Far East Cynic

A missed birthday.

My blogger birthday was this month. I failed to celebrate it-some of it by accident, some of it by design.

I began this blog out of a sense of frustration responding to a huge personal disappointment in my life, created by nothing but sheer stupidity on the part of other people-who then,  as was recently demonstrated here-thought they had some sort of God-given right to interfere with my life. They didn’t then-and they most certainly don’t today. My disgust with their simplistic trying to slot people into molds set me off on the path of blogging to begin with. That particular personal disappointment was a “Y” of sorts in my life and the path taken since then was definitely the one less traveled. But it has been, on the whole,  pretty interesting. It has made “all the difference.”

Nonetheless, I am beginning to think that the life of this blog may have run its course. It is becoming harder and harder to write about American politics now. First of all, the overall level of knowledge about American politics’ facts among many readers is approaching an all time low. One gets forced to drive home the same points repeatedly and over-and to what I end, I cannot tell you. Among a certain segment of the population, there is simply the will “not to believe.” This, coupled with the increasing demands on my schedule, leave me drained at the end of the day-still filled with ideas but no energy to set them down on the screen.

Furthermore, as has been proven by several popular and formerly popular conservative military bloggers, there is no “two-way street” for active, emotionally charged discussion. For example, the complete hissy fits that some on that side of the aisle throw-when the term “teabagger” is used. They become downright obnoxious about it. They whine and moan about how “disgusting” it is when it is clearly a great way to show well-deserved contempt for an organization that deserves to be held in contempt. And besides, the term pales in comparison to the words they use in opposition. Don’t believe me? Take a stroll on over to Uncle Dumbo’s or some of the other “high regard” military bloggers and read the swill circulating among their commenting class. It makes the word teabagger look like a kindergarten word. And they always seem to forget conveniently, and it’s a term the Tea Party originally coined for themselves.

Then there is the other sage bit of advice that has been given to me by military bloggers-that I should not take all of this so personally. ” I should learn to better ‘control my anger.’ It’s not good for my physical and emotional health”. Oh really? Why don’t you tell me something I don’t know? 

How about the opposite idea? That there is an obligation to call a spade a spade-and to call out lies for the lies they are. A group of narrow-minded, selfish children is seeking to undermine the country of my birth, one that I will be forever linked to, and I am not supposed to be angry about it? How does that work exactly? Can someone explain it to me?

I sometimes envy the unaware. They drift blissfully through life, paying no attention to the events of the world swirling around them.  What troubles me about their attitude is that they though they pay no attention-the danger to them, and the life they lead is still authentic. The S.O. is one of those people. She is wrapped up in the many domestic details while ignoring the bigger picture. ( and ignoring her womanly duties.)  crying

The problem is, I can’t be that way. Politics and its effects and aftermath are important to me-and I am passionately interested. Even though my viewpoints have little impact in the grand scheme of things and are not really swaying anyone’s long held belief, furthermore, while I would like to make a difference in American electoral politics, there are not enough Skycaps to get all of my baggage to the curb. Any run for an elected office back in the US would be aborted before it began. Primarily because of the false moral certitude, so many Americans seem to convey.  So I am also trapped-stuck to be an observer and a commenter with no way to change the path the bus I am strapped into goes as it heads down the road. Eventually, to careen over a cliff.

So together-this combination of factors leaves me, as a writer, mentally and emotionally tired. And in a fit of despair so deep-I don’t know how to describe it.  I shouldn’t care.

But I do. 

And I want to give voice to my anger.

Because despite the rhetoric-I don’t believe in “2nd Amendment solutions”.

So,  this little piece of the internet is my place to shout at the rain.

It’s mine, and I know I am right. I know that with a steadfast conviction.

So while you may not see me as often-armed with the knowledge of the preceding statement-I will feel compelled to continue.

And so I shall.

So I guess you are stuck with me for another year.

Aren’t you the lucky one? cheeky

  1. I think I'm lucky.
    I don't comment much but I'm not sure I'm qualified to.  I don't share every one of your opinions but that's the point.  Being able to see the world through others' eyes is the whole point of reading.
    Thanks for writing.

  2. Skippy…
    i would appreciate it if you or someone else could explain this to me. We are told by general Dempsey that 80 per cent  of money would be cut for training for,troops being deployed overseas.
    whether the troops are being deployed or not they AND the trainers are still being paid, the guns and bullets have already been purchased as well as the vehicles and the gas and the obstacle course have all been built and the money for food. So if they just sit in the barracks where is the ADDED or NEW expense for training?

  3. E @ L-you should have seen me 20 years ago. I've mellowed, which is a good thing. But what that should also tell you is, there are pretty disturbed people out in my country who haven't mellowed, if anything they have become even crazier.

  4. cheers, sugar! happy blog birthday. i'm glad you're here and i'm glad you're going to keep writing. i've found myself reading and nodding in agreement with you, but i don't always comment.well done you! xoxox

  5. Skippy,   Happy Blogiversary! I disagree with almost everything you say, but yours is one of the few blogs I can read to get another take on things without wanting to scour my eyeballs out with Comet. Mostly because you actually use facts and reason to make your arguments. Keep up the good work, and good luck getting back to SE Asia sometime soon.
    VR/
    Sluf