Friday's Rant: America = Awesome
Here's a rant. America. Everybody's got an opinion. I happen to think it's the greatest country on earth. But whatever happened to "Everything's bigger in America"? Or was that Texas? Anyway, I happen to think it's the best. Second place isn't even close.
So, what's the deal with this national "low self-esteem" the country seems to have? Yeah, yeah, yeah...it's Bush's fault. Wrong. No offense, but that's too easy and requires zero thought.
It's not the war. It's not the economy. It's not the president. It's not $4 gas. I happen to think it's because we haven't DONE anything lately. Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, the industrial revolution, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, the space race and the Cold War. Those were pretty big deals. Dare I plagiarize the term...it was change we could believe in. And just like a junkie needs a bigger and better hit, America, with nothing to do, has become collectively bored and is pacing the cage - so to speak. With that in mind, I'm reading through today's U.K. Guardian and see this...
Here at the Iowa Blog Cabin, we don't have a rocket scientist on staff. It's just not in the budget. So, I'm not going to say that this research isn't important. But here's the deal. It's exactly what I'm talking about. Forty years ago, NASA was going to the moon. Today, it's studying jars of pee. Seriously, folks. Get these guys something to do.
Lest we slip off topic...America's purpose. What is it? I am sick and tired of listening to all these moron politicians (both parties) piss and moan about all the things we CAN'T do. All the things we SHOULDN'T do. All the things that AREN'T fair. Guess what? We're America. America is America because Americans have never met a challenge, an obstacle or a crisis where the response has been, "We can't...we shouldn't...it wouldn't be fair..."
We can't build power plants because they're dirty and a fish might die. We can't drill for oil because that's where the reindeer poop. We can't use nuclear because that's too scary. We need to conserve more...that's the solution. If only we would sincerely apologize to the rest of the world - they'd forgive us.
Friends and neighbors, that's crap. Do we use more of the world's resources per capita that any other country? Probably. But guess what - I'm not apologizing for it. We either invented or perfected all the crap that uses those resources anyway. If we were waiting on the Russians or the Indonesians or the South Africans to figure it out, we'd still be riding horses, cooking with an open fire and using leaves to wipe our butts with.
I'll say it again - we need a new national purpose. That purpose will not be found through conservation, preservation, apologies or feeling guilty for being awesome. If somthing isn't growing, it's dying. And conservation is not growth. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to fill up my SUV...again.
Breathe in, breathe out - this week's rant is over.
So, what's the deal with this national "low self-esteem" the country seems to have? Yeah, yeah, yeah...it's Bush's fault. Wrong. No offense, but that's too easy and requires zero thought.
It's not the war. It's not the economy. It's not the president. It's not $4 gas. I happen to think it's because we haven't DONE anything lately. Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, the industrial revolution, WWI, the Great Depression, WWII, the space race and the Cold War. Those were pretty big deals. Dare I plagiarize the term...it was change we could believe in. And just like a junkie needs a bigger and better hit, America, with nothing to do, has become collectively bored and is pacing the cage - so to speak. With that in mind, I'm reading through today's U.K. Guardian and see this...
NASA's latest mission: to boldly go
For the benefit of all, proclaims the motto of Nasa. Now the US government space agency is calling upon its employees - and indeed anybody passing by who has the urge - to give their all in one of its trickiest missions: to boldly go into a beaker.
Researchers on the agency's Orion programme have put out a call for volunteers to donate urine as it tests toilet designs for the latest generation of space capsules.
Urine poses a unique problem for space travellers: it contains solids that can clog the plumbing of even the most sophisticated of spacecraft.
The urine collection drive will last for 11 days. The aim is to collect 30 litres a day, although anyone hoping to give a personal boost to the agency's mission should be aware that a personal limit of 350 millilitres has been imposed. "While this is not a regulation," the memo reads, "you are not encouraged to over-hydrate as this could dilute the urine we collect."
Here at the Iowa Blog Cabin, we don't have a rocket scientist on staff. It's just not in the budget. So, I'm not going to say that this research isn't important. But here's the deal. It's exactly what I'm talking about. Forty years ago, NASA was going to the moon. Today, it's studying jars of pee. Seriously, folks. Get these guys something to do.
Lest we slip off topic...America's purpose. What is it? I am sick and tired of listening to all these moron politicians (both parties) piss and moan about all the things we CAN'T do. All the things we SHOULDN'T do. All the things that AREN'T fair. Guess what? We're America. America is America because Americans have never met a challenge, an obstacle or a crisis where the response has been, "We can't...we shouldn't...it wouldn't be fair..."
We can't build power plants because they're dirty and a fish might die. We can't drill for oil because that's where the reindeer poop. We can't use nuclear because that's too scary. We need to conserve more...that's the solution. If only we would sincerely apologize to the rest of the world - they'd forgive us.
Friends and neighbors, that's crap. Do we use more of the world's resources per capita that any other country? Probably. But guess what - I'm not apologizing for it. We either invented or perfected all the crap that uses those resources anyway. If we were waiting on the Russians or the Indonesians or the South Africans to figure it out, we'd still be riding horses, cooking with an open fire and using leaves to wipe our butts with.
I'll say it again - we need a new national purpose. That purpose will not be found through conservation, preservation, apologies or feeling guilty for being awesome. If somthing isn't growing, it's dying. And conservation is not growth. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to fill up my SUV...again.
Breathe in, breathe out - this week's rant is over.
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