Want a real shocker? Go somewhere to think for a bit THEN dip back in. Yikes!

My wife and I are off for our annual vacation to Ocracoke Island, a teeny dot of land surrounded by water, south of Hatteras, reachable only by ferry. What there mainly is to do here is to commune with nature - be it by bike, kayak or foot. I've tried to unplug from the real world but today finally decided to dip in to DU and a few news sites.

It actually seems even more extreme, far worse, and far more incredibly stupid than if you follow things daily and closely. Without going into details, the equation is simple and clear for two of the biggies, though on a few different planes.

* Learning from the past and having the courage to do the right thing - this applies to our pathetic quagmires in Iraq and, especially, Afghanistan. Name calling and politics obscure what is really the point - We are at war with an idea (this applies to the "war" on "terror" as well of course). Worse, we are in Iraq through lies, and needlessly. We can't kill the idea. All we are doing is sacrificing souls. Vietnam is there, Russia's experience is there - we have the learnings. It is time to do the right thing and get out.

* Health Care issue is just another version of having the courage to do the right thing - but this time the enemy is greed (of the insurance/pharma companies) and fear (of change), with a sprinkling of right/left politics. It is so clear what needs to be done. But will it be? Is the political will there to use the majority we so soundly won in the election?

Of course, there is so much more to do beyond these two biggies. But after scanning the 538 article on Authoritarians, one wonders if the mess that is our populace can actually see through to what is best for it, and if any president can run through the political minefield effectively enough to bring the needed change. If anyone can do it, Obama can.

I've dipped, and now I am going to resume my annual unplug from reality.....next Monday will come soon enough!

Wish I was on Ocracoke with you.

I :loveya: Ocracoke!

best mental health recovery place I could imagine (off season, of course!)

otherwise I'd be a raving lunatic. I can point out at least 5 threads today complaining about whining, the lack of whining, too much whining, whining about the wrong things and how whining is bad. You know what's worse than whining? Fucking confusion that's what.

My next hiatus starts tomorrow. 10 days. Although I will turn the tube on occasionally just in case Obama beats Beck about the face and head with his Nobel Prize.

in politics, the media and from the profiteers is amazing, so limiting and such a waste of energy. You made such an excellent point, "one wonders if the mess that is our populace can actually see through to what is best for it, and if any president can run through the political minefield effectively enough to bring the needed change. If anyone can do it, Obama can."