Some days as of late, I’m not sure I’m totally awake. Surely I must be dreaming, if not nightmaring. The world cannot be this insane. People certainly couldn’t act this way, not in a civilized society.
Wrong. Fully awake.
Right now at this moment, a marine sits in confinement because he questioned the obvious mismanagement of the Afghanistan fiasco. Stuart Scheller was totally correct in his assessments, spoke for the multitude of military men and women who like us could not believe how our government used the situation in Afghanistan to score political points, yet he is the only military person yet to be punished for anything involving the completely asinine decisions and implementation of the events surrounding the withdrawal.
Meanwhile, his superiors are on television this week blustering of their successes. Members of congress are hammering them with questions of legitimate concern, from both sides of the political aisle, attempting to find out who was to blame for the horrible decisions made and the incompetency that led to the deaths of 13 American military and over a hundred other innocent people, and unknown numbers of Americans left behind to fend for themselves as no less than hostages in a foreign country. If members of the Democratic party in America are questioning the actions of their own administration, it is apparent that something is definitely wrong, and that’s what’s taking place, with the exception of the political hacks who do not have the gonads to do what’s right even when it is presented to them in full display in front of the entire human race.
But the military superiors only bloviate with arrogance and stare back at these questionnaires with obvious disdain for the ‘lesser’ civilians who want answers, and are guaranteed them by law. If there were currently any kind of honorable and capable commander in chief, these military leaders would be feeding their cats on their back porches at home right now instead of reading books about themselves or chasing down imaginary white supremacists in their D.C. office complexes. But in a surreal turn of events, despite what they have obviously screwed up, at the cost of human life, they are still there on their perches, still at fault for the catastrophe, and now, they are even the reason that one single marine is in confinement awaiting a preliminary hearing for asking for accountability from the military.
This is all wrong. It is obvious. It doesn’t take much thought to figure it out. And it is absolutely unbelievable. This same scenario is playing out right in front of us in all areas of our government.
This week, as Joe Biden and his administration scramble to pass legislation that will all but guarantee recession and possible depression in our economic system, tearing down the business gains and momentum of the Trump era, raising taxes on the very businesses that hire workers, and implementing unrealistic social programs costs, the spokesperson for the White House is on television saying that for a company hit with new higher taxes and costs to raise their pricing to consumers would be “unfair and absurd, and the American people would not stand for that.” I’m going to use a good Southern Baptist term right here. That’s a real dumbass thing to say. No other words would do this justice. Yet right there on television, she is saying that you are the reason their adolescent ideas would not work out if implemented in real time.
Actually, I am awake, and I know I am. But I am astonished at the things I am witnessing coming from my television and from my radios. It is almost as if the ruling classes of America don’t realize that most everything they say and do is recorded nowadays, and played back incessantly twenty four hours a day all over the country. When they lie, it’s easy to find a dozen instances of the truth in a matter of moments. The reason they are so brazen is not that they don’t know the truth is there for you to see and hear, it’s that they are fully aware that most people won’t take the time or make the effort to find the truth. And that has become the operational tactic of the modern day politician. They know they can lie to an audience, and the majority of that audience will never follow up on what they say to know if it was truthful or not, and therein lies the full explanation of how they can be so bold as to continue lying to us day after day. It’s because they only need a simple majority of voters to vote for them, not all. And now, the ugly truth about the ruling class is understood.
If you are one of those who still believe the American system and way of life is a wonderful thing, then you will invest yourself in making sure it is all working the way it is supposed to, knowing that if it works good for everybody else, it will work good for you. That’s why you get angry when a politician lies to you and you have researched enough already to recognize a lie when it is presented to you. It’s because the selfish political pursuits of dishonest leaders and administration are a danger to the well being of the entire system, which ultimately affects you and your family and friends. A true patriot is not one who shows up on television with a logo and a hand out for donations to produce more flag imprinted coffee mugs. A true patriot is one who sees dishonesty in government, recognizes the danger it imposes to the very fabric of American life and liberty, and then goes about exposing that danger to those in their sphere of influence who may not be aware of what is taking place.
If a politician lies to us, and the results of the lies is costly, maybe even in human life, is the politician responsible alone for the results? Actually, no. In Christianity, it’s a very familiar premise that Christ was crucified by us all, because we all had skin in the game and we let it happen. That’s a fairly simple concept to understand, even if you’re Joe Biden at nap time eleven o’clock in the morning.
What we are witnessing in politics can change, but it won’t change by just watching. We have to get in the game. How do we do that if we aren’t running for office? By speaking truth to the lies of the ruling classes. By exposing the dishonesty to those within our sphere of influence, whether that’s family, friends or even in our church. And by stepping aside from our own pride long enough to drop the political ‘side’ we are on and facing the facts of any given situation with an eye for patriotism, true patriotism that protects and defends the good things about our system that are being destroyed by selfish and incompetent actors that we have a responsibility to call out when they are harming those around us who are naive to the reality of human corruption.
There are too many insane things happening right now in front of us. And you and I are being used and manipulated for ill gain by those both elected and appointed to offices of government who view us as simply a number to sway into a majority of votes. And many of them will say and do whatever it takes to remain in those positions even if it means costing you and I with treasure or life.
No matter which label you put on your politics, you should be doing all you can to make your leaders accountable to you and their country. Obviously, the current government executive administration is nothing less than inept, corrupt, and in way over their heads. Lead by a man with unquestionable health problems and a record of dishonesty and poor decision making ability. Perhaps it is the perfect time for a recall if there has ever been one. The American way of life is worth fighting for. It is time to step up.
Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller