you bask in your righteous indignation at one man’s refusal to honor a symbol in the same way you choose to. But I’m going to take a shot in the dark here and assume that (a) you don’t put down your beer or silence your football guests; (b) you don’t generally berate strangers who aren’t standing at attention during the anthem or pledge; (c) you’re probably not aware that flag code prohibits flag patches on athletic uniforms or costumes; and (d) that your actual knowledge of American flag and anthem history is limited to something you heard briefly in grade school. And actually, that’s all OK.

What isn’t OK is to demonize another American citizen for exercising their constitutional rights of freedom of speech, which includes peaceful protest. What isn’t OK is to fine a person for that same activity or to threaten their livelihood or personal security. Agreeing to disagree, even over closely held personal beliefs, without resorting to threats or violence or retribution….now that IS the American way.

America, while a fantastic country with immeasurable freedoms and remarkable opportunities, also has a dark and torrid history, especially for people of color which includes African-Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, Latin Americans….basically anyone who isn’t a white male with a particular religious association. Sadly, much of the dark parts of our history are either ignored or glossed over in our schools. When confronted with this reality, the reality that America is not now, nor has it ever been a perfect example of humanity, some people ask how to make it better while others simply pretend the opposite is true. When given the opportunity to learn and understand the serious issues still facing our culture and to seek common solutions that live up to the spirit of the words in the preamble of our Constitution, some will shine a light on injustice while others will don shades.

This particular protest is not about dishonoring the people who fought in wars (some just, some not so much), or stirring up controversy for fame. It’s about one more man calling attention to a problem that never seems to go away in a way that will make some people take another look at what they believe and why they believe it. If your flag and anthem mean so much to you, if the freedom they purport to embody has any real meaning at all, understand that they hold the same freedom for everyone, they propose the same promise to us all, and that when the reality doesn’t match the rhetoric perhaps you too are obligated to call attention, to make a stand, to right a wrong. The symbols are meaningless if they are simply icons of blind allegiance.

Whether or not you agree with how a person makes a statement is less telling than how you react to their statement. If you do not understand their intent, ask for clarification instead of putting forth condemnation. We are all here together. We have a long ways to go towards perfection.

P.O. Box 19734

Irvine, CA 92623-9734

Attn: Customer Assistance Center 

January 10, 2011

Dear Mazda-

My 1995 Mazda 626 (DX) just hit 300,000 miles and all I can say is, “Thank you for such a fantastic car!”

When I originally purchased this car in Lincoln, Nebraska, I had no idea what a dependable vehicle I was getting. At the time, all I knew was that the 626 looked good, drove good, and had that groovy “swing” feature for the central air vents. I remember thinking that those oscillating vents were the coolest feature I’d ever seen in a car, and the “swing” button was quite the conversation starter.

Now, well over a dozen years later and road trips across the country, this fantastic car has more than met my expectations for what a quality car should be. For the record, I am not a “car guy.” I don’t perform vehicle maintenance myself (though I do have some mechanical abilities). In fact, when it comes to regular servicing and such, I am pretty lackadaisical about following regular guidelines. I frequently would let the mileage go 5-7 thousand miles beyond the recommended time between  oil changes! But for all the driving and “abuse” that this car has seen, I couldn’t have asked for a more reliable vehicle.

I have had NO serious mechanical or performance issues with this vehicle-EVER! Sure, I’ve replaced the timing belt twice, put in a new radiator (some time ago), had the front axle replaced, and swapped out catalytic converters twice, but the motor and manual transmission are all original, as is pretty  much everything else except for filters, tires and brakes. From a mechanical perspective, this car has been unbeatable. (I should note that I have owned several vehicles to date, both foreign and domestic.)

The exterior paint is still original (Sahara Gold), though it is now fading badly in several areas, and the interior’s better days passed by several years ago, but all things considered, I’d keep driving this car for another 300,000 miles if I could. Sadly, these past few years (and tens of thousands of miles) have made it very difficult to continue to pass ever-tightening state emissions testing and I can’t continue to justify pouring hundreds of dollars (or more) to keep it on the road, since the resale value is next to zero. So from a financial stand point, it just makes sense to retire it now.

But I’m retiring it with much sadness. Where else could I find a new car that can so readily achieve 30+ MPG both in town, on the freeway, and stuck in rush hour traffic- even after all those miles? Where else could I find a car with such tight handling and smooth driving performance- even after all those miles? Where else will I ever find another “swing” feature???

