Methodical Insanity at Work
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 18 Jul 2011
Charles Mercieca, Ph.D. – TRANSCEND Media Service
The New Webster Dictionary of the English Language describes methodical as a way by which we proceed to the attainment of some aim. This deals with the steps we will adopt to achieve the specified objectives we have in mind. The same dictionary describes insanity as the state of being insane or of unsound mind, as madness or lunacy. Work refers to actions we perform as to achieve anything that we might have already programmed in our mind.
Finding the Source of the Problem
We live in a world that has been haunted for centuries with many problems some of which have caused tremendous pain and suffering to a large number of people. Problems do not come from the midst of nowhere. They all have a specific source. This means that if we want to solve problems properly and effectively we have to get to their very source in order to obtain positive and constructive results on a permanent basis. Otherwise, we would be simply building houses on sand instead on solid ground.
If we were to give a rapid glance through history we would discover that those with demonstrated skills were in a much better position to solve problems effectively to the satisfaction of all involved and concerned. Of course, to solve the manifold problems that the world has been facing for such a long time, we would need to have many people endowed with a variety of skills. Otherwise, the problems would keep on increasing with no end in sight. Those that assume any kind of responsibility must have all needed skills in the first place.
We notice that in virtually every profession we find individuals who have been well trained and prepared to do a good job to the satisfaction of all those around. This applies to physicians who perform delicate surgeries with great success. It also applies to businessmen who are capable to provide people with everything they need at affordable prices. Besides, we notice it in those of the law profession who provide guidelines that would make people feel safer. And the list goes on and on with several other professions.
Speaking on this topic at Harvard University, former United States President John F. Kennedy said that the greatest problem we have in the political sphere lies here. Every profession requires a degree of preparation and standards in order to provide a good service in that specific area. However, the political profession, which may be viewed as the most important of all professions, does not have any set of standards or requirements to practice it. This explains why we have so many political problems in the world and why some of these emerge to become very dangerous.
Characterized by Incompetence
Whereas physicians are required to have good knowledge of the medical needs of people and the lawyers to have a clear comprehension of laws, the politicians in the USA are not required to have any skills at all. It explains why quite a good number reveal to be so incompetent. Their only requirement is to be truly an American citizen and to be elected by the majority votes of the people. This is an indication that this important profession has emerged to be among the most neglected of all professions with no virtual accountability as a result.
Politicians tend to do what they want even if proven to be detrimental to their very own people. There is something radically wrong in the political system. Here we are concentrating and focusing on the nature of United States politics in order to understand better the nature of the American political system. In spite of the fact that the two major political systems abound in contradictions, there seems to be observed more methodical insanity in the Republican Party rather than in the Democratic Party.
In spite of the fact that we find a small number of Republicans that see eye to eye with Democrats and vice versa, we will concentrate on the Republican political agenda in general where methodical insanity at work is clearly revealed.
Let us base our report of this useful topic on tangible evidence. We are all aware of the fact that when the Democratic administration left office under President William J. Clinton, there had been some $800 billion surplus. The Republican administration that took over turned things upside down.
Almost from the outset, President George W. Bush plunged the United States into two devastating wars: Afghanistan and Iraq. Such wars could have been avoided if the Republican administration resorted to healthy dialogues and a strong diplomacy. However, though in theory this would have been the ideal approach, in practice the bulk of US politicians felt driven mercilessly by machismo. They decided to adopt the philosophy of retaliation to the 9/11 event in New York, which was condemned by the Master Teacher of Nazareth.
In waging a war there is involved a great amount of weapons and military equipment all of which cost tens of billions of dollars. Such money is never used for constructive purposes. On the contrary, it is always used for destructive objectives. This explains why in a war everyone is a loser and no one a winner. As a result, when President Bush left office, instead of leaving a surplus like his predecessor, he left over $2 trillion dollars in debt. At the end, those punished were the American people who could no longer have enough financial resources for the education of their children and the health care of their families.
People’s Vital Needs
To turn an insult into injury, the Republicans made it a point to oppose everything constructive that is developed and presented by Democrats. Recent typical examples are social security, which, over the decades, has saved tens of millions of Americans from going into depression through unnecessary financial problems. The other element is health care, which has become the only source that enables people to be in good health. This way they can perform better in life and become more constructive in the best interest of the entire nation.
What constitute a nation are the people, without whom there is merely a desolate terrain. This explains why Antarctica is not viewed as a nation simply because it has no people. The waging of wars has proven to have become the most effective instrument in obliterating entire populations by turning the whole land on which they dwelt into desert. Today, the political policy of the vast majority of Republicans, along with a substantial number of Democrats, seeks the abolition of two most vital elements: social security and health care.
