Stupid Americans -- Part Three

A fifth respondent has weighed in on the original post. Debbie Goehring is a retired teacher originally from Pennsylvania with many years spent in the classrooms of upper East Tennessee and now a resident with her husband Ron of Isla de Ometepe here in Nicaragua. She reaches much the same conclusion as the other responders: We, the people, have allowed this to happen to us, it's our own damn fault and if it's to be rectified, we, the people, are going to have to put aside our apathy and do something about it.

Can't argue with that.

Debbie apparently also agrees with the other responders that the solution can be found within the current structure (everybody just loves the U.S. Constitution, it seems.) Me, I continue to have serious reservations, but never mind that for now. We're making progress. Debbie proposes a Constitutional amendment that controls campaign spending and another that strips corporations of whatever political power they might have acquired lately (Repeal 'Citizens United' I suppose). She also calls for us to reestablish our 'civic virtue' but I admit that I'm not sure what that means. Whatever it is, she is clearly pissed that the masses have allowed the wealthy and powerful 1% to take and hold control. I'm certainly with her on that one.

Debbie makes reference to Founding Father James Madison (earlier Jane, you might remember, mentioned Thomas Jefferson), continuing this deification status that we, as good Americans, historically accord those individuals who framed the document under which the USA has functioned for damn near 250 years.

For whatever intellect they may have possessed, for whatever good they may have done, both in their day and now ours, there is no refuting the fact that both Jefferson and Madison OWNED other people, a condition with which I, personally, have a serious problem. Can I honestly put a great deal of stock in the words and thoughts of individuals who, somehow in their own minds, justified the ownership of other human beings? Truth be known, no I can't.

The Constitution was written long ago for the benefit of the ruling class when the nation's population was approximately three million. It begins "We, the people of the United States of America" but was no more representative of the "people of the United States of America" than was the Magna Carta. Native Americans, Africans and women had little or no say in this revered creation. They probably would have liked to have been considered and consulted on a matter of this importance. But I digress.

Perhaps I'm being petty and the Constitution can be made workable. Everyone else thinks so. What the Founding Fathers failed to address and what politicians have abused from the very beginning was a checks and balance system on what an elected official is allowed to do, both for themselves and to us, the public. As it stands now, our federally elected officials determine, without answering to anyone, how much they get paid, what kind of benefits they get, and their generous pensions. I cannot remember, as a citizen, ever having a say in any of that. Somehow, our elected officials have decided that they can make rules that they are not subject to, that they're entitled to benefits that the rest of us can't have and that they should be able to retire with a sizable pension after two years of service. And we're, somehow, okay with that?

They've taken the position that, because they were anointed by the democratic process to 'lead' as it were, their power and authority is all-encompassing, to the ridiculous level that they can actually believe that their authority includes an individual woman's uterus. This is preposterous.

Darrell has weighed in again with some additional ideas, several of which I believe are absolutely essential, especially if the precious Constitution is to be made viable again. He proposes term limits for all elected officials and the abolishment of lobbyists. I second both motions. He also states that we, the public, should seek more intelligent leaders, something that's been severely lacking in recent history. Darrell swears they're out there, but with the exception of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, and maybe Al Franken, I have my doubts. Intelligence nowadays seems to be pointed more at technology, not politics. Darrell says we should vote out all current legislators

Here's something I believe is essential: Elected officials who do abuse authority -- the public trust -- should be put under the jail for a long, long time. No exceptions. A clear message needs to be sent: corruption of any kind will no longer be tolerated in any way, form or fashion. Period. Steal from the public, misrepresent the public, fail to act in the public's best interest, go to jail. Busting rocks. With a little hammer.

Okay folks, more information needed. What else?

Stupid Americans -- Part Two

It's been about a day and a half since Part One was published and it drew four very good responses. I had hoped for more, but I'll settle for what I can get. The first, from my lovely wife Carol, merely indicated that she was generally in agreement for the most part with what had been initially stated.