I know that 300,000 miles isn’t any kind of vehicular longevity record, but it sure is for me, and considering that I’m still running with the original engine and transmission, I think this proves that somebody in your company knows how to make a car that will last. For this, I sincerely thank you all.

I’ll be taking over my wife’s ’02 Mitsubishi Lancer now, which is also a nice car, even with its 105,000+ mileage, but not nearly the performer that my good old 626 has been.

I have not yet decided just how I’ll retire this wonderful car of mine. I’ve been thinking of donating it to one of those charity outfits and taking the tax credit. I’ve been thinking of sending it off to the car graveyard (read-junkyard). I’ve been wondering if I could even sell it outright for a few hundred dollars to some needy person. No matter what I decide, I know this- I will surely miss this car a great deal…from its manual hand-crank windows to its non-power locks to its unreadable stock AM/FM/Cassette stereo system (by the way- these stock speakers really can put out the tunes!) to the very special “swing” feature. 

I even considered giving it back to you as a testament to its greatness-(when researching how to reach you to send this letter, I noticed that your corporate headquarters is just up the road from me in Irvine. I live in Oceanside, California.)-but doubt you’re actually interested in getting back an old 626. (If you are interested, drop me a line- we could work something out!)

In closing let me just say that the next time I’m in the market for another vehicle, I’ll be shopping the Mazda’s first, hoping to find something as reliable and affordable as this 1995 626 (DX) has been for me. I can only hope you folks will still be producing such great cars when that day comes.

Sincerely,

Ken Grandlund

One VERY Satisfied customer

PS- I’m enclosing a picture of the car and the odometer reading for you. Maybe you have a nice bulletin board like they have at the vet’s office that you can pin these up to.

Freedom, in the modern American teenager vernacular, came to me 20 years ago. By freedom I mean, of course, high school graduation. Finally, my own man…FOR REAL! Well, at least sort of. I can almost recall the elation at the prospects which lay before me. I had plans…and alternate plans too…one way or another, things were going to be great. 20 years ago….the world was my oyster.

But not just my oyster alone. My friends and classmates were also jumping into the world, each in their own fashion, each in their own direction. Some were headed to college, others to the military. Some, like myself, went right to work in an attempt to support myself while I figured which plan to follow. Looking back on 20 years, I’m sure very few of us kept to the path we so headily envisioned. Life has a way of keeping things interesting.

Almost immediately after attaining freedom things began to go awry. At 18 years old, aspiration and reality are almost always at odds, and reality, unfeeling as a stone in its never ceasing march forward, usually wins out in the end. I never did go to college in Arizona or marry my high school sweetheart or travel around the world. I ‘ve never owned a BMW and I didn’t make a million bucks by the age of 30. I’m not really sure if I ever actually had a path to follow…I sure can’t remember what it looked like if I did. The basic outline above was about as far as I’d figured things…as if envisioning the goal magically made it real. Sweet reality.

My actual journey has actual details, steps along the path from there to here. It is filled with places and things I would never have imagined in those days after receiving my high school diploma. It has been my own adventure through life and it’s been fun. I might have done a thing or two differently. We all would. But here I am, 20 years later, and life is pretty good.

I don’t spend a lot of time looking back. I prefer to live in today, with half an eye on tomorrow. Not that I don’t enjoy some mental reminiscing now and again. It’s just that I don’t spend much time reliving what was already lived. It’s taken me a bit by surprise then to realize that I’m looking forward to doing just that. I’m curious to rekindle some of those ancient friendships and strengthen those that have endured. It’s been 15 years since I was even back in town. Came close 2 years ago, but turned east on the edge of town and never turned back. I’ve seen several of the guys over the years, but many of them not for almost 10. I want to hear about the paths my friends have taken since achieving their freedom, and I want to laugh at the insanity of our shared youth. I want to raise a beer, swing a club, share a photo, eat a pizza….I want to grab a piece of yesterday and hold onto it for just a few hours. And I’m so surprised by this, really surprised.

So off I go, like a time traveler, to a time 20 years removed and a place that holds so much of who I am today. The combination of 20 year old memories paired with 20 years older faces will be interesting, I’m sure. And while we can’t ever really relive our youth, I think that this might be close enough. Because really…who wants to it all over again anyhow?

After being told that our major financial institutions and banks were so nearly insolvent that only massive amounts of taxpayer funded infusions could save life as we knew it, we now have the major banks of the country boasting huge quarterly profits-in some cases, record profits.

