Babbleocity 20

Things that never seem to happen ...

Peace in the Muddle East - There's been tension, conflict, and death in the narrow strip of land known by many as 'The Promised Land', since 1948. Somehow I don't think the Hebrew founding fathers had the current situation in mind when they moved in. If they knew, they might have chosen to settle elsewhere, say in Greece, Italy, or Brooklyn. Why smart men and women haven't found a solution in all these years is a testament to the thick-headedness of the devoutly religious. The belief in divine right to a piece of land is behind the sorriest behavior of humanity. The problem isn't lessened by those people who get and obtain their power only because of conflict. They have no reason to end the fighting and every reason to keep it going as long as possible. And there are plenty of those people on both sides of the equation, and among some on-lookers and partner countries-in-crime as well. If you could remove the religious theocracy, the warlords, and the political opportunists from both sides, and if you could keep other countries out of the mix, peace would result in a relatively short time. Ordinary folks only want to live and let live, raise their families, and enjoy whatever time on Earth we have.

The End of Poverty in the USA - The current recession has gutted our coffers mightily, but somehow the government still can round up trillions to bail out banks, car companies, and sundry other businesses. It's a mystery then, why, in normal times, we can't muster enough cash to help raise people out of grinding poverty. A condition that breeds, among other forms of social malaise, drug abuse, crime, and a tendency to watch too much reality TV. Surely, helping those who can and want to become gainfully employed taxpayers is a good idea and a better investment than Goldman Sachs. And getting mentally ill people, who may not be able to improve their financial lot, at least off the streets and into proper care would pay for itself in happier communities and improved tourism. But even if it didn't pay for itself, how can a country let ill people sink or swim on the streets while handing financialistas golden parachutes and enough pay to maintain their vacation homes, yachts, and $500 haircuts? It's time to commit to ending poverty - at least here in the USA where we presumably have control, and end it within a decade. No more waiting. No more excuses. No more shame.

Winning the Drug 'War' - Let's face it, we've lost and it's time to compromise. In California and other states there's been some progress in getting the use of marijuana decriminalized - even legal for medical use. But the federal government lags behind and retains the option of arresting anyone it chooses for marijuana use. It's been 30 years or more that one organization or another has been constantly lobbying for legalization, and it might have happened earlier but for the dark years of Reagan-Bush. There will always be people who want everyone to conform to their beliefs, no matter how ill-advised and outdated those beliefs may be. It's time we legalize marijuana, tax it, control it, and subject the forms of the drug that are smoked to the same restrictions as cigarettes, pipes, and cigars. Marijuana should be evaluated for it's potential to cause lung disease when smoked, and any risk should be clearly noted on packaging, just like cigarettes. Legal but controlled is the best answer for everyone - except the criminal underground and DAs looking for easy convictions.

These issues have been around for a half-century or more, with little or no progress. Time to get our acts together, engage, and make-it-so.