Oh, the Presidential Possibilities!

I really feel sorry for our nation when I see an election being conducted as this one is. The Republican candidates are downright horrible and their best shot at the presidency may be John McCain. Well that's great. On the Democratic side unless John Edwards makes a late charge (and it's not like he's a stupendous choice) or there is some sort of surprise candidate pulled out by either side, our next president is likely going to be Hilary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mike Huckabee or McCain. Clinton is just another in a long line of insiders who has likely already agreed to scratch the backs of those who contributed so much in to her campaign and promotion, and do we really want the same 2 families to be in the White House for what could amount to 24 years if she is re-elected in 2012? And what next, Jeb Bush in 2016? Obama is the least nauseating of the Big 4, but he just seems like rhetoric to me. He is a charming guy but when he speaks about change I don't really believe him. And that goes for anyone who is for the continuation of the occupation of Iraq and willing to go in to Iran or Pakistan. McCain already lost a primary to the worst president in history and though I do agree with his thoughts on torture (no) and stem cells (yes) and as much of a "maverick" as he is, I can't say I agree much with his voting record (hint: it's pretty much the same as the rest of the super conservative hawkish republicans). And Huckabee? Please, no.

Can't we as a country come up with one "front runner" who could really be a great President? I think the only two sane selections this year would be Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich, but though Paul does still have a 1 in a million shot, they are both mere afterthoughts in the minds of America, seeing through the slanted eye of the corporate media. If either Paul or Kucinich got even 1/2 the media exposure of say Clinton, Obama or Huckabee, they would be right in the thick of the running for their parties nomination. Instead though, we have these weak candidates that don't seem to be anything more than a re-hashing of past failures shoved down our throats by every major media outlet. And people fall for it! What are they thinking? Are they thinking at all? Can they think? I don't understand it myself. The problem is that these candidates are mercilessly pushed on us while they all sell themselves and cut each other down, and I guess I can see how that might be confusing to some people; who are stupid. Perhaps stupid isn't the word. Perhaps ignorant would be more appropriate, but perceived "ignorance" to the problem begs the question: Can you indeed plead ignorance when the resources of enlightenment are at your very finger tips and you neglect them? Not asking the right questions and not really wanting to know the answers are indications of something much more severe even than stupidity.

Every "major" candidate is running on a platform of the continuation of interventionist foreign policy. Why? Do we sit back and ask ourselves why all the "major" candidates are wholeheartedly supporting the biggest burden on the American tax payer? Do we ask ourselves why those who become the "major" candidates are those who got the most airplay on media sources owned by the same conglomerates who will make money financing our Empire building and upkeep? For after all, you cannot have a standing army and certainly not over 820 military installations spread throughout 39 countries (or more) without somebody footing the bill and somebody else cashing a check for the armaments. That, my friends, is big business. It is also the single biggest drain on our income, with taxpayer money going to fund every one of those bases, every troop on them and every one of their weapons. That all came out of our pockets. And what's worse is that we pay the government to pay the conglomerates to manufacture the weapons, and they (the conglomerates) then re-invest that money in to pushing their next wave of war-happy pawns on us through their huge media stake. Just imagine how much money has been poured in to this juggernaut in the last 60 years. Imagine the fact that our yearly "defense" budget is greater than the next 25 countries behind us COMBINED. We have paid hard-earned money for the lives of hundreds of thousands since World War II and yet we continue to support those who promote this expensive and grisly proposition of interventionism and empire. And we come again to that thing worse than ignorance of the system. That thing is acquiescence to the system.

Will a great President will emerge to lead America out of the dark age that seems inevitable? Is it even possible considering the way we allow our elections to be run? I believe that a tremendous leader could emerge one day with clear ideas and a plan that can unite our country again and perhaps at last start to right this great ship, but it won't be this year; and it won't be until those who are ignorant turn off the path to acquiescence and decide they've had enough. Whoever you are, wherever you are, we need you. And soon.