Either Obama’s economic policies (built on the back of the Bush recovery plan) are as close to a miracle as it comes or something smells rather rotten. If you ask me, its time to put on a gas mask.

How is it that banks who were tens and hundreds of billions of dollars down the rathole such a short time ago can now be running profits? As far as I know, the federal government hasn’t actually taken over any (or at least many) of those toxic assets that start this ship a-sinking. And so far as I’ve been able to ascertain, home foreclosures haven’t come to a screeching halt, meaning those still-on-the-books toxic assets are still as deadly to the bottom line as ever before. With all that bad debt still remaining in the hands of the banks, and with the bail-out money spent gobbling up other troubles banks and funding “legal obligation” bonuses, just where are these record profits coming from?

Welcome to the ongoing world of inverse reality. If this is the beginning of a recovery then I’m the next American Idol.

Truth is truth, and hype is hype. These records profits are no harbinger of golden times around the corner. They are little more than the the same-old, same-old accounting tricks that made Enron a household name. Record profits? Sure, you’ve all jacked up your credit card interest rates and customer fees; you’ve all but stopped lending money to anyone without their own Fort Knox for collateral; but how does that erase the hundreds of billions of dollars of toxic debt you carry on the books? Face it friends…it doesn’t.

Recent changes in the mark to market accounting practices allow these banks to revert to the good old days of relaxed financial standards that made the Bush years such a boon for the shady and the immoral. Under the revised rules, banks can choose to value these bad debts any way they want to. They can pretend that the assets still retain the value they did when originated. To make it more clear, a mortgage held by the bank for $500,000 can still be considered as $500,000 in assets to the bank despite the fact that true market value today could be just half that amount. With such leeway, banks can pretend to be profitable all they want and still be buried under massive as-yet unrealized losses. And the federal government is playing right along.

They say that the key to a strong economy is consumer confidence. Perhaps they mean consumer stupidity. Becasue that “glimmer of hope” that was recently claimed to have been seen may well be little more than cheerleading. And sleight of hand.

Give the Obama administration for credit in trying to get things moving…they at least haven’t been paralyzed like Team Bush seemed to have been. And at least they are putting some restrictions on the money that goes out, instead of the blindfolded hand-out engineered by former Sec. Paulson. But allowing these banks to gloss over the reality of their financial solvency will likely prove to be a mistake, eventually eroding consumer confidence far longer and far more deeply when the piper comes calling again. Better to continue to face the music as we’ve been doing-bad news and all-than to falsely create a sense of improvement where none really exists. Reverting to the old way of faking it until it feels better isn’t exactly what I hoped for from the administration of CHANGE.

Listen, if these gilded reports allow people to keep working, then I guess that’s a good thing. But let’s not kid ourselves so readily. This isn’t the beginning of the recovery. It’s more like taking several steps back. Which means we’ll just have to relive it all again, and on top of the losses we already have and aren’t likely to get back soon enough.

Don’t be lulled. Keep your eye on the ball.

(cross posted at Bring It On!)

I’ve voted at the same location for over five years. In those five years, I can not ever remember seeing more than about ten people at the poll at the same time as I was there. This morning I showed up at 6:57 AM and was greeted by a line of at least 60 people waiting to vote. As I got into the line, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this election was indeed something special. Oh sure, the media has portrayed this as an election like no other, and this is certainly true, if only because of the historic nature of the candidates. But it dawned on me that it was more than that.

The poll worker told me this morning that our small precinct usually was lucky to have about 23% voter turnout at any election. Today is going to be a record breaker.

As I waited in the line to get my ballot, I had a pleasant conversation with a man who originally comes from Arkansas. We wiled the time away with small talk and stories of our experiences. He was there with a relative, a first time voter who was excited to cast her first ballot. People in front and in back of me were smiling, actually happy to see a line at the poll, and no one was grumbling about the wait-a wait they have never experienced at this polling location before. To top it off, it’s raining buckets here today in Southern California, something that always makes the “beautiful people” a bit frumpy. Even the rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of an electorate ready to make history.

As we neared the table where we got our ballots, my line companion said something to me that made me think about how far we’ve come in this country. He told me that back where he came from, a small town in Arkansas, when he was a kid, people like him and me would never be seen laughing and smiling and shooting the breeze together. I said that maybe we would, but there probably wouldn’t be a bunch of smiling faces around us. At that he smiled and agreed. He was black; I am white.

