Chaos is an answer to what?

 

 Although I had no intention on writing more about cultural issues, events occurred that changed my mind. Over time, I've heard plenty of people on Facebook talk civil war, if their party didn't win. When the leader they favored used as much power as he had (Executive Orders), it was fine, no concern he was being a king, but woe unto the other side winning and doing what they ran on. So threats ran wild, often no more than words. It worried me anyway, as I do not accept violence unless it is in self-defense.

It's kind of an irony right now that some on the left talk as though maybe this last election involved cheating in key states. Four years ago, they called such talk treason and impossible.

Well, sadly, it's not just talk where some want violent overthrow of existing laws to suit ones that they favor. I wonder how many think about what that kind of violence in our cities and towns will mean and has meant in the past-- both here and other places? Who could ever welcome such again?

 

Yet to some of our politicians and citizens, to send in the military to stop it is wrong. In fact one governor is claiming that to bring in military makes it all worse. In other words let the riots, destruction, and blocking of certain roads or neighborhoods continue. It is just fine as he sees it as peaceful protest even when it involves throwing rocks, setting fires, and looting stores. 

That way of thinking blows my mind; and since I've seen the photos of what was going on, when that governor ignored it, I know it was not the fault of the federal government, who declared that all citizens in the United States were entitled to protection and that includes police and military.

I picked up some photos from Stencil, which you see above, of what war in the streets has looked like in the past and still does when nobody can stop it. 

The left was horrified by January 6th, even though the only deaths were of the rioters and later suicides of officers, which sadly happens due to the difficulty of what they do.

Who though can stop this kind of violence, like Antifa years back in Portland with a lot of the same actions? Politicians with fancy words? Giving the rioters everything they want, which in this case means do not send those here without legal papers and who have committed crimes like rape, murder, assault, burglary, etc., back to from where they came-- at least if they'll take them.

If votes do not determine the direction a country is going to go, is it violence? How would you like it, if you were on your way to work, as one upset woman was in, I think, New York, and the ones blocking her car were laughing (photo out there). Do the ones creating this kind of chaos have a purpose and if so, what it it? To me though, the big question still is who can stop it if not police or military?

One more thing-- Saturday the US will have a military parade (weather permitting), which I won't watch as I watch no TV, at least for now, but likely wouldn't anyway as I am not a big parade person and never was. It though celebrates 250 years history of the American military, a kind of birthday. It's a military that has intervened in wars, sometimes with success, sometimes not-- although a lot depends on how heavily it went in. Our soldiers though, our warriors, do deserve to be appreciated and that's what the parade is about.

Paths of Empires

 

 As a writer, and especially of historical novels, I find research a key to the stories, but my love for history began as a child with the books I loved to read, especially when I got old enough to check out books from the adult side of the library. Most writers of such books also do a lot of research, which makes their books more exciting when blended with fictional characters.

One book I bought years later, when at the farm, was Generations, by Neil Howe. It dealt with how one generation influences another, and he took it from our beginning as a nation to 2069. The idea is what our parents experienced will impact how we see life-- and we will also impact our offspring in ways we don't really understand. For me, with my historicals, I saw this as advantageous to understand the personalities of the characters. 

So, where I am today with what I see with my country, the United States, is how history and the impact of generations, might impact what we want... although there are many my age with a totally different idea of what is right for ethics and life. We as humans are complex is all I can say.

Because of all I have heard from right and left wingers, I found this article very interesting and drew from it some key points. This is its link for those who want more than those points: The Seven Stages of all Great Nations.

Here those stages based on his research of nations going way back in history. It definitely fits the United States quite well-- at least for the past:

1. pioneer

2. conquest

3. commerce

4. affluence

5. elites and intellect

6. decadence and lack of courage

7. decline-- distrust, scapegoating, factionalization, currency collapse 

Basically, the 7th stage is the end; or if not, a total recreating in a new form, what that would be decided by the ones in power.

I could write more about each stage, but better those interested go to the link for the interpretations there. 

So, where are we in the United States today? 

We can see, if we know history, that we've been through a lot of the stages, although defining things like conquest might vary with different empires.  The US went through a lot of conquests with other nations but especially with the people who were first occupying this land-- i.e. Native Americans. 

The 7th stage though is where it seems we are now with blaming others, trusting nothing, divided into 'tribes' with only currency collapse yet to show up.

With the factionalization, what gets to me is when I hear people complain about the 'other' side. While I don't disagree that both sides have their part in leading to distrust, to taking away other people's freedom of speech (as they see it), but rarely can either side see something wrong with their own. 

The other big thing for me is how we have so many programs intended to help people, often keeping them dependent (while calling it empathy) but how are the programs being paid for? We know our  US debt is approaching $40 trillion dollars, and increasing with every new budget. How do we pay for these 'nice' programs? I know there are those who cannot take care of themselves, but is this because they never could or were taught that someone else could fix whatever was wrong, and they didn't have to do it?

Some say to think that way is a lack of caring but does that really help weak people or were they actually ever weak? We know some have mental illness, but do we have programs for that or is the answer just throwing money at the problem? A lot of times, the money goes to those running the programs... sometimes a LOT of it. Is there ever true accountability for how well something is working? Where it comes to education, sadly many of the best teachers are hindered from what they'd really like to do by partisan rules sent down from above, which can be from either side.

When I talk to some about these ideas, they blame me for how I think. They do not offer real solutions, if there are any. 

If we are truly in that 7th stage, maybe some are hoping for a totally reworked culture, along lines they believe better--like with sports and how a biological male can compete with biological females simply if he says he sees himself as a female. Well, we can't just see ourselves as another race because does that make us one? It's very unfair to the girls who have trained so hard but cannot beat a biological male. Talk about misogyny. But is there any turning around from the fractionalization that is clearly in our country right now?

Sometimes I say what I think, but a lot of the times I do not, mainly because I am not sure how to fix anything. I only know one thing-- we cannot keep borrowing money because at some point no one else will want to loan to us. What then? A sugar daddy? Santa Claus? A mystical spirit? Or is it really up to us if we don't want total destruction with not a sugar daddy running things but the meanest, toughest ones possible...

The photos above are ones I've kept for historical reference, not my family-- although I have those also for maybe some other time. They, and many others I have saved, are a reference to what it was like and not that many years ago in terms of time. Is it any wonder that we are having a hard time adjusting to all the changes. Yes, young people have not seen that many changes, but they have also seen so many.