VISITING THE ROOT OF AMERICAN MATTERS -- PART ONE: AS THINGS APPEAR

By Edwin Cooney

I can't recall a time in my nearly 77 years as an American, when the domestic outlook toward our future appeared so gloomy from so many socio, political and even scientific and spiritual aspects. No political leader, no husband, wife, child, teacher, preacher, whether man or woman, is confident of our existence in the absence of marked change in both outlook of practical political application.

As I see it, the above state of matters has multiple causes such as:

(1.) The near institutionalization of hatred for every form of social and political advocacy by everybody against everybody else throughout the socio/political spectrum.

(2.) The use of the mass media that spreads the above throughout "the land of the free and the home of the brave." It seems that today’s national anthem has changed from Francis Scott Key's "The Star Spangled Banner" to Frank Sinatra's "My Way." Note: We just celebrated the 208th anniversary of The Star Spangled Banner last Wednesday, September 14th. Also, "My Way" was written by Paul Anka in 1967.

(3.) Mistrust of all government by powerful people and organizations especially disdain of the federal government.

(4.) The ongoing struggle between religion and secularism.

(5.) The politicization of all sciences led by interest groups, especially those on the right of the political spectrum, although not entirely by them.

(6.) The loss of that vital cordiality and cooperativeness of our two major political parties throughout the halls of Congress.

(7.) The emphasis of state's rights over matters of national concern.

(8.) Our incapacity to effectively tackle ongoing domestic issues such as climate change and homelessness.

(9.) America's historic disdain for foreigners — especially immigrants.

(10.) We brag about our national unity while showing contempt for it.

It's vital to keep in mind that republicanism or democracy and our federal system, however you want to characterize it, is only 246 years old. Up until 1776 the entire world was tribal or monarchist. Back then, human beings for the most part surrendered to authoritarianism — whether social, legal or spiritual. From birth to the grave, much of humanity expected to be told what to do by strict parents, by teachers, and by the church.

Our inevitable change from simple agrarianism to industrialism and into the age of mass computerization has, I'm convinced, thrown all of us off balance. Two-hundred and forty-six years ago we dumped royalty for republicanism or democracy, we indulged ourselves in chattel slavery and profitable Indian genocide, civil war, and two world wars. Today, world wars have become cultural wars, with determined social and political generals and agendas as powerful as the agendas of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Douglas MacArthur, which ultimately ended a depression and won a world war within a single decade.

I'd characterize this age as the era of genuine chaos and confusion. Of course, we'll come out of this era of chaos and confusion. However, what it will cost us, how we'll accomplish this, and what that advancement will bring is everyone's guess because it encompasses everybody's fortune!

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,

EDWIN COONEY