America's Multiple Personality Disorder

For as long as I can remember, there have been two Americas.  The one I love and for which I would give my very life and the other one, seemingly run by Satan.  Oh, sorry.  I don't mean that Satan.  I'm talking about Dick Cheney and his neo-con minions, which include Karl Rove and now John McCain. 

Funny, I almost wrote 'traitor' John McCain, but we all know I could not possibly use that word.  He is a Veteran Pilot who served our country and spent a horrible stint as a POW in Vietnam, so why am I learning to despise him?  

Obviously he is a survivor, and I admire anyone who can overcome such terrible adversity.  I would even venture to say that we can agree on at least one thing.  All Americans are grateful to him as well as the other nameless Vets who are not running for president but are as brave and just as vetted.  This fact alone, however, does not mean John McCain is fit to be our next president. 

As a matter of fact, his impulse is to turn everything into a never-ending military story, from the 100 years in Iraq to his bomb, bomb, bomb method of Iran diplomacy.  If he becomes president I expect Vietnam will join that 'axis of evil' Bush pinpointed.  Georgia's venture into the world of democracy, broken promises and aggressions also seems to have been somewhat of a manipulation by the Republican/Neo-con machine. McCain appears to have his own sticky fingers there as well, whether as a bystander or active participant, I do not know.

The registered foreign lobbyist for (the country of)  Georgia has replaced Phil Gramm (McCain's recent economic advisor, and still considered the kingpin of this future economic policy) as his arm candy.  Up until a few months ago this 'Georgia Connection' was lobbying for that country, leading this writer to believe (along with the rest of the world) that this is just another attempted oil grab.  I'm all for economic diversity in Georgia and a democratic government, but I think it is time for Bush, Cheney and McCain to keep their fingers in their own pants, or failing that, in each others'.

So why would I consider insulting a man with McCain's service record?  Because he is not a 'maverick', but a press-buttering self-promoter with a case of terminal ambition.  I believe he might be even more dangerous than the current administration if he becomes Bush's Third Term.  Of course, the way the press has let his many gaffs slide and made excuses for him, even 'editing' interviews to keep his image intact, goes to show you how important it is to kiss that reporter's patoutie.  (Sorry, son, I know you are a working journalist, but it had to be said.)

McCain is a rebel all right, but that is when it comes to personal responsibility and standing by your first wife when she's badly injured and not a swimsuit model anymore.  McCain is also a rebel when it suits him to lie and claim one position for one group of constituents and another for a different group, forgetting the magic of videotape.  Then he lies about what he said, said that isn't what he meant, that he meant what he said and proceeds to get the countries, wars, years and ethnicities mixed up. Hey, it's not all his fault.  He's busy brandishing his sword and using up his cellphone minutes trying to find out who speaks for his campaign. 

McCain is either the most ambitious narcissist I have ever met or he has no moral compass.  First he's for women's rights, then he's against abortion when he needs the right's money.  Then he was for affirmative action but he thinks the way to win the presidential race is to make it a race war, so now he's against it.  Oh, and he's a Vet so he's for the Vets, right?  Well, not really, as he lobbied against their benefits bill, missed the vote on it and then snarkingly claimed credit for it.  He obviously enlisted President Bush's help as he was the only Senator  standing there when Bush signed it.  Bush also had the hoozies to thank McCain for his support on the bill, furthering the lie. 

Yup, McCain is for sale to the highest bidder, as evidenced by his marriage to his current wife - a multi-million dollar heiress - at the expense of his crippled first wife.  Then again, First Wife may have been the lucky one.  She got rid of him and claims he was generous with her.  Of course, he had unlimited funds available after his second marriage and providing maintenance and child support to the first wife, who was unable to work, would seem almost cheap from that vantagepoint.  I admire the First Wife for not bad-mouthing her ex, as he is the father of their children, which must be penance enough for anyone.

But enough about how disappointing and frightening McCain is personally.  I wanted to talk about the two Americas I see and perhaps offer some observations.  There seem to be two types of upbringing for most of us.  One is 'spare the rod and spoil the child' thinking and the other is  'ignore the bad and reward the good'. 

My upbringing was steeped in conservatism and religion and flavored with abuse, so perhaps my idea of the former is not the most balanced.  On the other hand, I see this type of upbringing as a common one in America.  Parents  have expectations and when a kid screws up, or doesn't toe the line as pleasantly as they think he or she should, punishment is the result.

Without some heavy therapy, many of these people continue to raise their own families this way, and somewhat surprisingly to me, most of them turn out just fine.  The rules are structured, clear and nobody can claim they did not know what was expected of them. 

Then we have the other extreme.  You know, no boundaries, lots of praise even when the kids don't deserve it, and the result can be a little brat or punky young adult with a sense of entitlement.  Okay, so most of these kids turn out just fine too, particularly after their first job doesn't provide them with a penthouse on Park Avenue and they learn the meaning of 'grunt'.  We have a lot of freedom in America and less societal restraints, so perhaps this is the natural result.

