America - We Murdered Her...

"Collective Responsibility," - "Collective responsibility refers to responsibilities of organizations, groups and societies. Part of it is the concept known as collective guilt by which individuals who are part of such collectives to be responsible for other people's actions and occurrences by tolerating, ignoring, or harboring them, without actively engaging."

Yes, read George Packer's excellent essay, "We Are Living in a Failed State."

Please read it, then weep!

Packer's words have the gravity of truth. Smacks you upside the head. The ship of state has taken on water, is sinking, folks are jumping off swimming to no shore. Who to blame? Every last one of us.

Yes, we have all conspired to murder America.  Some of us from lack of attention/energy, some from a lack of imagination, some from lack of care/empathy. Some from active hatred, and a determined idiocy and bad faith.

We laughed at the Toxic Clown President. It was a carnivalesque entertainment. Good for TV ratings, good for the chattering classes, good for the folks who just didn't give a goddamn. Good for the haters, those who love to divide.

Maybe we thought we were different. We were the Shining City on the Hill. We just lost interest. We grew lazy, indifferent. We neglected Democracy, and Good Government, we didn't value, Responsibility, Integrity, Honesty, Hard Work, Empathy for Others.

We forgot that we are all in this together. America has catered to its wealthy class, and left pretty much everyone else to fend for themselves. It's a sad story. Death of America. We murdered her in her sleep.

The scary, deadly Global Pandemic?! Yes. A wake up call.  No doubt. How to remake society? Reclaim good government? Revitalize Democracy? Here is our chance. The status quo is gone. Normal is no longer normal.

A new day beckons... I wonder if we are smart enough, if we care enough, if we have enough energy, and desire to rebuild, remake, a better union?

The a.m. soundtrack - Dire Straits' - "Making Movies"  (1980). This is my favorite Dire Straits record. It starts with organ and piano, then the rest of the band kicks in and Mark Knopfler's fabulous electric guitar makes its entrance. Knopfler has a sweet touch, his guitar-playing is beautiful, distinctive, indelible. Never overbearing. Solid, distinctive, inventive songs throughout. A tight band. Knopfler's voice is reminiscent of "New Morning era" Dylan. Charismatic, evocative. Plus there's a song about expresso... I mean, shite... it's an all-around fucking killer record.