Coups
Time for revolution
I was not entirely surprised when I picked up today’s paper (Aug. 28) and read about an alleged coup against our government. What surprised me is that it was being lead by a seemingly misguided sergeant.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “Every generation needs a new revolution.” (We are many generations late.) Unfortunately, this country is so large that it would take a very popular general or admiral to lead such a coup in this country and the way this military is set up … that probably wouldn’t work anyway.
Sometimes I envy the French. Most people don’t realize that all of Europe is no larger than the state of Minnesota, where I grew up. That would probably make France about the size of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The French government fears its population because they can bond together and say, “Everybody is going to stay home from work this week. Let the government deal with an entire week of no gross national product.”
Unfortunately, the United States is so large, it would take a major revolution to get everyone from Maine to Texas to the state of Washington to all agree to stay home.
Some people may be thinking, “What right does he have to criticize our government?” I spent nine years serving in submarines to defend this country. Following Russian subs; counting ships as they left Russian ports; coming uncomfortably close to dying on two separate occasions (that I know of). I figure that gives me the right to speak up. Been there, done that.
I have been paying into Social Security, et al., for 45 years and our government is talking about “cutting back on our ‘entitlements.’” If you go to Washington for one term (two or six years) you not only get to eat lobster dinners for probably $5 at some swank restaurant, but when you leave Washington, you get a retirement plan for the rest of your life, and also get free medical insurance for yourself and your family for the rest of your life. Nobody is talking about cutting back those “entitlements.” Go home and get a real job.
But it’s not just a national problem anymore. It’s gone statewide and even county wide. A few years ago, my friend applied for a county job (I think it was a clerk). They told her, “We’re sorry, you didn’t pass the test.” Let’s see, a woman with an AA in business, who was for years the assistant controller for a national multi-billion dollar corporation could not pass the test to be a county clerk? No one would talk to her about the scores or about what she didn’t pass. What she failed was that she wasn’t someone’s “auntie.” It’s not just here, it’s all over the country.
Unfortunately, the problems won’t be fixed in Washington until we can fix them at home. This country was not founded on lifetime politicians. It should be two terms and go home. And no more two-steps, either. It’s not two as mayor; two as governor; two more as congressman; two as — pick a job. Two terms to serve your country, if you don’t have the balls for military service, and then go get a job.
The Republicans blame this state of affairs on the Democrats. What they don’t want to discuss is that four years ago, they didn’t want to win the election. They knew that George W. Bush had made things so bad in his eight years of favoring his rich cronies with deleted regulations that being elected president would be political suicide. “Wait four years and when things are still bad — we’ll blame it all on Obama” — the one person who had the guts to step forward and try to create a recovery.
Of course, the Republicans did everything in their power to stop him so they could point a finger at who failed. Am I any better off now than I was four years ago? No. I have been unemployed for nearly two years. But I don’t blame Obama. At least he stepped forward and tried.
It is time for a revolution, but we don’t need to stockpile guns. We can do it by standing together and simply saying, “We’re not going to take it any more,” first at the county level, then at the state level and finally at the national level.
You cannot change the people in Washington until you change the people you send to Washington.
Your thoughtful vote in November matters.
John Spitzenberger
Kailua-Kona