I like that in a wife. Basic support with a certain amount of reservation. I admit to being a bit off center most of the time, a condition that she is often quick to recognize and acknowledge.

The second response came from my Granada friend Darrell Bushnell, an individual of good standing here with relatively decent sense who some of us here in Nicaland recently pushed for what was then the open position of Pope. However, the Cardinals in power failed to see the wisdom of selecting a non-Catholic with habits that include a fondness for golf, rum and cigarettes. Pope Darrell -- he coulda been a contender. Sadly, the mackerel snappers settled for Pope Frank.

Darrell professes a greater belief in the current American democratic system than I and is correctly of the opinion that the fault with the state of affairs as they now stand lies with voters who continue to return idiots to positions of governmental importance, namely the 536 people who are periodically sent to Washington to make the rules under which we are all suppose to live if we are to call ourselves good Americans. He would also like to see these individuals vote their consciences rather than 'party lines,' a concept that makes me a tad nervous but certainly is within the realm of speculation if we're trying to find improvement. We both heartily agree that there is no place in government for lobbyists. I, personally, would even go a step further and make it a major capital crime for any individual acting as an agent for any special interest to attempt in any manner to influence any government official in any way. I'm talking serious jail time here, folks. Neither the NRA nor the liquor industry has the power to vote, nor should they; that is a right and privilege reserved for the 'people.' Darrell concludes his remarks with an illusion toward the 'voice of the people' as though there was one, which I don't believe exists. In my humble opinion, there seems to be thousands, even millions of 'voices,' many of which are, sadly, utterly stupid. The flaw with Darrell's opinion that the current system is adequate and workable is that it depends heavily upon stupid people doing unstupid things. Historically, this simply hasn't been the case.

The next reply came from Jane Kerr, a retired school teacher originally from Maryville, TN, who now lives in Florida where she works with animals, does a lot of hiking and paints. I should also mention that Jane and I went to college together 40 something years ago. From past discussions, it is safe to say that Jane is considerably more conservative than I, but this is generally true of anyone and everyone I know. But that's okay, it's been like this ever since I was a kid and I've gotten used to it. Like Darrell and I before her, Jane takes issue with the individual, holding each and all of us responsible for the current mess. But Jane does give us a starting point from which we can begin to form solutions, namely a quote from Thomas Jefferson as to what the role of government should be in our lives. According to Jane, Jefferson said, "The purpose of government is to enable the people of a nation to live in safety and happiness. Government exists for the interests of the governed, not for the governors."

I agree with this quote with the exception of the 'happiness' part. How can a government promote or guarantee 'happiness'? I especially like the last sentence though, which unfortunately has been lost and forgotten by the current 'governors' and is the actual root of the problem. Somewhere along the way, our elected officials have decreed themselves to be American 'royalty' and have acted accordingly, showering themselves with perks, benefits, pensions and wages that are so far out of line with basic standards as to be deemed ludicrous. More about this later.

The last response came from an old friend in Tennessee, Avent Lane, a truly wonderful person and one of the best bass players on the planet. Avent is active in local politics in his hometown of Murfreesboro, and also believes, like Darrell and Jane, that the system is salvageable. He cites basic greed as the main culprit and it's hard to argue otherwise. He quotes Walt Kelly's famous line from the comic strip Pogo "We have met the enemy and he is us." Truth in its simplest form.

Avent's solution is simple: We should all, each and every one of us, get up off our butts and become active participants in the process. A noble thought indeed and this would certainly work if everyone was as smart as Avent, but alas, such is not the case. America is inhabited with massive amounts of stupidity that has to be addressed in some form or another because the system allows stupidity to vote and stupidity has put us in the shape we're in.

So, where do we start?

Stupid Americans

Jim here.