It’s an historic election to be sure. The fate of our country is literally at stake after eight years of destructive policies and malevolent stewardship. The people of America know this and are coming out in droves to make their voices heard.

I remember when I first voted in a presidential election. I felt proud to mark my ballot for Bill Clinton. Back then it felt like I was helping to “change the guard” by putting a younger man in the highest office in the land. I was pretty happy with Clinton as president, but his was no groundbreaking administration, his challenges not so daunting compared to ours today. In retrospect, I think that my feelings in that election were more about me, about finally being able to be part of “adult America.” Today I felt different. Today, this election, and my part in it, was not about writing a page in my personal history. Today’s election is all about us. This will be the election to remember. This is the one that counts.

If you haven’t voted yet, go vote. If you’ve already voted, thank you. See you on the other side.

(cross posted at Bring It On!)

(original video by Ken Grandlund- cross posted at Bring It On!)

The reality is this-federal policies opened the door for financial mismanagement. Poor federal oversight fostered an environment of predatory lending and corporate malfeasance. Cheap federal interest rates kept the door open. And gross federal spending debased the value of our currency. So now the federal government has to try to clean things up. And while those who exploited the spirit of capitalism to its worst degree are lining up to get a free pass through the federal bail-out, the rest of us Americans will be holding the bag.

What’s a poor working slob to do?

To begin with, there is no guarantee that this massive taxpayer bail-out will stop the bleeding. It’s too soon to tell, despite the joy at the stock exchange. So widespread are the “toxic” loans that it may take years for the final damage to be seen. Right now, the rich investors, the big financial companies and the big corporations are in CYA mode-cover your ass. And to the extent that you can do so, you should be doing it too. I’m no financial wizard, but over the last few days, I’ve talked with some folks who know a lot more than I do and their advice is simple-you’ve got to preserve your capital.

Easier said than done, right? Especially if your capital consists of your paycheck and a small bit of savings or retirement accounts. Still, there are some steps you can take.

If you have a 401k account through your work, now is the time to reallocate how those funds are invested. The volatility of the stock market and the unknown factor of corporate investments backed by toxic mortgage debt means that the market will continue to swing wildly, meaning that funds invested in heavy stock portfolios may well take more hits. For the safest investments available, look for something concentrated in liquid assets. This type of money market fund (now insured, temporarily at least, by the Fed) has a lower potential rate of return, but also a lower rate of risk, at least in theory. (It is considered to be much safer than a stock market account, though if the government itself falters all bets are off.) Keep a good chunk of your 401k money in this kind of safe account for the next 3-6 months as things shake out-longer if necessary. You may not get great growth, but you won’t lose every contribution you make to the 401k. Similarly, you may be able to transfer money from one fund to another. If you have several thousand dollars sitting in a high risk stock fund, get it out and move into the lower risk money market accounts. Preserve what you can by reducing your exposure to risk.

If you have high credit card balances, find a way to pay them down. As credit card issuers realize their own failing bottom line, they are going to increase their fees and interest rates to recoup their bad investments, and they can up your rate anytime they feel like it. If you’re lucky enough to still have a home equity line, transfer the credit balances there- you’ll improve your monthly cash flow by reducing your monthly payments and the interest you’ll be paying on the debt can be written off at tax time. I know this will increase your overall mortgage debt at a time when refinancing is tough and home values are declining, but on the other hand, the Fed is putting together plans to help troubled mortgages too-so in the long run, it may be easier and more feasible to get a reduced or re-negotiated home loan than to dig your way out of a credit card nightmare. And the extra cash you’re not paying the credit companies can be invested in a CD or put towards the mortgage payment, reducing that debt. (Or you can just stuff the money in a jar and create your own personal liquid fund.)

Speaking of mortgages, remember this very important piece of information: it may well be likely that no one really knows who holds the actual deed or note for your home. The crisis in the economy is intricately tied to mortgage loans that have been sold, resold, split up, sold again and so on and so forth. Your actual home loan may now be owned in pieces by several “investment vehicles” meaning its hard to determine who actually holds the note. And without that bit of clarification, there may not be a single entity with the legal power to foreclose if you get behind on payments or have a reset rate inflate your monthly payments. Knowing this gives you power and some protection if a foreclosure is actually started against you. If a bank or lender can’t produce the note, they may not have standing to throw you out.

