Hope Springs Eternal

[Joe]

I sometimes stand and look dazedly about when I see and hear some of the things that are going on all around.

The previous administration started a war, that at least had some reason to be waged, and then seemed to forget that there was a war in progress, and started a second war for no discernible reason. The both wars remain unresolved.

The current administration has been behind the eight ball along as it attempted to undo the economic disaster the previous administration had perpetrated, deal with the two wars, and accomplish something on the domestic front in the face of a racist and obstructionist congress for what looks like it will be six of eight years.

Now we have political campaigns in progress. One candidate has jumped on a chair, and screams helplessly about the threat of widows and orphans, sweepingly indicts our neighbors as "rapists" etc. This candidate, as well as several others, constantly harps on solutions that are right out of the fascist play book, and demonstrates a thorough ignorance of our constitution along with the notion that the presidency is all powerful and can do, and undo, treaty and law with a facile 'tweet' using the term "loser". It's pretty scary stuff. Reminds me of Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism.

I remain optimistic, however, and it helps to see examples in our world where good things happen, and have happened, just because.

[Chris James]

I sometimes stand and look dazedly about when I see and hear some of the things that are going on all around.

And yet I seem to feel you are an optimist. Sometimes dazed is a good thing after all we have been through.

The previous administration started a war, that at least had some reason to be waged, and then seemed to forget that there was a war in progress, and started a second war for no discernible reason. The both wars remain unresolved.

Unresolved...and unpaid for...trillions of dollars. We borrowed the money from China after trying to conceal the actual war costs in the budget. Bush handed that mess down to the Obama administration, too.

The current administration has been behind the eight ball along as it attempted to undo the economic disaster the previous administration had perpetrated, deal with the two wars, and accomplish something on the domestic front in the face of a racist and obstructionist congress for what looks like it will be six of eight years.

The Republicans planned their obstructionist ways, Boehner even bragged about it. Obama may have been upset but the American taxpayer should be royally pissed off. Congressional salaries have been a waste of taxpayer money for the past decade.

Now we have political campaigns in progress. One candidate has jumped on a chair, and screams helplessly about the threat of widows and orphans, sweepingly indicts our neighbors as "rapists" etc. This candidate, as well as several others, constantly harps on solutions that are right out of the fascist play book, and demonstrates a thorough ignorance of our constitution along with the notion that the presidency is all powerful and can do, and undo, treaty and law with a facile 'tweet' using the term "loser". It's pretty scary stuff. Reminds me of Arendt's The Origins of Totalitarianism.

I am still laughing after reading today that the Miami Barnes & Noble bookstore has put the new books by Donald Trump and Ben Carson on the humor shelves. MSN has a very nice article about that. Is it liberal bias or just fact? You decide.

I remain optimistic, however, and it helps to see examples in our world where good things happen, and have happened, just because.

Enjoyed the photos. Perhaps when the human species has gone extinct the animals will learn to appreciate one another a lot better.