I am not at all able to grasp the intricacies, or purpose, of politics.  Maybe I'm too dense to understand how politics are at all productive.  I've been forced to deal with the numerous media rantings on who our next president will be and why this candidate is bad and why the candidate is good.  I have to say that in general, these political machinations tend to polarize the country.  We get back into the same issues that we always visit with no resolution in sight.  Capital Punishment, Abortion, Gay Marriage, The War, Global Warming, Energy Costs -- the usual suspects.  We will never have a clear resolution on any of these issues until we can look at them as a united people and ask ourselves, "Are these the defining issues of our time?". 

I am a pacifist.  I do not think that anyone really has the right to perpetrate violence on anyone else.  While I understand our reasons for being involved in the war, I don't agree with the implementation.  However, this issue cuts to the heart of the others I mentioned, no one is willing to compromise on their views or beliefs.  The Fundamentalist Muslims believe we are evil so they will continue to terrorize us and we will continue to fight them.  The Conservative community does not accept Abortion or Gay Marriage and the Liberal Community does. Some believe that Global Warming is happening and that we are the cause, others believe that it is a Climate Shift and that its naturally occurring. I could go on and on.

So, every election year we get a bunch of yahoos telling us how they are going to affect change in our country.  I've been in this country my whole life and election time is nothing more than a bad case of Déjà Vu with the same outcome, nothing changes.  I guess the only real change is the people, but they say the same things.  I do not endorse any of the candidates and I will most likely vote for none-of-the-above.  Not one of the fore-running candidates has any demonstrated ability to change.  One is not experienced enough, one is probably too set in their ways and the other is just saying anything to get into the oval office.  Are these the people you want representing us?  This election has become more about whether we will have a woman president, an African-American president or a war-monger president, but it has not been about how America can rise up and be respected, as we were once upon a time.  I can hear the rest of the world community laughing at us. Can you hear it?

I think we as a society need to focus on issues that improve our community as a whole.  The issues of poverty, rising healthcare, the need for renewable energy sources and a general improvement in our communal health are issues not restricted to the boundaries of this country.  Were we, the richest country in the world, to focus on these issues it would help us help the rest of the world.  We have such an arrogant, apathetic view of the world.  We are more interested in our SUVs, our iPhones and our email to focus on how we work together to build a better world for our children. Where does all this money go?  It goes into pharmaceuticals and gadgets.  I do not want to be medicated for my entire life, and there are only so many gadgets one can have before you run our of money or time to use them.

Conversely, our research areas should be more ordered with a plan. I support space travel and physics research because the issues we have can be solved in those areas.  We do need to think about how to protect our planet, and if need be, how to get off our planet.  "We're like two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year"- waters/gilmour.  We are a tiny speck of dust floating on a small rock around a child sun.  The universe is vast, with much to offer all life.  We have not learned the fundamental truth, which is that we are all connected at the most basic level.  Great men, such as Marcus Aurelius , knew that we must understand our place in the grander scheme. "He who lives in harmony with himself lives in harmony with the universe." - Aurelius.

In a few months, we as a country will make a decision that will certainly change the course of our history for years to come.  Do you know the issues?  Do you know what is best?  Do you know what is best for you?