It is not easy to reach across the divide between the conservative and the liberal.  I believe this is because most of us have forgotten how to be polite.  Re-read what I wrote in the first few paragraphs of this article, and many of you will agree I am just as fervent a name-caller as anyone else.  This I admit, and if it were not so important and so critical in my opinion, I would sidle up and make nice.  Unfortunately, even pleasers like me need to get a little rough and stand up.  Hence, for my own protection, I will not allow rating on this article, as I know the drive-by lowraters will show up in droves.

I believe we have two Americas on a collision course.  It doesn't matter if we are conservative, moderate or liberal.  We need to stand together and elect a president who will listen to all of us and incorporate our viewpoints in his policies in a fair and equitable manner.  We cannot continue to propose the military solution for all our international problems, just as we cannot continue to imprison our population when mental illness, addiction and poverty are the real perpetrators in the majority of crimes.  Somebody has got to start a conversation and then we have to all start thinking before we act impulsively. 

Yes, I know the Iraq war was built on deceit and lies and has cost billions in dollars and untold suffering for thousands of Americans and perhaps a million Iraqis, but blaming each other now?  We have to get Bush and Cheney out of the White House and our government has to start the long, arduous process of righting our wrongs.  We have to shut down corporate greed - one third of all US Corporations did not pay one dime in taxes last year - and start lifting our citizens up together.  We voters have to take back our country, and by God or not by God, we can do it.

Let's reach across the aisle and stand up for a man who embodies the real America.  A man who is the son of an immigrant and a native born citizen.  A man who knows how to use his mouth and his brain so that he will not need to always raise his fists or draw his gun to settle a dispute.  Let's call a liar a liar, and hold up the records of these two men and what they claim to stand for in their policies. 

Yes, to become president a candidate does have to move toward the center, but isn't this what America needs?  Do we need another extremist?  I don't think so.  I will take a liberal or conservative centrist over what we have now.  I love my country passionately, and I love its people, even if I am profoundly disappointed in its current leaders.  I don't doubt that many people who disagree with my life philosophy share this same love, as the passions that have been riled in all of us are amazingly intense. 

Admittedly, I read Senator Obama's book, the Audacity of Hope, and was a little disappointed that he wasn't leaning more to the left like me.  For a few days I was actually crestfallen, as I have been an ardent supporter of his from the very beginnings of his candidacy.  Truthfully, I did not want to read his thoughtful viewpoints, his ability to dissect each issue carefully and methodically and his willingness to see all sides of an argument.  I wanted the Rock Star, the guy with the beautiful smile and the charming, charismatic speech.  I wanted to hear the words I wanted to hear, like any romantic young woman, even though I am way past my prime. 

I even imagined it before his speeches began to provide details.  Health insurance will be cheap, I thought.  Wages will triple.  We'll get 12 weeks of vacation like the Europeans.  Cancer will be cured and we'll find water on Mars.  Okay, so they did find water, but that's another long post.  Anyway, we all know it is not an easy fix and anyone who claims America can rise back to its greatness in one president's term is deluded.

Read the book, make up your own mind, but educate yourself.  Read the papers from out of the country and see that our own news media are totally one-sided.  Think about the coverage during the Vietnam War and how we saw the carnage, the bombed out villages, the wounded on stretchers and the dead bodies.  This administration 'protects' us from the horrors of war.  Unless it happens in Georgia and it is the Russians who are doing it.  What hypocrisy!

In order for the conservative media to support John McCain, they need him to get into the White House, and they are doing a wonderful job of scaring people.   Again.  All those who lived through the Cold War with Russia and still remember the Berlin Wall?  We are terrified in some part of our psyches, as we grew up afraid of our fathers but also being taught to hide under our desks during school nuclear war drills.  I can almost forgive the authorities for telling children this, as they are the ones who are terrified by the pundits and neocons.  It gave us some reassurance, but it was all a lie and we grew up realizing that the government can and does lie to its citizens.  This was a disgrace then and is now.

Yes the world has changed but it is still the same.  Bad people use fear and terror to control us and get us to give up our civil rights and our right to a decent quality of life.  The media show the horror of the Russian/Georgian war, but we don't see 1/64th of that kind of coverage about the war we have been in for over five years.  Doesn't something ring falsely here? 

McCain has got nothing except huge bucks and a younger trophy wife.  Please don't fall for the saber rattling and the threats.  Yes, they sound manly, but aren't you sick of our leaders pounding their chests like gorillas as they say, "Bring it on"?

God please bless America, as we are at a critical juncture and obviously still suffering from multiple personality disorder.  Register to vote, and vote thoughtfully from your big heart and your worthy soul.  Don't vote out of fear.  It isn't about who's got the biggest stick anymore.