"The most significant threat to our national security is our debt," Admiral Michael Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, August 27, 2010


Friday, July 3, 2015

Debt and ignorance

When TheFundamentals converses with others and listens,  debt still comes up as the single biggest issue/problem/destroyer.  Something else comes up a lot and it is not as easy to describe as debt.  It is not as tangible as debt.  It does not have the track record of consistent and predictable destruction that debt does.

The one word to capture this other issue/problem is ignorance.  A growing consensus now recognizes that our destruction is not from outside but it is based right here – in our homeland.  Ignorance is just a tad more complex to describe.  It is also very politically incorrect.
America still has a lot of smart, energetic and accomplished citizens.  Just as always.  We also have a lot of well read and well informed citizens.  Just as always.  We have scientists working on understanding the very makeup of our being in order to detect those otherwise undetectable but dangerous mutations and infections that cause us to die young and suffer painful ailments.  Other technologists seek entirely different ways of doing things.  Cars that drive themselves; that detect impending collisions and take evasive action without human intervention.  Innovation is all around us.  Everything we do is changing.  Everything except for government.  Government defines change as “expansion.”  More of the same.  More people.  More money.
Most know that Google or Visa or Amazon or other well run data management companies could readily solve America’s illegal immigrant problem.  Something our federal government will never solve.  But not one politician ever mentions this solution.  Now, that is ignorance.  Just as politicians don’t mention debt – they also don’t mention anything new or out of the ordinary to solve problems that are solvable.  Mostly because they don’t think that way – because if they did they wouldn’t be politicians.
Ignorance has one accomplice; one ally; one buddy who never rests.  That associate; that enabler of ignorance is propaganda.  In America most propaganda flows from the Hollywood media which is much larger than that designation suggests.  The Hollywood media is the entire democrat party; a good portion of the republican party; all the known media outlets – Fox, Comcast/NBC, CBS, PBS, Disney/ESPN/ABC and just about every remaining newspaper in America.  It also includes lawyers and lobbyists;  Wall street; all the Warren Buffett’s of our homeland meaning those elevated successful 1%’ers who make a fortune off the public deficits and debt and, of course, our many layers of government and all their tens of millions of hangers – on.
And then we come to the voters.  Mitt Romney touched upon the ignorance of a lot of America’s voters and promptly got slammed for it.  Donald Trump is experiencing a similar thrashing for suggesting that Mexico has been sending it social and economic problems as well as its sociopaths and criminals to America with their best wishes for decades.  Think about that – Donald is thrashed for speaking the truth by the very same media outlets which daily carry video of drug wars; drug cartels and lawlessness in living color; live action – just miles away from our porous border. 
This is ignorance.  Mexico is clearly a problem.  Lying about it for some ill-advised purpose is the classic definition of propaganda.
But there are voters who don’t care.  They choose ignorance.  We choose to admit them and enfranchise them.  Think about that – we choose to be governed by the ignorant – both voters as well as those whom they elect.
History has never known anything that can be described as a smart government.  Today, our government exists because of debt and ignorance (yes, with a hefty assist from propaganda.)  Here is the irony.  Debt and ignorance will also bring about its downfall.  We are in the midst of that event right now.  Ultimate irony?  These voters and politicians?  Too ignorant to realize it is happening J.
The fight for independence never ends.

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