Funny how that works. We say “no” and they respond, “we know what’s best for the American people.”  Ever get tired of hearing that phrase?

We have a “Lock Box” but Social Security was raided long ago. Ask the folks in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona how “border security” is working out for them and now the ubiquitous debate over a “debt ceiling” that has, near as I can tell, ALWAYS been raised. Talk about the need for “Term Limits” but only for the President? Seems Congress has authority over us and barely any over themselves.

As we should, we counsel young men in our country, “No means No” and that there are boundaries we must always honor. When someone asks you to stop, you stop. Plain and simple.

Perhaps we need to send our groping politicians to a remedial class, reminding them of what happens when we ultimately reach our last straw.

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What has happened to us? Our country was built on grit, passion and individualism. Nowadays, a collective, puerile infantilism has nearly taken over. A majority of us “act out” like juveniles throwing temper-tantrums when we don’t get our way. Our nanny state nursemaids, the scheming politicians are all too eager to usurp the role of a consoling parent rather than a public servant. Pandering to the loudest bleating within their constituency, our elected officials do whatever they can to assuage those pubescent pleas.

Easy to see the path of these crafty EGO’s (elected government officials). They want to stay in office, receiving all the power, perks and prestige. So they do nearly whatever it takes to oil the squeaky chairs with laws, regulations and statutes designed not to serve the public but to soothe the “boo-boos” of wailing voters.

“Oh, don’t cry little one. I’ll kiss it and make it all better.” I can’t think of a single politician whose lips I want on me.

But what has happened to us? We as citizens seem to suspended in a juvenile state of dependence, suffocating in a mindset of looking to a pseudo Mommy and Daddy to protect and nurture us. Not every ailment requires political action. Not every issue needs government intervention. Our Constitution grants our government enumerated powers. Our infantile citizenry is seldom satiated.

“Oh, we don’t like this or that so we need a law.” “We hate this, so let’s get our elected  panty waits to pass legislation.” “Why shouldn’t we get out way? Can’t we have a rule against that?”

For those of us convinced that the government can cure all problems, as opposed to getting out of our way , it’s time to wake up, take off the training wheels and water-wings, put down your pacifiers and realize your neediness is killing our country. While you’re busy crying in your milk, some citizens would like to get on with “Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness.” Citizens don’t crawl, crying to their government every time they don’t get their way…codependents do.

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Humans are an integration of the myriad.

Do you find it at all odd, or contrary to nature, that when it comes to politics we ignore the premise of inherent mixtures and combinations and tend to pigeonhole ourselves? Contrary to our very makeup, antithetical to our eclectic, elemental arrangements, we fight to label ourselves as a member of one political gang or another? Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Tea, Green, Constitution, Socialist etc. divisions seem to sap all of our collective and creative political energy. All or nothing, true blue mentalities seem to predominate the political class. Politicians and their pundits parroting the party platform are all we get.

Do those mindsets seem unnatural in light of our chemical and elemental composition?

I was asked recently about the “tipping point” here in America. With the threats of future chaos propagated by Mother Nature or more manmade versions, tornadoes or terrorists attacks, it’s easy to focus on the extreme. Many believe the turning point will be more of an awakening than a cataclysm. When political independents, tired of the two-party bait-and-switch tactics which have lead our country to its current dilemmas, finally decide to take their government back, that’s when all Hell will break loose. When the mass majority of our citizenry reawakens, re-engages and decides they’ve taken enough crap, that’s when the sparks will fly.

You and I are “salad bars” in both form and philosophy. Outside of the idealogical demagoguery that fill our airwaves and websites, the mainstream majority thrives in compromise and merger. Perhaps the next revolution in our country will come when political Independents form The Salad Bar party, picking and choosing, a bit of this and a touch of that, from the best of philosophies and legislation for a free and brave people to live by.

Won’t that be something?

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And now the flame-blame game begins!

This post is for my anti-role model Mr. Keith Olbermann of MSNBC. BTW, nice new slogan…”Lean Forward.” Good luck with that!

Hey Keith, what’s with you, Ed Schultz and flames?