Before I get into this, I must honestly confess to being as guilty as anyone else for the current conditions that exist in the United States of America. Rather than realizing and promoting the massive changes that were so obviously necessary long ago to correct the problem, I continued to be a willing participant in the so called "democratic" process, which has proven itself to be nothing more than an elaborate scam designed to enhance the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the working/producing middle class to the point that the division which is now reality between the rich and poor is deplorable -- even dangerous.

What was once considered the "American dream" -- that being if one worshiped devoutly at the alter of capitalism and worked hard and lived frugally, one could enjoy the successes of "Americanism" (no definition given) to the fullest. This may have been true once upon a time, but somewhere along the way, the playing field was purposely slanted by those who had already acquired power and wealth and were unwilling to relinquish it and this was quietly and effectively accomplished by altering the purpose and methods of government.

At the very core, supposedly, of the "democratic" process is the vote. One person, one vote. You get to chose who you want to be in charge of representing you as far as the rules (laws) go. Right? Think again.

Winston Churchill's famous quote comes to mind: "The best argument against democracy is a five minute conversation with the average voter."

By astutely relying on our collective stupidity, one moron/lackey/stooge after another moron/lackey/stooge has been elected to positions of political importance by behind the scenes goons whose money and propaganda has influenced us into doing their bidding, all the while feeling good about ourselves because we were doing our "democratic" duty. Usually, in this day and age, you get to chose either a Republican or a Democrat -- you do have that choice -- but what you're not supposed to understand is that your choices have already been bought and paid for long ago by those who manipulate the system to their individual advantages. Defense contractors, Wall Street brokers, religious entities, mega banks, a myriad of corporations, you name it, if it has an interest in governmental affairs, you can rest assured that it has politicians in place and on the payroll.

Our collective failure and stupidity, as it were, rests in the fact that we elect these clowns, over and over, based largely on the lies that we're gullible enough to believe because we soooo much want to believe in the system itself. I mean, we're talking about the legacy of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, all those guys that we've deified. After all, they cooked up this gig and it's the best thing since sliced bread, right?

Well, it might have been once, a long time ago, but it is no longer.

We put people into powerful positions because they have nice hair, a pretty wife (or handsome husband), or more absurdly, because of 30 second advertising blurbs that are the ultimate in bullshit. We vote for so-and-so because someone else tells us to and like sheep who don't want to put forth any effort toward understanding the consequences of our actions, we pull that lever because ..... well, just because we can. Because we're stupid.

For example, the State of South Carolina just elected Mark Sanford to the U.S. House of Representatives. This is the same former Governor Mark Sanford who was banished from office for using public funds to secretly court his mistress in Argentina (plane tickets, hotel and dining expenses, gifts, etc) while blatantly lying to the public, (and his wife) claiming that he was "hiking the Appalachian Trail" while in actuality he was boning in Buenos Aires. With a track record that equates him to something akin to pond scum, the wonderful people of S.C. have blessed the nation by sending this moron to Congress. I'm sure he'll be a wonderful example of how effective government should function. Makes me proud to call myself a "murican."

I also read where Anthony Weiner, the ex-Congressman from New York who was forced from office because he was texting photos of his dick to certain constituents, is well on his way to being elected Mayor of New York City. Just what the Big Apple needs: Another pervert. Stupidity in the first degree.

Closer to my old home, Tennessee returned Scott DesJarlais to the U.S. House of Representative last year. This is the same medical doctor who was banging some of his patients, (part of their treatment plan, I suppose) some of whom turned up pregnant and were coerced into abortions while the good doctor claimed to be a "right to life" proponent to his constituents. A true blue hypocrite of the first order and yet, the good citizens of the Volunteer State saw fit to keep this guy in Congress to make rules for the rest of us. Now, how stupid is that? Tennessee also sent Stephen Fincher, a slimy unindicted thief from Memphis who claims to be a farmer and receives massive federal farm subsidies but is never seen out of his Brooks Brothers suits, to Congress. There seems to be no end to the stupidity exhibited by the American voting public.

