"God Is Merciful, But He Is Also Just"

I was perusing one of the news sites on the Internet the other day and came across a piece titled, “Corporate CEO ‘Extremists” Target Social Security, Medicare”, amplified by ‘For the wealthy, pampered, and narcissistic CEO’s of the Business Roundtable, sacrifice is always for someone else.” Now I ask you, what could be a more noble pursuit?

Since time immemorial, the most despicable characteristics of Homo sapiens have manifest themselves at the expense of the finer aspects of human nature. It has always been a struggle by a small minority with insatiable materialistic appetites to oppress and feed on those whose character is more aligned with those of the Divinity. It is and always will be, the eternal quest for survival of the “fittest,” however one may choose to define the term, the measure for which is always based on materialistic possessions and consumption of more than one comfortably needs. The rationale is always rooted in an inherent contempt for those who reflect back to them all they lack in terms of the finer attributes of the human condition. They are, quite simply, predators of the worst kind. They have no conscience, no morals, no principles, no compassion, no spirituality, ad nauseam. They are lifeless beings whose only contribution to the four score and ten years allotted to them is the production of human waste in one form or another. Try as they may to purchase a lasting and eternal legacy in their cursory belief in an afterlife, at the end of the life process they are, at best, simply a pile of excrement, foul smelling and the stuff upon which green flies subsist. A noble and fitting end to the time they have spent on this earth.

If one takes the time to study their habits and to learn from their narcissism, they have no trouble, whatsoever, in rationalizing all they covet and possess. No matter how altruistic they attempt to make their “charitable” endeavors, they simply cannot give freely. What they may choose to give to less favored mortals always comes with strings attached so the benefactors will always maintain ownership and control of all they have left behind. I find that personal aggrandizement is paramount and human suffering is the least of their considerations. Personally, I find that common thread woven through the fabrics of the various “Foundations” among the more pre-eminent examples in our contemporary society.

Throughout recorded history, the pattern of their existence has ebbed and flowed in very predictable ways. The gorge themselves on the labors of the poorest among them, only to have all they have accumulated forcibly taken away from them by those they have exploited, reduced to rubble with their mortal remains summarily dispatched in the least ceremonious and revered methods imaginable. The legacy they have so coveted and labored for is a mere pittance compared to that left by those they have exploited in their materialistic and rapacious pursuits.

As I look around and listen to the plight of those who have lost so much, I am reminded of how, in the natural course of events, the rich and powerful manage to reduce the common man to that of some form of servitude to those of “privilege and wealth.” The last major thrust in that cycle of events occurred when an “all volunteer” army was created. The draft was eliminated, consigning those from the “working” class to a lesser status in society. They are the ones, because of reduced opportunities in life, that were reduced to availing themselves of the option of laying down their lives in the “service of their country,” as one means of earning a meager sum for the support and welfare of those who were dependent upon their sacrifices. They are the ones among us, today, who wait for their just dues in terms of veterans’ benefits, disability assistance and rehabilitation, while their “privileged” counterparts revel in the environs of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, MIT and other bastions of snobbery and higher learning, acquiring the very skills that will ensure a permanent place in society, not just for themselves, but for those who have made it all possible by their sacrifices in one form or another. They are the ones we honor at ceremonial funerals in Arlington while their counterparts insulate and entomb themselves in mansions, estates and yachts.

These are the ones who are burdened down with debt in order to acquire a college education. These are the ones whose homes are repossessed in order to satisfy the loans given to them by the predatory rich. They are the ones who haunt the unemployment lines, hoping for the opportunity to earn a decent and honest living for themselves and those who rely on them for survival. These are the ones the rich laugh at when the periodic photos of poor hapless souls shopping at Wal-Mart are distributed on the Internet; a stark reminder that they are simply fodder for the canons of those who have “made it,” aided and abetted by the very institutions of government that were assumed to be there for all of us in order to underwrite and support an economic and social agenda for a better life. They are the ones who bear the burden of contempt because they dare to demand a better shake in this one journey through life. They are the ones who regularly frequent the food banks and soup kitchens in order to keep their children from crying on an empty stomach. They are the ones who simply want an honest share of the pie.

What, I ask you, justifies this kind of an existence? Is the rationale to be found in the temples of greed on Park Avenue, in Stamford, in Chevy Chase, in the gated mansions in The Hamptons, in Miami Beach, on Beacon Hill, the North Shore of Chicago, in Bellaire, in Beverley Hills, on the beaches of Malibu, in Pacific Heights, in Lake Oswego, on Mercer Island, just to name a few? Those are but a mere smattering of where the remnants extracted from honest working human beings are deposited, all in the greater glory of every oligarch, plutocrat and corrupt politician walking the face of this country.

History has shown that everything progresses in cycles. If you pause and listen carefully, you will surely hear the Grim Reaper sharpening his scythe in preparation for the Divine Justice that will surely result from the depths of decadence and depravation into which the “privileged” in our society has sunk, all because they somehow believed they were deemed by their creator to be superior beings, entitled by their station in life to deprive all those who have tried so hard to simply earn an honest and decent right to a better life.

It has been poignantly said that “God is merciful, but He is, also, just.” The sun has yet to set on this tragic period in our national existence.

Sleep well.

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
January 19, 2013

"Do You Prefer KY or Vaseline?"

