[Rhodes22-list] Blame the Now: Sailing

[Bill Effros]

Jim,

I think my real point did not pass you by.

My real point is to look at what's happening here.  The anti-big 
government people are creating a bigger and bigger federal government.  
The personal liberty people are curtailing everyone's personal liberty.  
The anti-states' rights people are defending states' rights.  The 
homeland security people are unable to keep the homeland secure.  The 
send more troops to Iraq people are demanding that the troops be brought 
home...

These are not red vs. blue issues.  They are not liberal vs. 
conservative issues.  They are not ivory tower vs. in the trenches 
issues.  They are not black vs. white issues.  They are not even rich 
vs. poor issues.  For the most part, they are selfish vs. common good 
issues.

We are all in this together because deep down in our hearts we feel it 
is better for the common good to cooperate with each other.  This 
involves constant trade-offs and compromises on everyone's part.  Nobody 
can come out ahead all the time.

I think what happened in New Orleans may prove to be a watershed issue.  
I think the confusion of positions on this list is indicative of the 
confusion in the country.  I am very concerned that pendulums might 
swing too far, too fast in the opposite directions.

Don't let the knee-jerks win.

Thanks for reading what I wrote, and please be assured I always read 
what you write. 

Bill Effros

Jim White wrote:

>Thanks Bill
> 
>It really did pass me by...maybe it has something to do with my dyslexia...or maybe impatience on my part, but it was an overload.
> 
>It took me eight years to do college and grad school, and sometime I still feel like a gypsy in the palace. Hours and hours of Government, American History, Civics etc. as an undergrad, and I came away with a sense that we (the individual) are resposible for the caretaking of this country. I was under the impression that the government (especially the federal government) is a necessary evil...At least that's what I thought the framers and founders thought. I always thought the the local governments were primarily responsible to their governed, and beyond that each individual was responsible to one another (the higher law thing...). I guess I need to relearn things.
> 
>The La. tragedy seems to me to be just that, a tragedy, regardless of which levels of government screwed things up. It's time to pull together for the common good.
> 
>Them gov'ment kind are all a bunch of city slickers anyhow.... I figure we can sort the mess out later, but right now we need to take care of the problem.
> 
>Anyway, I have little time to try and solve political problems...I'm too busy trying to keep an eye on the workings of this little microcosm of ocean down here, and besides I'm sort of kinesthetic to begin with...I have to get my hands on the problem, that's why for me it was better to send so money (which I have little of), clothes and food for the effort in NOLA. That's my obligation and duty as an American citizen. If I didn't have school age kids, like Herb I would've gone there to try and help out too.  
> 
>Let better minds solve the big problems on this list...
> 
>Cheers
>jw
>
>
>Bill Effros <bill at effros.com> wrote:
>Jim, forgot to label that a joke, we all did get it 8 times. At least, 
>I did.
>
>Bill Effros
>
>
>
>Jim White
>Le Menagerie
>www.lemenagerie.blogspot.com
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