At this point, we are going to realize and understand with crystal clarity the methodical insanity found in the United States government, which has perhaps emerged to become the greatest and most dangerous problem of our times. Many in the US government say they want to balance the budget by starting cutting the funding of many essential programs. For practical purposes, we are assuming that they mean well. If that is the case, then they must be haunted and hypnotized with methodical insanity.
This is based on the fact that the money they want to take from social security and health care does not go to balance the budget, as they say. It is then spent on more weapons and more US foreign military bases, in addition to the 746 there are already, in addition to the continued promotion of never-ending wars. Replacing elements of construction, such as social security and Medicare, with elements of destruction, such as weapons and wars, must stem from very sick minds, best described as methodical insanity.
It would be in the best interest of the nation and the world at large if US government officials start advocating drastic cuts in the military instead of in social security and Medicare. Those that continue to advocate for more weapons and wars should be viewed as dangerous whose methodical insanity may be leading tens of millions of Americans to a state of misery, enormous suffering and eventual death. It has been calculated that if the United States cuts immediately 50% of its present 746 military bases, tens of billions of dollars would be saved overnight that would bring the deficit drastically down.
Military as Business Enterprise
Very sadly, the military is being used primarily to promote the business interests of US big corporations and the military industrial complex. This explains why the weapons industry has emerged to become a very lucrative business. If honesty still remains the best policy, all those in the US government should set up a humanitarian fund and put in it all the money they have over one million dollars. This would help provide the homeless with adequate residences, the hungry with needed food, and the sick with all medical attention.
Besides, the United States should emerge to become the nation of all of its inhabitants and not of the few filthy rich who managed to control so ruthlessly not only all big industries but the entire US government as well. This explains with crystal clarity why Republicans in particular do not want to make the rich pay higher taxes. Their job in government has been merely to protect the financial interests of the super rich in particular, caring less about the plight of the American people in general.
The current crisis in the USA does not stem from Republicans versus Democrats or from Conservatives versus Liberals. It stems from greed and hatred versus generosity and love. When it comes to helping the people with free health care and free education, Republicans demonstrate opposition because, they say, that is socialism. That does that mean? The only question that needs to be raised is this: Is what is being proposed conducive to the universal welfare of all people? If the answer is yes, then we should to do it without hesitation.
Even here, methodical insanity in Republicans especially remains quite conspicuous. If they do not want free health care and free education because socialists do just that, then we should raise here a few legitimate questions: Socialists take breakfast, lunch and supper, should we refrain from taking breakfast, lunch and supper because socialist do that? Socialist go shopping and even to church with their clothes on, should we go shopping and even to church without clothes on, that is, in the nude simply not to be like socialists?
Socialists drive cars when they go to work, should we stop driving cars because socialists do just that? Socialists love their children, should we stop loving our children just because socialists do that? Socialists sleep in bed at night, should we stop sleeping in bed because socialists do just that? Socialists have friends with whom they communicate regularly, should we stop communicating with friends regularly just because socialists do that? The Republicans’ remark that they are against free health care and free education because socialists do that is embarrassing to say the least and utterly insane to say the most.
Distortion of Socialism
The Republicans developed the habit to label Democrats as socialists just because they seek to do some good things for all Americans that socialists happen to have done as well. As stated earlier, President Kennedy was right when he referred to those in the political profession to be the least prepared for their work, which is so important and vital. As long as we have government officials who are totally unprepared for the mission they hold, the USA will continue to have one problem after another for a long time.
The people of every nation, in spite of all kinds of problems their respective countries may be facing, there is a way to know as to whether or not their political leaders are a benefit or a detriment. If top priority is put on the vital needs of the people, like health care, education, housing facilities, and adequate retirement income, such as social security, then we may be virtually certain that such government officials are intelligent, fully concerned and highly reliable. People will eventually experience minimal problems.
On the other hand, if top priority is put on the manufacture and sales of weapons, on the eventual promotion of struggles and wars, while depriving the native population from the vital necessities of life, then we may conclude for sure that such government officials are a source of disaster. To spend billions of dollars monthly on numerous foreign military bases and then claiming there is not enough money to look after the health care, education and adequate residential facilities of the native population is outrageous and abusive.
It is quite obvious that a substantial number of those in the United States Congress are literally haunted with methodical insanity. Their primary purpose is to provide Americans with all the vital necessities of life and not to interfere in the internal affairs of other nations around the world, which often leads to struggles and wars. The time to ease the world from its long pain and suffering is now. The time of resorting to military and destructive means to solve problems is over. The sooner this is understood, the better it would be for the entire world.
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Charles Mercieca, Ph.D. – President, International Association of Educators for World Peace, Dedicated to United Nations Goals of Peace Education, Environmental Protection, Human Rights & Disarmament.
-Professor Emeritus, Alabama A&M University.
-Hon President & Professor, SBS Swiss Business School, Zurich.
-Member, TRANSCEND-A Network for Peace, Development and Environment.
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 18 Jul 2011.
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