Well, well, well. Our resident chameleon at 1600 Pennsylvania has remained true to his colors. He is just a continuation of what we got from him during his first term, and he has yet to take the Oath of Office for his second term! The so-called “progressives” hardly had a chance to bend over and kiss the presidential petard before he was busying himself with ways to stick it to the people who elected him to office, all without benefit of kiss. All the tough posturing in the wake of his electoral mandate was just blowing more smoke up the posterior of those who honestly thought there was more to the man than we had seen during his first term. Surprise! T’aint one shred of difference. Just more of the same in keeping with his commitment to massive wealth, corporate power, the military/industrial complex, and the vast panorama of polluting energy companies that are destined to destroy the world. It is just more of the same assault on those who seek to make this a fair and just country, with opportunity and a share of our national resources for everyone. Watch out, Occupy Wall Street, law enforcement will, once again, stand with those aligned against you, all that you stand for and those who support you.

The champagne corks are hitting the ceilings of the posh offices on Wall Street like the sound of machine gun bullets at Omaha Beach on D-Day. They are, without doubt, delirious with glee that the disenfranchised at the bottom of the food chain will, once again, be separated from their meager treasures as an excuse to “reign in entitlements” and to make good on Barrie’s commitment to require everyone to share equally in the pain of restoring America to the land of opportunity it once was. Equally, my ass.

The food banks will not soon be going out of business. Unemployment, although given a brief reprieve, is probably already earmarked to fade into the sunset when the current grace period is over. The elderly can take some heart, however. It is much easier to gum it on hamburger than it is to chew better cuts of meat. It saves wear and tear on dentures that can now be made to last longer. Who said our president doesn’t think ahead? He has probably already tipped off his affluent friends that there is money to be made in cushions for us to sit on while the waiting time for our social and health care services become further attenuated and the system becomes more cost effective. It should be pointed out that the threshold of $250,000 for a tax break on middle class Americans was, also, moved upwards to $400,000 which, coincidentally, is the same amount Barrie draws annually as his presidential salary. Coincidence or design? Only a fool would make book on that one! I would hazard a guess that a goodly number of those working in banks, investment brokerage houses, derivates, hedge funds and the like are largely in income brackets at or above $400,000. Nah, that would probably be much too obvious, wouldn’t it?

Lest I appear to be cynical, let me reiterate that I am still convinced that the President is a Democrat in name only. Rather, I would be more inclined to say he is of a conservative persuasion. I do believe he is concerned with fiscal frugality and doing what he can to ease the burden on taxpayers. After all, look at what he did for the country by going soft on British Petroleum when it came to assessing the financial damage they inflicted on the country with the Gulf oil disaster.

Look at what he did for the national treasury by importing all of the experienced politicos from the Clinton Administration. No need to orient them to his administration. They came with all the knowledge and seasoning one could hope for. The wealth of experience brought to bear on issues of national prominence by Robert Rubin, Larry Summers. Peter Orzag, Rom Emanuel, Jeff Immelt, Leon Panetta must be priceless, not to mention all of those of lesser rank who have responded to the call to serve.

Look at what he did by having the Justice Department forgo any efforts to indict and try the Wall Street hucksters for their crimes in bringing the country to the brink of financial disaster. He must have saved the taxpayers a fortune on that one alone.

Look at what he has done by backing away from the issue of warrantless wiretapping. The mere thought of the massive amount of funds saved that could be applied to the national debt simply boggles the human mind.

Look at what he has saved corporate interests in the United States by engaging in secret negotiations on free trade agreements. Now, mind you, there is a slight loss of jobs that go with the deals, but it is all in the national interest, right? Ask Harper of Canada and Nieto of Mexico, for starters.

Contemplate the tax payer’s funds that have been saved by keeping Guantanamo open. No need to build more maximum security prison facilities on the mainland if we can continue to use what is already there.

Think of the huge amount of money that has been saved by not deploying aircraft and flight crews to overseas bases that can now be put to much better use in addressing the acute problems of home foreclosures, bank bailouts, and the loss of jobs, to name just a few. Unmanned drones must surely be much more cost effective. The loss of innocent lives must be just a pittance in comparison, the pain and suffering of surviving families not withstanding.

No doubt about it, folks. This guy could, if asked to do so by the Republican Party, walk on water and save them even more money! Now that is what I call a real deal.

For all those who naively believe this guy is genuine, and that Middle Class America is getting a real bargain, think again. He has elevated lying and deception to new heights and has managed to get the full and complete support of all those admiring supporters who call themselves “Progressives,” whatever that means. They just can’t bring themselves to call him out on the simple matter of “truth,” which is probably the most repugnant prospect he can contemplate.

My only hope is that, after this latest round of being hosed by this dude, the people who have suffered the most at his hands will simply say, “enough,” and set themselves to the task of holding him and all his two-faced cronies to account for what they have done to this country and all the good and decent people who are proud to be the backbone of all the ideals we still cling to.

Obama is simply no longer credible. I shudder to think of what he can, and just might, do before this second term comes to a close. There is nothing he can do that would surprise me. I would make book that more Americans will have reached that point by then than there are among us now. One thing can be predicted with certainty, however, and that is it will be one hell of a rough ride for those who work for a living and still hold out hope that things will get better for them.

Seriously, it is time to do away with the stranglehold the so-called two-party system has on our government. Both are simply two branches of the same monopoly and we are paying handsomely for tolerating it. Every aspiring political party that is clearly legitimate should have a seat at the table and a place at every political debate. No privileged character in this game does us any good, whatsoever.

Isn’t about time we stopped flirting with the notion that things can be made better? Isn’t it time we made it happen for us, the people, and not those who seduce us into believing they, the establishment, really gives a damn about us?

Time IS of the essence!

Cowboy Bob
The Sagebrush Philosopher
January 1, 2013