You have to understand that things are still going to get ugly, financially speaking, and you’ve got to take action to protect yourself. Sure as hell, the bank and government isn’t looking out for you as an individual. The banks are trying to stay solvent with the aid of the government and the government is trying to keep the whole house of cards erect. Sure, we all benefit if the economy improves because of these actions, but we’re still the ones holding the bag and we’ll be paying off this crisis in higher taxes and fewer services for generations. And it may yet still come tumbling down.

Finally, be realistic in your expectations. Photographs of cheering traders on Wall Street does not mean the hard times are over. Those same faces were all in frowns this week too. Bold speeches from federal officials only seek to calm the fears and boost confidence in the markets, but until the plans are in place and they actually start working, the financial picture is the same as before-gloomy indeed. Today’s federal resolve gives no cause to break out the bubbly-all it did was offer a possible lifeline.

(Remember, I am not a financial advisor or economic genius. I’m sharing advice that I’ve received from others and can give no guarantees about anything. You do what you think will best preserve your assets. )

(cross psoted at Bring It On!)

If a perfect storm refers to the simultaneous occurrence of weather events which, taken individually, would be far less powerful than the storm resulting of their chance combination. Such occurrences are rare by their very nature, so that even a slight change in any one event contributing to the perfect storm would lessen its overall impact. Taken out of a weather context, our modern world is as close as ever to seeing a perfect storm of social, political, and economic upheaval that all but guarantees that life as we know it will be no more. The combination of resource scarcity, over-population, climate change, and globalized economics has put our modern world in a precarious position.

The rise in standards of living, scientific advancement, and population explosion can almost all be attributed to one primary resource-oil. Since its discovery as a source of fuel, the world has enjoyed an unprecedented era of cheap global travel and exchange of goods, an increase in agricultural productivity and economic growth, and a formidable advance in scientific knowledge and application. Cheap and plentiful oil made crops grow faster and more bountiful, allowing for the ability to increase populations around the world. Cheap and plentiful oil created and sustained global tourism, increasing our interdependence on each other as whole economies became based on catering to visitors from abroad. Oil drove manufacturing capabilities to previously unknown levels, creating entire industries devoted to creating modern amenities to make our lives easier and more entertaining. Very nearly everything we have or relate to modern society is derived upon the notion of cheap and plentiful oil.

Yet our dependence on and enslavement to cheap and plentiful oil has also helped to create a natural world on the brink of radical change. Pollution, whether directly from oil-related emissions or as a by-product of oil created consumer goods has spoiled our air and soils and water around the world. Changes to our atmosphere caused by unremitting releases of carbon based emissions are combining with naturally occuring forces to dramatically shift our weather patterns and yearly climate conditions. Cheap oil has led governments to expand their societies and strive for continual economic growth, which in turn has led to mass deforestation and land degradation as we search for precious metals and raw materials to sustain the unsustainable growth explosion. And as we continue to encroach upon the natural world to sustain our own, whole species have become extinct, thus changing the local ecologies of entire regions, which in turn create more changes to the environment at large.

And our love affair with oil has blinded or eyes (as love affairs so often do) to the reality of a globalized economy that is suited not to make the lives of everyone more equal and fulfilling, but rather to help enrich more modern societies at the expense of less modernized ones. But by obscuring this reality, most all societies have taken steps to become as modernized as the next, and whole populations have increased with the expectation that our modern world will find a way to not only sustain an ever growing influx of new people, but will indeed lift them up from poverty and create a level playing field the world over.

And despite occasional warnings from forward thinking people throughout the decades, by and large, we’ve been witnessing this great expansion of human prosperity with the impression that the end would never come, that human ingenuity would supplant the more rational notion that says a finite source will eventually run out. We’ve been playing Nero’s fiddle en masse.

I try to be optimistic about things when I can, but I’m primarily a realist. For many though, realism is synonymous to pessimism, meaning that to point out the obvious, especially when the obvious predicts bad times ahead, makes one a doomsayer at best. Yet at the risk of being labeled such, I’m putting my own fiddle down. Because regardless of the ultimate level of devolution modern society is facing, the facts remain clear- the way we are living now can not be sustained indefinitely, and in fact is on the brink of radical change.

