PrintMarch 7, 2011
Imported from Detroit
It ‘s just a commecial, done by Eminem for Chrysler. That doesn't mean, it's not something. Maybe it's a gasp, a random spark that shoots from a bed of dying embers. A spark that, by chance or providence, lands just right. A small flame erupts, tenuously holding on for a chance to survive more than just a few seconds, searching for just the right amount of fuel. The infant flame attracts the attention of the embers that grow dimmer with each moment. The embers are inspired, recalling how strong its own heat once was. Come on baby, that's it. We're pulling for you.
Scenes of Detroit, the once booming metropolis. Pictures of men, working, the way they used to. The overcast sky, smokestacks, the gameface, the beat. It is, if you go with it, inspiring. Could it be a flicker of a flame, reminiscent and remindful of something America once was, and could be again?
The narrator, matter-of-factly: "...add hard work and conviction, and the knowhow that runs generations deep in every last one of us. That's who we are, that's our story." One written not by those "who have never even been here and don't know what we're capable of." Man those words sound right. They inspire. And right now, Americans need badly to be inspired, as much or more than they ever have. But are they true, are the words true? For so many of us, we're aching for them to be so. We want them to be true. We want America great, and it kills us every day to watch in plain view, the wanton piece-by-piece dismantling, the utter destruction, mainly from within, of what was the greatest country ever to inhabit this planet. It's right there, for all to see.
The narrator, matter-of-factly: "...add hard work and conviction, and the knowhow that runs generations deep in every last one of us. That's who we are, that's our story." One written not by those "who have never even been here and don't know what we're capable of." Man those words sound right. They inspire. And right now, Americans need badly to be inspired, as much or more than they ever have. But are they true, are the words true? For so many of us, we're aching for them to be so. We want them to be true. We want America great, and it kills us every day to watch in plain view, the wanton piece-by-piece dismantling, the utter destruction, mainly from within, of what was the greatest country ever to inhabit this planet. It's right there, for all to see.
To make the words true will take much work. Thinking clearly, speaking plainly. We're seeing some of that right now, and the accompanying howls it brings from some sectors, a good sign. We know the time is at hand. There are so many things that have to go away; the posturing; the worrying more about how someone will look than whether an issue is resolved; kidding ourselves into even listening to, yet alone buying into the bogus projections of those who pimp huge government programs; teleprompter theater; honoring yourself; worrying about offending someone or some group; buying everything we use from somewhere else; physical laziness; a willingness for many to live comfortably on someone else's dime; mental laziness; lying; the notion that somehow equality of outcome is a right; the belief that America should apologize to the world for anything; living on borrowed money; the expectation of getting something for nothing; a preference to own the issue rather than forge the outcome, to mention a few. The shelf-life for tolerating these things has long ago expired.
And there are so many things that need to be emphatically stated, again. America was founded to be, and is, Judeo-Christian, get over it. We are a tolerant society, but we will not be sucker punched. Yes, our language is English. America needs to make things again; the tax structure should be designed to affect that. Education is not about the money, it hasn't been for some time. A hundred billion is nothing compared to 3.5 trillion, nothing. America is still the world's superpower, we're not apologizing for that. Forced redistribution of wealth is not about fairness. The tax code should be the most efficient means possible for collecting revenue, that's all. Marriage has been defined in this country for some time now; it's between a man and a woman. Sometimes, the minority isn't guaranteed the same outcome as the majority. There's nothing wrong with getting rich from hard work; most people if you ask them, would like to be. On the other hand, you're always going to have your bottom 10%.
If you're offended by the truth, too bad, go fill out a hurt feelings report. No corporation or government can pay all retirees 75% pay with benefits for life, and survive -- did someone really believe they could? For someone to say, "I stand by what I said, there is no clarification necessary."
We're Americans, we like being Americans. We don't want to be like Europe. Capitalism is good, profit is good. For the foreseeable future, the world's engine of growth is fed by fossil fuels. America needs to harness it's resources wherever markets dictate. Political correctness is really just censorship; it should be treated as such, not embraced. Protect the Constitution. Pigs do get fat, hogs do get slaughtered. If unions were established to combat the abuses of evil corporate interests, remind us, why do government employees need to unionize? This country grew to become a world power long before we exhibited excess socialist and bureaucratic tendencies. Probably, we need to think about getting back to that.
Which brings us back to those Diego Rivera murals of union men working the factories of Detroit shown in the commercial, our story. Overcast sky, shots of abandoned factories, that beat. What's our motivation, our inspiration? Our history confirms again and again that, when things are at their toughest, Americans are at their best.
What about now? How badly do we want, and what are we prepared to do, to make those words he utters as he points at the camera "and this is what we do" have meaning? It's time to back it up.
What about now? How badly do we want, and what are we prepared to do, to make those words he utters as he points at the camera "and this is what we do" have meaning? It's time to back it up.