According to an article on Huffington Post, seems Mr. Olbermann blames the Tea Party type rhetoric for the Tennessee fire’s aftermath. Labeling it “a look now into the America envisioned by the tea party … a preview of what would come in a kind of a la carte government” on his Monday evening news farce, Countdown. It’s become clear his show should be retitled MSNBC’s Meltdown.

Keith, keep on leaning forward. Keep on with your condescending, delusional and snarky attitude. In your next career, perhaps you and Chris Matthews can take to the road and do a standup, comedy remake of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. You’ll probably get a bigger audience for both of you.

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We haven’t lost our Freedom, like we might lose are car keys or sunglasses. No.

We haven’t lost our Liberty, we’ve gained lawmakers.

We’ve gained politicians whose goal is to craft more regulations for the self-serving purpose of begetting more regulations. Look, you can’t blame the plumber for wanting more pipes to fix or an electrician for more plugs to wire. (For my friends that are plumbers and electricians, please forgive me for mentioning you in the same sentence with politicians). We elect politicians, they enact more laws, statutes, rules, regulations, stipulations, mandates, codes, ordinances, orders and so on. We haven’t lost our personal freedom, we gained more politicians.

So what do we do?

What if we created an atmosphere where we hold our politicians accountable BEFORE we elect them to public office. Where our pre-election evaluation of them is grounded in something other than slick television ads and party affiliation. I wondered about a contract, not a “Contract for America” but rather  a “Contract from Americans.” Replacing the top down with the bottom up!

Politicians certainly know how to make deals so this shouldn’t be all that difficult a concept for them to grasp.

Then it dawned on me. We need to stop electing politicians are starting voting for Representatives. Honorable men and woman who will faithfully execute the will of their constituents. Replacing career politicians with connected, committed representation in all public offices. Representatives that truly know who the bosses are and what they want.

One of the emails I received contained the following creed. Like yesterday’s list of questions, an interesting starting point for discussion.

The Honorable Legislator’s Creed: This I Believe

I. This I believe:  Liberty is a state of existence where one is free of force or fraud against their persons and their property. Defense of liberty for every citizen is the foundation upon which our nation stands. Nobody, government in particular, has the right to tell any honorable citizen what to do or to extract value from the property of that citizen. It is a fundamental right of every citizen to be left alone. Anyone who rationalizes an attack upon liberty as: “an unfortunate but necessary sacrifice for the greater good” is displaying symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

II. This I believe:  When confronted by dishonorable behavior, the honorable citizen has a duty to employ what ever tools of defense are at hand for the purpose of mitigating risks generated by that behavior.  Any force up to and including deadly force may be employed to protect the person and property of themselves or any other citizen. Anyone who seeks to deprive the honorable citizen use of any tool for the protection of liberty is displaying the symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

III. This I believe: Honorable behavior is the mechanism by which liberty is defended. The honorable citizen defends liberty for themselves and their family. The heroic citizen assumes personal risk in protection of liberty for their fellow citizens. Anyone who counsels patience and passive restraint while waiting for individuals with tools of defense to race to your aid are displaying symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

IV. This I believe: The Constitution of the United States was written in plain English for the benefit of all citizens. There are no hidden meanings that require interpretation beyond that which any educated citizen might read and understand for themselves. Individuals offering extraordinary, mystical or elitist interpretations of words in the Constitution are displaying symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

V. This I believe: The law under our constitution is a public extension of the private citizen’s right to self defense. The law is about securing justice for the dishonorable behaviors of others.  The consequences of dishonorable behavior call for investigation, apprehension, detention, impartial examination of fact, and just consequences for individuals found guilty. The law is a tool for applying a measured and just response to dishonorable behaviors of individuals. The law cannot be a shield. Further, the law under our Constitution is NOT a tool for the despotic progressives to effect social engineering or plunder.

