The "bad times" aren't as bad as we have been told

Look at the progress we've made in the past two centuries. As much as Covid deaths have been greatly exaggerated and used as a basis for government encroachment on personal rights and takeover of the economy, the past successes of capitalism, free markets and a more global, peaceful world has been discounted, ignored, understated and/or denied.

This is not a naive, Polyannish, whitewashed view of history. In fact, it is history, the real, important and ignored-at-out-peril history. And before the world 'leaders' try to "build back better," they need to realize their first responsibility is to not make things worse, and to not ignore history or make foolish (and inaccurate, dishonest) future projections.

Last week I hear Mock and Rob opine about the need for a new "contract with America," a statement from the traditional, conservative part of the population. This past June, I offered a good start, here. The problem is two-fold: First, the media have created an absurd narrative of American faults. And second, the traditional values politicians are in short supply and of those we have, they garner no media attention. Politics has become a circus of personalities and absurd rhetoric rather than policies or platforms to promote shared prosperity based on economic freedom, personal responsibility, and making better individual choices.

I long held the position that for a person to complain, he or she must also propose a feasible solution to resolve the complaint. To do so requires the complainant to better if not fully understand and articulate the problem and to offer something constructive as a solution. Tearing things down or simply bellyaching is waste of time or counterproductive.