There is nothing new on this earth. I've often heard it said and have lived long enough to realize the truth in this. During the late 60s and early 70s, most teenagers considered their parents' the establishment' and wanted nothing to do with them. The 'flower' children thought government was unnecessary just as the tea party does today. The GOP wants to get rid of government. One way people think they can get rid of government is to secede fro the United States. that resolution is not shared by systems thinkers who can realize the total effects of such a move. Gary Younge, writing for THE NATION sees the total picture. If you'd like to see it too, click here.
The flower children didn't wear shoes because they didn't see the need for them; they cost money and were often uncomfortable. They knew nothing about hygienist and horrible things you can pick up from the street with bare feet. When they were cut, to where did they run as they were running away from the establishment...you guessed it, to the government funded free medical clinics.
The difference today is that it not the naivete of teenagers, it is the ignorance of our elected lawmakers who are saying get rid of the government. Economists predict these states cannot afford to secede, As a couples therapist, I heard many who said they would get a divorce. When I asked what that would change for them, the answer was I will be free. That is about as sure as convincing yourself that you will go to a better world when you are dead. For those who tested it, none have come back to say that it is the truth...death is better than life.
The flower children didn't wear shoes because they didn't see the need for them; they cost money and were often uncomfortable. They knew nothing about hygienist and horrible things you can pick up from the street with bare feet. When they were cut, to where did they run as they were running away from the establishment...you guessed it, to the government funded free medical clinics.
The difference today is that it not the naivete of teenagers, it is the ignorance of our elected lawmakers who are saying get rid of the government. Economists predict these states cannot afford to secede, As a couples therapist, I heard many who said they would get a divorce. When I asked what that would change for them, the answer was I will be free. That is about as sure as convincing yourself that you will go to a better world when you are dead. For those who tested it, none have come back to say that it is the truth...death is better than life.
2 comments:
I might have found Gary Young's screed against secession more convincing if it had not appeared in a publication that has strongly supported the "Free Tibet" movement.
There are occasions where secession makes sense. Critics frequently cite the Confederacy, since this was a spectacularly immoral and unsuccessful secessionist movement. But keep in mind that this continent had a very successful secessionist movement less than a century before the Confederacy: the American Revolution, where the colonies seceded from England. At the time of the revolution, British MP's expressed skepticism over whether the colonies would survive without their mother country's largess (shades of Gary Young). Well, somehow we got along fine.
I honestly don't expect any state to secede at this time, but things can change rapidly as the fiscal crisis comes to a head. Even northern states, such as Vermont and New Hampshire, have active secession movements, based in part on the concern of how America's debt problem will be resolved. And if things go badly enough, opting out may look more attractive.
My concern is not that seceding is bad. However, when you can't afford to live on your own, it does not seem like a great idea, does it?
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