Here's another anomaly in the "democratic" process that has developed down through the ages that relies heavily on our collective stupidity: Lobbyists. Think about it. You elect Joe Blow to office. Your vote put him there. His allegiance is supposed to be to you. But just as soon as Joe grabs that seat behind his new desk on Capitol Hill, he's besieged by these representatives of special interests who shower him with money, sex and drugs in return for favorable legislation, and your interests as the mere voter are forever lost in the under the counter payoffs. That is, until re-election time rolls around and you're fed a heavy diet of bullshit and deceit, enough apparently that you're convinced that Joe really is the God sent savior that you knew he was all along and you vote for him again, never mind that he's now facing several federal indictments for receiving illegal payments. Stupid.

But the stupidity really manifests itself in the fact that we continue to believe and participate in the "system," in spite of the overwhelming evidence that the "system" has been corrupted beyond salvation and needs to be scraped in favor of something that is responsive to the basic citizen. That is what the 'Founding Fathers' had in mind, not this current abomination that has evolved because of the greed of a small minority of assholes who value money over human life and are able to wield undue influence in what we now call government.

Here's what I propose: Starting at the very bottom with a clear definition of what we believe government should be, let's design and develop something better. It might be a return to the principles put forth by Washington, Jefferson and that bunch or it might be something entirely new based on the technological advances that have been developed in our very recent history or it could be a combination of both or something else altogether. Whatever.

Your ideas and opinions are encouraged and welcome. Please use this forum to express your thoughts so that, maybe, something beneficial for all of us is, after all, within grasp. Because to do nothing is .... well, stupid.

FRIENDS

Jim here -- The previous entry to this blog dealt with our current living quarters. Being able to live in this particularly remarkable spot -- our little jungle right here in the middle of town -- is but one of the many pleasant aspects of our Nicaraguan experience.

What we've neglected to mention in our past posts is an even more pleasant aspect of living here, that being the diversity of the friends that we've made. They've come from everywhere, it seems, to this ancient city by the shores of Lake Cocibolca, the tenth largest inland lake on the planet.

Off the top of my head, I can think of folks here from South Africa, France, England, New Zealand, Canada, Mexico, The Netherlands, Brazil, numerous U.S. states and, or course, the local Nicaraguans who delight us with their company practically on a daily basis.

They have welcomed us with open arms for the most part and have made us part of this unique community for the past two and a half years. About once a month, someone will usually host a get-together of some sort -- movies, games, whatever -- and they always involve a feast and good conversation. These are people who have been places, seen and done things, and have stories to tell.

Neither Bubba, nor Junior lives here, at least not that we know of. I have yet to have anyone ask me how big was the buck that I shot last weekend, chewing tobacco is non-existent and folks have most of their teeth, even the old ones.

This is in no way meant to be demeaning of the multitude of friends we have back in the States. In my case, many of these are mentally handicapped musicians who will always be near and dear to my heart. Luckily, some of them are literate enough to be able to navigate FaceBook so that we can stay in touch and those who aren't at least are not in jail. That I'm aware of, that is. As to when will we see these folks again is largely up to them. They know where we are and we have no immediate intentions of heading back there any time soon. Better they come here if they would but only understand that.

So, Carol is about to book it over to Miguel's today, our Nicaraguan buddy who was trained in Okinawa and practices shiatsu massage and is adored here by everyone upon whom he places his therapeutic fingers. Most likely, when she gets there, he will be kneeling on his table with his hands together in some kind of Far Eastern prayer with sitar music going in the background and a big smile on his face. For an hour of bliss, he charges 300 cordobas, or the equivalent, at today's exchange rate, of $12.30.

I even let him get away with calling her "Sweetie." He's just that way.

So is everyone else around here, it seems. 

I must apologize to the occasional reader of this blog for the apparent lack of attention. I apologize.

There.

