Three Theories

What is going on? The tea party is actually coming together as if they were a real party, but I am still not clear on their foreign policy. Except build larger fences.

The Occupy Wall Street crowd - just formulating. Like the birth of a new star, a super nova? My first thought was to jump to conspiracy theory.. Obama is a community organizer, that is what he knows. Maybe he incited the occupying crowd to rally. But, I'm on his mailing list, I never saw an invite. But maybe in some undercover community organizing way - the secret networks apart from twitter, Facebook, email..

First theory: birth of new parties
Both the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street Party - will be legitimate political parties, coming soon to a ballot near you. This could be exciting. My Progressive party (secret - I just switched over the weekend to Democrat, so I could vote in the primary this month - Mr Witt is my man for Congress, right now. I should have asked him if he owns a tiger suit, but he doesn't look the type.) Well the Progressive Party, not sure I actually go along with all their platform ideas.

By and large the Rs and Ds have proven ineffective at governing Washington, or even coming together on anything at all. They go from railing about "light bulb choice", "deregulate the EPA" (even when the health effects of cement dust may actually cost society *more* in the long run than any few jobs that would be lost right now), and "tax the rich". No common ground.

Now, the Tea Party and OWS parties - may actually be able to find some common ground. The average person is who they represent. Government and corporations - both seem to be in league of late, and the individual be damned. Glad there's no FCC regulating my free speech here.

Second theory: military prowess determines our fate
What if the whole nature of our American character is based on our military success? Lack of objectives, endless war - we are sunk. Clear objectives, success (Libya?) - we rule. Must ponder this.

Third theory: a little bit of truth in all of it
Everyone has something to say, and all of it contains shards of truth:
* Immigrants taking jobs. True - why can't my kid work at McDonald's in high school? Why can't my neighbor take a construction job?
* Overcrowding. A fact of life? No one is espousing this, but it happens constantly out in the suburbs, must be responsible for something.
* Environmental regulations killing jobs (to some extent). Why do we need to protect every last slug from being endangered? Perhaps God wants some of them to go away, so we can cut down a few trees? What is missing in the polarized no-win arguments of fish vs. dams, or logging vs. owls, is any sense of balance.
* The Financial system out of control. I think everyone would agree with this. Supposedly one of the protesters in Portland had a sign "Reinstate Glass Steagal". Heard this on cspan too. We never really did undo all the crafty financial instruments that left so many people without even knowing who actually owns their mortgage. Not fixed yet.

Bottom line, I think a lot of people are clinging to the past. The past is over. We are going to get more crowded. We are always going to have a Defense Department. We are always going to have a tug and pull of rich people and poor people. And no, everyone does not want to be middle class. Everyone in the USA wants to be rich.