Greatness at Dawn

Sunrise was “Pepto Bismol Perfect!” -- with side to side pink stripes and hazy grey between. The azure sea slowly became visible, and completed the tri-fecta color trio.

Street lights reflected off traffic cones marking separate lanes for elite runners.

The leader emerged from the mist – silent footfalls levitating body over pavement.  Leading by thirty seconds after three and half miles, he seemed weightless and ethereal.

Then the crowd; three, ten, thirty, clumps, a hundred -- a “shimmy line” of thousands, still silent, but for sponge on pavement.  Spandex, nylon; sweat, and jaws set -- eyes seeking mile markers, water stations.

In Athens, the lone runner did not enjoy a special lane, a water station, a standby physician or crowds of cheering supporters.  Thirteen thousand teammates were not yet part of the Olympic effort required to convey Victory at Marathon.  

This week in Fort Lauderdale, the Greatness at Dawn was over in six hours, but each runner can rightfully claim personal victory.  

Public sector demagogues and private sector greed cannot rob these competitors who ran in comparative silence and earned our respect.  Such personal greatness in private people will be needed in the coming time of our public decline.

The Right to Give Offense

A lot of "Calling On XXXX to resign" going around.

"Leave your job, leave your post, leave the campaign! Right Now!" ...because you offended me, and others who oppose you.

I don't get it. The point is to call it as you see it; and let the other team respond in kind. I mean, this isn't a fist fight, where a certain dignified restraint might be in order. This is politics. The right to give offense -- freely even; is baked in.

I prefer direct arguments about issues, and deem personal attacks just a silly side show. Attacking your opponent's moral character or taste (in art, whiskey, automobiles or entertainment) is as American as -- well America.

Those who feign a thin skin and a damaged self esteem resulting from a furious bout of political name calling strike me as weak -- headed. It's a strategy calculated to create offense in some soon to take up arms third party. It's politics -- but not good politics.

Wade in there and serve it up. Give offense -- Freely!
No foul! Now get over it; and get on with the real discussion.

We've got work to do.

Ray's Big Idea

“Ray Norman” was a figure of affection and scorn, being our town's “bright idea” guy. He suggested my Dad dig a drainage ditch and line it with concrete perforated pipe to guide runoff water away from the house and out to the sewer. "Hell of an idea!" He also came up with a smart way to use half an aluminum anti-freeze can as a tool for serving up wall board “mud” right on the tape. "Genius!"

Ray couldn’t seem to get on top of his debt. Dad bought him more than a few dinners; helped sometimes with the rent. A couple of odd jobs, and a great heart, but he was simply unable to stem the leak in his pocket. People knew that in a tight spot Ray would be there first -- working after dark if the power went down. Calling the shots as a crew erected a new power pole. "Reliable Ray!" But dedicated as we all were to finding jobs for Ray; church collections and covert contributions, He just couldn’t catch up. It wasn’t a big scandal that several families, the church and the bank had been carrying Ray for years over a larger and larger balance-in-arrears.

One might have foreseen the outcome: One night at a Town Hall, Ray suggested we “pool our resources” and invest in a real estate scheme to buy up vacant land in advance of a fancied “development group” that had big plans for our future. Someone called the question: “Who shall we get to honcho this thing?” “Why, obviously, we should prevail upon Ray for that mission!” opined Vernon, the Banker. Still laughing, we all went home.

We never saw Ray again.

Ingenious, good hearted, public spirited even; but he couldn't handle money.

"The best government is that which governs least."

^{Variously attributed to Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Paine and Henry David Thoreau. Also used as the motto of the publication The United States Magazine and Democratic Review.}

With apologies to Steve Martin and to our historical forefathers; Governments don't "Get Small." But perhaps they ought to.

Historically, there are two radically opposed perspectives about the role of government: The Left and the Right. Liberal and Conservative.

Liberals say government exists to guarantee equality of all citizens. They advocate limiting liberty somewhat and spending to make all people equal. Guarantees are expensive! Those in the greatest need have little or no money. Those with greater reserves are forced to pay -- and pay. As it turns out, those with money constitute a minority. So the majority rules that the minority should fund the system that holds them back to "equal" status.

Conservatives say government exists to guarantee equal opportunity. That from the start there will be people of greater and lesser ability -- but in a system with guaranteed liberty, everyone has the same opportunities to rise. Government "maintains a level playing field" acting as a "disinterested referee." Limited government means that people have great liberty and wildly varying degrees of attainment. We have the same freedoms, but our different abilities will inevitably result in different results. Government mostly keeps the peace, mostly settles differences -- and keeps minorities safe from majorities - mostly. Lots of freedom. Lower taxes.

So much for the ideals. (Have you picked a side yet???) Gotcha!

These ideals are merely that -- ideals. But they serve as a diversion which keeps people of good intentions arguing about which party and approach is best.

In the real world -- there is no real choice. As it turns out -- politicians of both parties are equally disingenuous -- their hands in the cookie jar -- driving up expenditures buying the loyalty of their constituents. No government, at the hands of either party -- gets smaller.

We're at -- or very close to -- the point of no return. What the government collects cannot cover expenses. Raising taxes can't solve it. The politicians are shouting slogans while attempting to get one last shot at the free food until the Chinese decide to drop the dollar.

When we're out of credit, we stop spending and pay the debt. We don't eat out. And we don't buy new cars. Oh, and we don't look for a government bailout. Bernie Madoff was arrested for doing what the US Government is doing. A little more equality all round please!

Shouldn't we grow up, recognize that what works at home can work in Washington; and "Get Small?"