VI. This I believe: The Constitution is quite clear in the enumeration of duties and powers chartered to the federal government. Nonetheless, the legislative behaviors by the federal government of the United States have been running amok for over 100 years. Worse yet, the courts have torturously revised history of both legislatures and the court’s own case records to validate a despotic progressive rampage through a legislative candy shop. The net result is that the vast majority of federal legislation over the past century is decidedly unconstitutional. Anyone observed to brush questions of constitutionality aside are displaying symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

VII. This I believe: No citizen, no officer of government, no court has a charter under the Constitution to force any honorable citizen to do anything. Anyone who proposes, supports or implements any law or regulation that attacks the liberty of any honorable citizen is displaying the symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

VIII. This I believe: The law under our Constitution is blind to age, sex, religion, physical condition, or ethnicity. Law crafted under our Constitution must first be a response to an attack upon the liberty of a citizen and second, apply equally to every citizen irrespective of cultural, economic or societal station. Anyone who promotes, supports or implements any law or regulation that sets one honorable citizen apart from another is displaying the symptoms of despotic progressivism and not to be trusted.

IX. This I believe: The honorable legislator under our Constitution will propose no law nor will they support any law which attacks the liberty of an honorable citizen. Any candidate for office who does not embrace this principal of government is not qualified to hold office under our Constitution.

X. This I believe: The honorable legislator under our Constitution will act at the federal level to either rescind or otherwise disable any existing law, regulation, or institution of government, which violates the liberty of any honorable citizen. Employees of government involved in the promotion and enforcement of unconstitutional law will be ordered to immediately cease and desist all such activities. And further  . . .

XI. This I believe:  In crafting the Kentucky Resolution of 1799, Thomas Jefferson tells us that when the federal government brings an unconstitutional law into effect the states have recourse to declare such laws unconstitutional, null and void. The honorable federal legislator under our Constitution will encourage their home state’s legislature to take judicial notice of unconstitutional action by the federal government.  Each state can then take remedial action to reject any federal violation of state’s and/or citizen’s rights.

XII. This I believe:  In order that articles X and XI may be implemented with dispatch and efficiency, honorable legislators serving in the federal government should be employees of their respective states. Their home state should be responsible for setting salaries, benefits, retirement packages, operating budgets, and expenses for all representatives and their support staffs in Washington.

Nothing of value is to be transferred to the use or control of any state employee from any outside source which includes the federal government and any private interests foreign or domestic.  Violation of this rule is a dishonorable activity that disqualifies the offending individual from holding this or any other position of responsibility. Washington facilities owned or leased by states in Washington DC should be as inviolate as any national embassy on foreign soil.

XIII. This I believe: The only reason an honorable citizen should feel compelled to vote is to remove a dishonorable legislator from office. The only reason the dishonorable citizen is compelled to vote is to secure for themselves a larger piece of somebody else’s pie. The dishonorable citizen is not qualified to vote under our Constitution.

XIV. This I believe: Application of these simple-ideas to the conduct of citizens and their government under our Constitution abides no moderation, bi-partisanship or compromise. While the behaviors of dishonorable individuals may be conducted with any frequency and magnitude, the honorable citizen maintains rigid expectations for the behavior their legislators under our Constitution. Failure to embrace any of the foregoing demonstrates a lack of qualification for office in the government of the United States. The foregoing also illustrates the critical nature of honorable behavior. Without it, we do not have a nation. Without it, prospects for all peoples of the world are exceedingly bleak……Thanks to Robert L. Nuckolls III

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There is a fascinating article on Salon.com this morning by Michael Lind. The tag line reads, “The following excerpt is from the virtual book Republic to Principate: The Decline and Fall of Representative Democracy in America, published in the year 2052 A.D.” By far, one of the most eye-opening articles I’ve read in some time, it highlights how our Constitution could be hijacked, our government redefined before our eyes because of our apathy and misunderstanding of current events.

Here is the best read of the tea leaves, the most accurate –I believe–representation of what will happen to our country should we leave the House of Reprehensibles to grow out of touch, and out of reach, of the electorate that hired them.

To quote Mr. Lind, “Can we reform Congress in time to save democracy?”

Can we save a dying democracy? Our only shot begins by imagining the future if we fail to see our current situation.

More 2 Explore

Salon Article

Michael Lind

New America Foundation

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How thick or how shallow, how dense or foolish must one be to drink the constant flow of Kool-Aid we are offered these days? True, the vapid and the vacuous walk among us. You can’t debate it. That said, what percentage of the voting population falls for the fairy-tail du jour each and every day?

