Hope & Change

I correspond, via email, with a lot of people around the country.  A few, a very few have entry to political circles that the vast majority of us only read about.  Here's excerpts from an email by one of those individuals and what he thinks may happen in the not too distant future...

Regarding the GOP house fucking things up, I am so ambivalent on this issue. I don't like citing history - but in 2000, I wanted Gore to win the Presidential race. I knew we were going to war with the Arabs, I knew we were going into an economic collapse. I foresaw the dot.com bubble and ultimate collapse, the real estate bubble collapse. Bush never had a chance and I figured he would be the modern day Herbert Hoover.


Today we are facing some of the most difficult economic times as we have ever faced. Don't buy a home - as real estate taxes will double in 5 years - the lack of prudent and timely funding local county and state pensions will cripple state economies - state employee layoffs will be staggering - cutback in services (some vital) will cause life and death situations on a daily basis and I see large riots in the streets - a case of open warfare by the haves and the have nots. I also see more senseless attacks on members of Congress (or other high ranking bureaucrats) as a method to gaining attention. People are frustrated. Just think of some of the thoughts you have had during the past 2 years - and you are a rational/sane man. I am way closer to death than you are and I can tell you that I have some legitimate fears about the direction of our country - and I don't give a damn who is in the leadership seat.

You are one of the very few that will understand what I am saying. This false sense of security the media portrays is not only misleading but downright dangerous - that is both sides - Right and Left. In 40 years, local gang welfare will rule the streets, control food distribution, decides who lives or dies - not the political parties. You will live in a class warfare state, no civil status, no laws (excepting mob rule).

I am serious when I tell you I will be glad I will be dead - but I fear for you, my kids, my grandchildren, you kids and grandchildren. I only have a few changes to make. Spend more time at the firing range, learn to speak Spanish...

With the huge under-funding of public pensions at the state and local level as well as the imminent collapse of Social Security due to Congress' constant raiding of it for the past 42 years, I can see where they're coming from. 

We're presently engaged in a titanic struggle with religious extremists of Islam.  I think we're winning that because Al Qaieda has long  been targeting Muslims because they are easier to hit.  That's made serious inroads in their ability to recruit...but then most of their recruits have been from the middle and upper classes.  This week in Egypt, Muslims for the first time, came forward and gave protection to the Coptic Christian minority (they make up 10% of the population and have long been a target) as they celebrated their Christmas, hundreds and thousands of Muslims became human shields at Coptic churches all across Egypt.  Perhaps the long hoped for rising of Muslim 'moderates' is finally occuring.

I don't know if this country can continue upon the path that the Democratic leadership has set us upon.  I know that we can't afford to pay for what they want.  I just hope that the new GOP leadership of the US House of Representatives aren't doing the usual Congressional kabuki theatre, because we just can't pay for all of this any more.