Although I can't offer it as much of an excuse, a lot of time has been spent lately finishing my second novel "Whores--A Political Saga," available soon on Amazon/Kindle but I certainly should have made time along the way to tend to this.

I notice that almost a year has elapsed since the last post which was a report on the acquisition of our kitten "Scooter." Today, we are pleased to report that "Scooter" has thrived and is a healthy, full blown cat who seems to enjoy being a thorn in the side of our other two cats, "Mina" and "Flaco." Being the youngest, she feels that she has the right to be as obnoxious as she wants to be and all other beings, including Carol and I, just better learn to live with it.

Life continues at a blissful pace here in this lovely old town in the jungle. With April being the hottest month of the year, much time has been spent in the pool and liberal use has been made of the air conditioning.

We realize that we've failed in any of our previous postings to describe where we live. Accurately stated, it's merely a second floor, one-bedroom, one bath apartment made mostly out of concrete. But that doesn't come anywhere close to describing what it really is and hopefully, the pictures that we're gonna try to post with this article will give the reader a little better understanding of why we ain't goin' nowhere.

And we promise to produce material on a more timely basis from now on. It should be easy to tell the difference in who is writing what. Carol's will be very upbeat, full of flowers and happiness while mine will depressing as Hell. We're just that way.

Our living room. Notice that all of the windows are open to the elements. Birds and bats often fly through.

Looking from the living room toward the bar and the kitchen. The visible door leads to the bathroom, and the door barely visible leads to the bedroom.

From the north wall in the living room, looking south. The gap in the wall is the stairway that leads down to the garden, pavilion and pool.

Looking out the massive open window to the east, this is our view of the garden and the swimming pool.

The kitchen is small but it's got every thing we need. Many Nicaraguans are poor and cook over a wood fire but we've got a gas stove. Notice the mirror that makes up most of the wall.

This guy belongs to our next door neighbor. There are roosters (and, of course, the corresponding chickens) everywhere. They are not synchronized and will go off at any time, day or night.

At the bottom of our stairs before going out the gate to the garden, we have our own little private space which we rarely use. However, an occasional cat can often be spotted napping on the table.

This is the pathway that leads from our gate to the pool and pavilion. It's pretty easy to see the worn spot down the middle. It gets used a lot.

We're in the pool here just about every day. Granada is hot, even during the rainy season. The pool is about 40' by 15' and saltwater so we don't have to deal with chlorine that much.

Rocio, the daughter of our good friend Johanna Gonzalez, loves our pool. Johanna runs her own English school where Carol teaches in exchange for Spanish lessons from Johanna.

Across the path from the pool is the pavilion. Party central. The winding stairway on the left leads to the observation platform up top for stargazing and meteor showers. The pavilion has running water, a refrigerator, plus cable and internet connections.

There's plenty of seating in the pavilion. We use it often whenever we have company over for dinner. It even has ceiling fans.

There are all kinds of fruits and flowers growing in the garden. This stalk of bananas was so heavy that a pole had to be put under them to hold them up off the ground.

Another stalk of bananas. We've also got two avocado trees, a coconut tree, a lemon tree and a tree that grows this brown thing called mamey sapote, kind of a cross between a carrot and a peach, a guanabana tree, or to North Americans, sour sop. Lots of flowers and ferns, too.

All kinds of flowers, to many to post, including one live orchid that we added to the collection shortly after we moved here. Bought it for $7. It now hangs on a palm tree and blooms at Christmas.

 According to Carol, these are hibiscus flowers. They're sometimes red, sometimes yellow and sometimes pink. You just never know what color they're gonna be on any given day.

This is a Nicaraguan squirrel. They look a little like a skunk in reverse, white with a dark stripe down its back. They drive out cats nuts but, so far, there have been no violent encounters.

And finally, this is the view we have most sunsets. And people wonder why we haven't gone back to the States in almost five years. Nothing like this in Tennessee.