The end of cheap and plentiful oil is upon us. Whether or not we have reached the point of peak oil production is still being debated by a few, but most oil industry experts agree that if we have not already reached this point, it will be upon us in mere years. We are seeing and feeling the effects now. As oil and oil derivatives become even more expensive, economies may well stop growing altogether and begin to seriously contract if not collapse. Governments will have to decide what is the more valuable use of oil-transportation or the chemical derivatives from oil that supply things like plastics and petrochemicals and petroleum based fertilizers. If transportation gets the nod, say goodbye to whole industries that depend on oil byproducts for their livelihood. Say goodbye to medical advances and higher yield crops. Say goodbye to ubiquitous electricity too.

Even as we make small strides to shift off of an oil-dependent economy (a near impossibility now, but let’s pretend for a moment), the state of our natural world is becoming overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of humans living on the planet. Potable water resources are not infinite either. Nor is the ability to produce enough food to feed each person. And without oil for transportation or electric generation, large scale water purification and food sharing become near impossibilities. Coupled with our overpopulation problem is the real fact of global climate shifts that are changing local weather patterns and decreasing the likelihood of future increases in food production. Starvation that we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from afar may soon be at a city near you.

I’ve never put much stock in “end times” philosophies, largely because they are predominantly based on religious mythology and doctrine. To assume that an omnipotent being has preordained the time and path of humanity seems more than a little absurd to me. But “end times” are a human reality and have been over and over throughout the eras of human history. Yet where religious “end times” focus on a final battle between good and evil for the souls of mankind, in reality most “end times” come to societies because of the faults of human beings themselves, and are usually fomented by over-population of a particular region, over-extension of governmental dictates, or a lack of natural resources to sustain a society. Large nations become over-reaching in their desires and expectations and collapse under the weight of their inefficient bureaucracies. Societies degrade and lose cohesion. Unlike religious based “end times” where all mankind ultimately perishes to the lakes of hell or the promises of heaven, most real-life “end times” represent little more than drastic change from what came before them. “End times” signify a passing of the guard, as it were, from one type of human condition to another.

And so as we approach another potential “end time” in human history, I can’t help but wonder how people will react when it becomes only too obvious to the majority that their fiddles can’t play fast enough or loud enough to drown out the reality of the situation.

As our perfect storm of resource scarcity, continued population growth, and interdependent economies based on cheap and plentiful oil converge, how will humanity fare? Will those who remain rise from the ashes of our near past to replicate the errors, taking advantage of a smaller population to extend the fragile resources left today? Will we devolve into another Dark Age period, ruled by superstitious and supercilious religious leaders?

In the possible (and perhaps even probable) face of such looming societal breakdown, it sometimes becomes hard to focus on the minutiae of current political desires or societal problems. In the face of potential societal collapse, how important really are the political problems of the day? Yet we can’t completely give up either, because we are human. And the human condition is one of hopefulness, creativity, and reactionism. Even when we can see intellectually that things are going sideways fast, we resist the temptation to throw in the towel and hide our heads in the sand. We infuse ourselves with the notion that our ingenuity will save us, despite some evidence to the contrary. And even with such troubling times ahead, even with great changes in lifestyle all but guaranteed, we continue to collectively play our fiddles. But not because we don’t actually care about what is happening. Rather, we play in the face of what is happening, because we see no ready solution to the end of cheap and plentiful oil and no interconnection between how we drive and what we eat. As a whole, we not only don’t believe the end is near, we deny that it can ever come. And so we continue to live as if things will all work out fine. Because if we let ourselves believe otherwise, we’d have a lot of scared, crazy people to deal with on top of the rest. But ignoring the problem doesn’t make it go away.

To the absolute deniers, I may be just another crock in the crazy world of internet doomsayers. But in all truth, I continue to play my fiddle too, albeit with less vigor than before and with only one eye on the sheet music. You see, I want society to figure things out. I want humanity to continue to exist, to improve, and to realize that as a species, we are not only intimately connected to each other, but to our planet as well. But I’m also taking small steps to prepare for economic collapse, making contingency plans, and looking at the evidence with eyes wide open. If really bad times do come to pass I don’t want to be caught completely uneprepared. And I don’t want you to be either.

I’m not trying to drive unsubstiantiated fear into your heart , dear reader. I’m not a Republican. I’m just calling it like it looks. And I’ve honestly never wanted to be more wrong about anything like I want to be wrong about this. So I continue to live from day to day, acting in one sense as if not much will really change. But I also am trying to make a plan because I just don’t see a way around it. And I don’t want the blinders on any more.

So go ahead and tell me I’m crazy-just give me the evidence to back it up. Like I said, I’d really like to be wrong.

(cross posted at Bring It On!)