There is No Santa

Ten years ago, I believed in Santa Claus. Well not really, but I did make up a list.

1. A commitment to the destruction of Al Qaeda, a well-thought out strategy for an achievable victory in Iraq in-term and a firm posture towards counter-terrorism at home and abroad.

2. A commitment to federal deficit elimination in-term.

3. A commitment to defend the rights of all Americans in civil unions and in marriage, separate but equal.

4. A commitment to prosecute businesses that hire illegal immigrants, a robust and secure guest worker program, a secure southern border and a new treaty with Mexico which commits both countries to the repatriation or repudiation of their citizens here in America.

5. The establishment of a separate domestic intelligence agency under the auspices of the Secret Service and new Federal counter terrorist circuit court. A thorough review of the Department of Homeland Security aimed towards cutbacks.

6. A federal works program aimed at the trades, plumbing, electricians, carpentry etc and tax incentives to small businesses aimed at the home building market.

7. The creation of an American Standard Associate's degree. A no-nonsense, no excuses degree program established in community colleges coupled with decertification of open-enrollment 'universities'.

8. The elimination of catastrophic health care requirements.

9. The elimination of mandatory sentencing laws, parole and any program that effectively increases scrutiny on prisoners once they have been released. Establishment of a prison colony in Alaska & a return to hard labor sentences.

10. Establishment of a federal works program to divert water from the Great Lakes to the Southwest.

Yeah so what was I thinking? I wasn't thinking, I was wishing. But that's the way Americans think they think about politics. They wish reorganizations of society into existence through the magic of the vote. The problem is primarily that we have disposable tax dollars, and so political hucksters will have an easy time funding madness. The problem is that policy is not far from law, and attorneys have magic of their own. Well, it's not so much magic as illusion and slight of hand, but we know that. 

So. None of this happened, and I'm doing fine. I recognize that I don't need it. Therefore I am going to keep pedaling in a direction away from the circus of wishful thinking, magic and moral handwaving. 

The things that I want are practical paths to undo whatever gets bollocksed up. Santa is the wrong patron saint for American politics. Ours should be the Saint Jude, patron of firemen and hospital workers. That's the stoic view. 

1. A commitment to the destruction of Al Qaeda, a well-thought out strategy for an achievable victory in Iraq in-term and a firm posture towards counter-terrorism at home and abroad.

2. A commitment to federal deficit elimination in-term.

3. A commitment to defend the rights of all Americans in civil unions and in marriage, separate but equal.

4. A commitment to prosecute businesses that hire illegal immigrants, a robust and secure guest worker program, a secure southern border and a new treaty with Mexico which commits both countries to the repatriation or repudiation of their citizens here in America.

5. The establishment of a separate domestic intelligence agency under the auspices of the Secret Service and new Federal counter terrorist circuit court. A thorough review of the Department of Homeland Security aimed towards cutbacks.

6. A federal works program aimed at the trades, plumbing, electricians, carpentry etc and tax incentives to small businesses aimed at the home building market.

7. The creation of an American Standard Associate's degree. A no-nonsense, no excuses degree program established in community colleges coupled with decertification of open-enrollment 'universities'.

8. The elimination of catastrophic health care requirements.

9. The elimination of mandatory sentencing laws, parole and any program that effectively increases scrutiny on prisoners once they have been released. Establishment of a prison colony in Alaska & a return to hard labor sentences.

10. Establishment of a federal works program to divert water from the Great Lakes to the Southwest.

Yeah so what was I thinking? I wasn't thinking, I was wishing. But that's the way Americans think they think about politics. They wish reorganizations of society into existence through the magic of the vote. The problem is primarily that we have disposable tax dollars, and so political hucksters will have an easy time funding madness. The problem is that policy is not far from law, and attorneys have magic of their own. Well, it's not so much magic as illusion and slight of hand, but we know that. 

So. None of this happened, and I'm doing fine. I recognize that I don't need it. Therefore I am going to keep pedaling in a direction away from the circus of wishful thinking, magic and moral handwaving. 

The things that I want are practical paths to undo whatever gets bollocksed up. Santa is the wrong patron saint for American politics. Ours should be the Saint Jude, patron of firemen and hospital workers. That's the stoic view.