Can It Be Fixed? Do We Want To? ... J. D. Longstreet

Can It Be Fixed?  Do We Want To?
A Commentary by J. D. Longstreet
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I had a meeting a few days ago with a man I have known for at least thirty years. He is a registered democrat ... a CONSERVATIVE democrat.  (Yes, we do have conservative democrats in North Carolina.  My Congressman is a conservative democrat.) Our political philosophies run parallel, though I am an Independent.

Our initial meeting was about something else, entirely, but as usual, soon turned to politics.  It came as no surprise to either of us that we both felt the country was in dire -- extreme --  danger of utter collapse.

My friend is currently in his second career as a local businessman.  He retired from his original career and, being the highly motivated man that he is, chose to return to the business world in a different field of endeavor.  He has made a success of his second career, working for himself.  I would have expected no less.

Turns out he is concerned, as is most everyone I have spoken with lately, over the "spoiled child antics" of our current President.  In particular, the manner in which Obama has gone the extra mile to make the so-called government shutdown as painful for the average American as he possibly can.

Like a petulant child who doesn't get his way Obama is intent upon making everyone else's life miserable until he does.  Then, he blames his awful behavior on someone else.

Obama should stand up, like a man, and accept responsibility for for this so-called shutdown rather than take the limp-wristed way to escape responsibility.

But, alas, that would be asking -- and expecting -- entirely too much.

Both my friend and I do not believe America can survive its current troubles.  Neither of us believes America can now be "fixed."  The damage is too great, the scars run entirely too deep, for our once great country to ever reclaim its place among the leadership of the world.

We are both convinced that a financial collapse of the American financial system is imminent within the next decade.  When that day arrives -- it will officially be over for America.

The question of whether or not we should try to "fix" America is not easily answered.  The question rather, should be, do we WANT to fix America?  After all, the legend of the Phoenix is, indeed,  a fable.  

Maybe it is time we all faced the possibility that the American people have, themselves, changed to such a degree that a free, constitutional republic is no longer acceptable and no longer workable,  nor is it realistic to expect the "new American" to be capable of assuming responsibility for themselves and live as free men and women.  Maybe it is time to realistically look at some sort of benevolent dictatorship for America with a leader, not unlike Obama, at the helm.

After all, it has become clear that the electorate has looted the American treasury by electing only those candidate who promise to give them "free" stuff and a guaranteed income (though "guaranteed income" is never referred to as such but by various high sounding names).

Over the past few decades America simply stopped manufacturing.  Basically, we make nothing -- except war.

America gets by on borrowed money having long since spent every dime we have and much, much more.  We're broke.  We are in a near parasitic state. 
And we want to "fix" this???

Maybe it's time to punch the "do-over" button.  It would be much less costly to begin anew, from the foundation up, than to spend the time and effort to repair a country that has so obviously died at its own hand, a country that in its current state, has so little to offer the remainder of the world.

Look.  I know this is distasteful to even think about, let alone TALK about, but at some point we have to face facts.  The fact is we are a "has been" nation.   If that makes you angry, then -- GOOD.  You still have some fight left in you.  You'll need it.

I have already lived my allotted three score and ten years upon this earth so I don't expect to be around for America's grand finale, though frankly, I didn't expect to live long enough to see America crash and burn as she has, either.  Nevertheless, here we are.
Never having done it, I haven't a clue as to how one founds a nation.  I suspect most of you don't either.   In my case I would repair to the founding documents of the Old Confederacy for advice and direction.  Somehow, they managed to do it and fight a war at the same time.

Look, after Obama took office and it became clear where, exactly, he intended to take America, I'll admit that I, at first, thought it would be years, even decades, before America spiraled down to where she finds herself today. 

I was wrong. Boy, was I EVER wrong!

As it turns out, the American people are far less strong than I had thought.  We were not nearly as protective of our freedom and liberty as I had thought -- and hoped.  In fact, we seemed generally eager to give up our freedom for that elusive thing called security.  Obama's government simply stepped in with PROMISES and payoffs to the electorate and-- that was that.     

As I said above, I don't expect to be around for the next iteration of America, but hopefully it will learn from THIS America's mistakes.  But somehow, I doubt it.

© J. D. Longstreet