What song best sums up the previous year?

I agree entirely, Dan. We are experiencing what I see as a retardation of meaningful discussion in this country, and I happen to believe that governmental heirarchies impact the country in exactly the same way that parents and CEO's do in their respective environments, setting the tone of discussion/tolerance/money management/sense of entitlement/greed/etc. right from the top on down. While I can't readily think of a song to represent that particular dynamic, the one title I skewed (in half jest, albeit) is for me representative of the past year, and applicable to politicians, corporate executives, moralistic leaders, and others who "Like Iraq" throw up a smoke-and-mirrors image of themselves while operating in a world of deceit. This phenomenon extends beyond party lines, religious affiliations, and bullshit commitments to customer service. We've become experts at lying about who we are, and most effectively so to ourselves, to the point that we believe the charade and thus are mostly impervious to a truthful dissection of our actions. In other words, we are being taught that personal responsibility and honesty are nothing more than fodder for building a fictitious self-image. People complain about kids not being responsible for themselves? It starts at the top, with this endless array of scandals and lies. Again, I'm not simply pointing the finger at Bush. Rather, it is the tone that has been set by his government, one that actually honors deceit, and one in which all discussion shall not venture beyond the surface.

I'm not sure any of the responses given here would be representative of a radical left, as Nate mentioned. I don't think any of us is out tossing molotov coctails at WTO meetings. Nor were any of the responses overt expressions of hatred toward Bush. Indeed, 9/11 was a wake-up call, and I happen to believe that "you're either with us or against us" fired the starter's pistol on this volatile state of affairs. Because from that point on, unrestrained and unsubstantiated became the name of the game. As the economic future of our esteemed country is being whittled away, we fling names and moralistic epithets at each other, having now been charged with the supreme duty of separating the patriots from the enemies within. At the same time, Bill O'Reilly suggests that it would be a good idea for Al Qaeda to annhiliate San Francisco. Forget damaging the morale of the troops, he's encouraging terrorists to blow up an American city!

Nate, whether or not you feel you belong on this site is up to you. There is no question that you have offered an immense amount of valuable discussion and useful audio recommendations within these threads. Personally, I hope you choose to continue. The Internet is tough sometimes, especially because many of the tools we use to communicate (vocal fluctuations, facial expressions, gesticulations, etc.) cannot be infused into this simple exchange of words. It's also difficult because most of us have never actually met in person, which if we did it would help to deepen subsequent conversations.

We live in a volatile time, one that might take us aback while looking at it 20-30 years from now. Dan, you said something last week about the selfish nature of man, something that really got me thinking. You said:

to describe human nature as "selfish" is not unlike calling an elephant large. What we call "selfishness" is simply a basic human trait.

This is a quality with which I've never been comfortable, and always wished it was different. But as you say, it just is. It certainly explains the corporate scandals, the mass genocides, the falsifying of pharmaceutical data, cheating on taxes, and so on. Ultimately, it might also explain another human trait: the desire to live beyond it. While I'm not convinced this is possible, we do have our moments. And many times, they occur right here in this community. Thank you, Dan.

Barb is here, so we're off for a drive in the foothills. Enjoy your weekend, you guys.

Howard

While I'll admit that I am definitely not a fan of George Bush, my link to the video was meant as a humorous response to the question, and I'm sorry if it truly angered anyone.

JD

JD, I found the video to be quite entertaining and dead on politically. I have since forwarded it to everyone in my my address book. Why do you feel the need to apologize? These threads are a public forum, open to different views. The key word being "public". It never ceases to amaze me when your opinion might not be the same as someone else's somebody always resorts to name calling and worse. Right or left, what makes this the BEST country in the world is forums like this that give us all a chance to express our thoughts and ideas.

From Eric Bibb's "Friends," the track "For You," with
Ruthie Foster.

“The notion that a radical is one who hates his country is naïve and usually idiotic. He is, more likely, one who likes his country more than the rest of us, and is thus more disturbed than the rest of us when he sees it debauched. He is not a bad citizen turning to crime; he is a good citizen driven to despair.”
H.L. Mencken