It's New Year's Eve, and the candidates are burning up the map of Iowa in preparation for Tuesdays caucus...answering mindless questions repetitively all the while saying less than nothing with virtual aplomb, or painting broad strokes of reform with little or no depth to indicate they have the faintest clue to correct the problems besetting our great nation.
These are the normal protocols for running for political office, and are completely predictable. I can only assume the candidates have been over and over the list of "usual" questions they can expect...the normal four year softball questions they will attempt to answer in order to curry favor and possibly even receive a round of applause, if the size of the venue allows.
These are the normal protocols for running for political office, and are completely predictable. I can only assume the candidates have been over and over the list of "usual" questions they can expect...the normal four year softball questions they will attempt to answer in order to curry favor and possibly even receive a round of applause, if the size of the venue allows.
The unfortunate result is a complete lack of information given from the candidates; as no one expects you to prove your worldly intelligence, or to display any impressive, or even appreciable modicum of pseudo intelligence beyond the average voter's ability to understand.
The sad fact is, the closest the average American gets to any public figure of any enviable intelligence level has been reduced to recent appearances by Dr. Neil DeGasse Tyson on space exploration, and "The Big Bang Theory." Any intelligent conversations or public debates are a rare vestige of what our worlds, and our entertainment avenues used to incorporate.
Intelligence and education used to be exalted and admired. We used to have a respect for the written word. Generations past would never consider additions to our lexicon such that are summarily added to Websters Dictionary without an iota of thought or debate in present day....bon mots that would render our previous generations spinning in their graves.....take the following sentence for instance.....
"The pod person used his WiFi at hyperspeed to listen to some tuneage, complain about plumber's crack, saw a gay-friendly drama queen and - bada-bing - wound up with some bling."
A nonsensical sentence to be sure, but every word now appears in the Oxford Dictionary. Every word. I have not researched it, but if it is not included already, can frickin' be far behind?
Our country no longer values education, no longer revels in the written word. We have become a nation of uneducated video idiots. Our educational system is begging for an overhaul. Book stores routinely go out of business. Libraries are under appreciated, and under utilized. Our public airwaves neither addresses the issue, nor seeks to be a part of the remedy...namely producing anything of an enriching nature, opting instead to produce an endless array of pablum targeted to the least common denominator amongst us.
Seems to me each candidate should be asked a variety of questions, such as "Our population has become increasingly lazy, unintelligent and culturally vapid...what can you do as a leader to help to return this nation to its former glory?" I would love to hear the answer, because until we return to a love of learning, until this nation returns to dreaming, until this nation returns to respecting and revering its intelligent people and regains its thirst for knowledge, we will be hopelessly mired in mediocrity. Even today, as we consider who to vote for, rarely if ever consider which candidate is the smartest person in the room...instead, utilizing our, baser instincts to make the decision, which in part leads to the banal charade a public forum with a candidate has become.
And if you are reading this and acknowledging the obvious fact that I could use a remedial course or two in grammar and diction, consider this. I graduated with all A's and B's throughout my school years and found the education system to be very easy and remained largely unchallenged throughout. I realize and acknowledge that I am......this post is....an indictment of the very system I rail about, and the very character and lack of priorities I assail against today. I know I am a part of the problem, and in no way above it all.
But welcome to my world...."The World According to Kimba." Thanks for reading.