Now I know what you are thinking. President Obama can stop the oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico, BP didn’t brake and rules or laws leading up to the disaster, President Clinton didn’t offer Joe Sestak a position of value to drop out of the race with Arlen Specter, the National Guard will stop illegal immigration on our southern border, and the health care bill isn’t about redistributing of wealth and on and on and on. Blah, blah, blah.

Soon you will find a daily “Gullibility Index” here on BrianBrawdy.com. Not unlike a UV or Pollen index,  graded on a scale of 1-10, each day I will follow the stories making news and, with the help of my friends on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace will calculate a mathematical dip-stick highlighting just how naive you and I would have to be to trust in what we are being told.

It’s not about conspiracy theories, it’s about common sense, which of late, isn’t as common or as sensical as the term would suggest.

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It’s a rather sordid comparison of a white, female, democratic, liberal politician from California with a black, male, republican, conservative one from Washington, DC. Each blaming the “angry mob” while trying to siphon off a wee bit of tangential energy of the brewing rage for their own devices.

Ladies first. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is outed by a report in Judicial Watch for her lavish accommodations, alcohol tabs and her million dollar a year flying habit.

Next the Gentleman. RNC Chairman Michael Steele is outed in The Daily Caller and The Huffington Post for his chic on the cheap with private jets and accoutrement.

Two politicians, same old situation. Two faces, same abuse of power and purses. Neither brings any real change and only looks to further loot and short-change us. After all, as elected officials they’re entitled to egoistic elegance.

Political looting knows no party lines. Here we have yet another example of two different political visions, same graft.

When many in the media wonder where the “rage” and enmity comes from, they need look no further than the status quo. Republicans and Democrats alike act as if they are both above the law and perhaps even more egregiously, above the budget. Both parties, and a good number of the politicians they conspire with, have lost touch with the American people and that’s why we’re pissed.

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Today, I’m wondering aloud. Imagine if for just a moment, that the underlying theme of both the Tea Party movement and the results of the Massachusetts election were more of a wakeup call to you and I, the electorate, more then it was to the elected. What if the message, the challenge is for us, not for them?

While both the Dems and the GOP busy themselves spinning the reason(s) for the “voter backlash” what if we were to turn the tables and use the rising energy to our advantage? What if, given the mood of late, we kept the Dems and the GOP on the ropes? We kept the political punches and jabs coming, and to quote Muhammed Ali, “rope-a-dope.” I know it sounds crazy but what if we kept up the pressure on the established and entrenched politicians and political parties, and used our collective advantage to finally get them to tap out?

Now, I’m not suggesting a third party. Not terribly helpful in this day and age. I am however suggesting and alternative political platform, one that politicians and would-be politicians alike would have to officially endorse and contractually agree to support the will of the electorate. Insane, I know.

Scott Brown ran for the Senate as a “NO” vote on health-care. Suppose, just for a second, that we started to identify those individuals willing to run FOR something, say term limits, open primary elections at the state and federal levels, a flat tax, a long overdo line-item veto for the President or to open the Federal Reserve to full disclosure and transparency?  I know it’s lunacy to imagine, but what if we found those visionaries that would stand for free trade, to champion states rights or to enact real reform for health-care and make the HMO’s compete across state lines, that exposed campaign finance reform for what it truly is?

I know, I’m mad, unhinged, certifiable. But let’s say we make the term “career politician” and oxymoron.

It’s time for a smack-down. Instead of being talked-down to, we will finally tell them where to go. No more one way streets. We become the power brokers. We’ve got them in the cage, let’s keep them there.

No more Contracts for America.

How about a Contract From America?

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“What other animal retires?” Michael Roberts asks. “If a lion retires today, tomorrow morning he becomes his brother’s breakfast.”

This is a great read about entrepreneurial brothers Michael and Steven Roberts.

That their story falls, not under the CNN banner of Bold or Brilliant or Brave or Best in America, but Black in America, is fairly sad.

I couldn’t care less about the color of their skin, only their courage, character and commitment to thrive.