Our Political Parties Are Failing Us

To my Democratic friends: Just because the Republicans are wrong on so many policy issues doesn’t make you right. And Republicans, please believe me, just because you think the Democrats are wrong on everything, that doesn’t make you right on everything. We are all missing the boat because of our binocular vision. While we look with kaleidoscope eyes through the prism of our party affiliation we are unaware of what’s happening right next to us!

It’s quite likely that no political agenda existing today holds the solution to our global woes. The planet needs its human stewards to fucking wake up! Let me pose a question: What if you held the keys to unlock the problems of the world? Let’s say you have the knowledge, or the means to develop the knowledge that will end poverty, eradicate disease, feed and clothe, and educate every human on the planet - how would you communicate your knowledge?

First, people would be skeptical. Like a sermon I heard concerning the travails of David as he tried to sell his slingshot idea: “At first they won’t receive you, then they will deceive you, until finally they’ll believe you.” The skeptical brush off followed by a backhanded attempt to prove you wrong, and eventually truth - or divine intervention - prevails.

Well, we could use a bit of divine intervention now. Our macro focus is on climate change, betrayal of the Kurds, who’s tweeting what, Impeachment? Add: Micro plastics in everything? Coral reefs dying? Species extinction, war!

And, guess what. We may be doomed. We may have already “screwed the pooch.” But it’s in human nature to pitch in and join the bucket brigade - recalling that famous scene in an old black and white film... And I’m calling black and white film old? When were motion pictures developed? When did film become commercially viable? The accelerating effects of technology are evident - thousands of years of human history with this great “hockey stick” ramp up in merely the last couple of centuries. The mere existence of oxygen wasn’t even known until 1772, about the time of the birth of our nation! Our capabilities for invention have exceeded our understanding of our technology’s effect! The internal combustion engine, plastics, antibiotics, nuclear science, computers, artificial intelligence - all are both boon and bane!

So our goal now is to save the planet from the effects of our own inventions. We inherited this marvelous earth but there was no owner’s manual and we’ve been winging it. But it’s time to realize the efficacy of applied science and get with the program. That’s just a phrase. There is no “program” to be imposed. The phrase is a recognized cultural reference in English speaking North America, perhaps of US military origin. It means take off the blinders, wake up, go with the flow, you’re needed now, we’re all pitching in. Ironically, most citizens of this planet could and likely would agree to any methodology that would heal the changes to their environment, bring peace, health and wealth to their neighborhood. The only obstacle to world unity at this point is the intransigence and obstinance of our governments.

So here’s the challenge. First, get the two dominant American political parties to take a look at their own selves, realize their devolution is harming the republic. And in atonement they can sit down together, drop their dogmatic responses, stop pursuing legislation merely designed to strengthen their chance for re-election and address planetary challenges as if they were a threat to national security. For isn’t an optimum quality of life the goal of our national security?

In capitalism there’s an attitude of financial Darwinism, that if your idea is not right for the market, or if your business plan is poorly executed you deserve to fail. If your cost of doing business is so great that your employees suffer depressed wages and limited benefits, to take up the slack because of your poor management - you’re gonna fail. And that’s where we are with our militarism, and our sense of expanding empire as a corollary to securing the borders. The mores of planet Earth have to change. For all those in power, here’s your absolution, your hall pass, your get out of jail free: just join the people and save the planet. Everything else will fall in place.

This means the bishops remove their robes and roll up their sleeves. Capitalists - if you must wear your suits, do so, but sport a blue earth lapel pin. Or the old R. Cobb ecology sticker. And start listening to your scientists. Apply all the AI and knowledge pooling the global data centers can handle. Share knowledge and techniques. Get efficient real damn fast, save money. Or even better, use all the above devices, and reward the invention of new techniques, convert militaries to community service organizations, ban fossil fuels, ban plastics - spend money to save money - print some money. Funny money - get everyone to agree it’s real money! Crypto money - community service same as data mining. Let your minds run wild, let the ideas flow. Government get out of the way- or better still - help, not hinder.

There are so many ways for politicians to err. The false hope of legislation as a problem solver when it often is a problem creator. Maybe less legalism and more finance allocation! Government should be like the person on the curling team with the broom - sweeping ahead of the stone, guiding its course. There are ideas out there, revelations and renaissance - use every available technique to encourage and bring out the science and techniques to save us. Belay the politics and adopt a unified practical approach to the crisis - please!