Living with A.D.D.

Not to worry, this blog isn’t about Attention Deficit Disorder nor is it an advertisement for some new wonder drug to manage the condition. The condition I refer to is infinitely worse, being more difficult to diagnose and treat, but can actually be caused by the aforementioned affliction itself. To this date, there seems to be no cure for this devastating illness, and its debilitating effects are beginning to reach epidemic proportions. Almost every American these days has been impacted in one way or another by this deadly disease; a very few positively, but the vast majority in a negative way.

Washing your hands won’t prevent it and there is no vaccine for it, although they do have plenty of drugs that may soothe away the resultant pains to some extent – if you don’t go postal at some point. Perhaps the worse thing about this virulent new strain is no one seems to be working on a cure.

As a field service representative for a computer company, I spend my days mostly driving the highways and byways of amazingly beautiful upstate New York. Yes folks, there are people here. We even have cities. The one I hail from is called Utica, whose only real claim to fame is being the birthplace of Annette Funicello. Syracuse is about 45 miles to the west and Albany is about 90 miles to the east. Some of you may remember Woodstock ’99 being held in neighboring Rome on the former Griffiss Air Force Base, 12 miles to the west. Now that was crazy.

So I have plenty of time throughout the day to ponder the mysteries of life. I’ve tried talk radio but couldn’t really stomach it. How annoying is Laura Ingraham? I’d rather drip battery acid into my eyes than give Rush Limbaugh any consideration whatsoever. I’m not a big fan of audio books. Radio isn’t an option because I’m constantly in and out of coverage areas, which is really annoying, and the commercials are almost as irritating as the ones on television. I simply refuse to pay for XM.

So that leaves my trusty iPod or the occasional blessed silence. I’ve got five days of music on my iPod and that’s not enough, but thankfully it’s only half full. One band I frequently turn to is Los Angeles-based System of a Down. SOAD’s wildly unorthodox, often haunting musical style and powerful political message appeals to my own rebellious, unorthodox nature.

Some of you may remember not long ago a debate in Washington concerning the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. Being descendants of survivors of the genocide, SOAD band members have been unrelenting, outspoken activists in raising awareness not only through their music but through political activism.

Although many of their songs like Holy Mountains revolve around the Armenian Genocide of 1915, other political and personal messages abound in their music. One such song, and the inspiration for this blog, is from their 2002 release, “Steal This Album!” entitled A.D.D. (American Dream Denial).

We fought your wars with all our hearts
You sent us back in body parts
You took our wills with the truth you stole
We offer prayers for your long lost souls

There is no flag that is large enough
To hide the shame of a man in cuffs
You switched your signs then you closed the blinds
You changed the channels and you changed our minds

We don’t give a damn about your world
With all your global profits and all your jeweled pearls
We don’t give a damn about your world

Your remainder is an unjustifiable egotistical power struggle
At the expense of the American Dream
Of the American Dream
Of the American

I’ve always had an appreciation for good writing. As I find with my own feeble attempts, it’s always easier to think than it is to translate those thoughts coherently to the reader, much less in a powerfully creative way. Sometimes I’ll read one of Doug’s Rants and the subject matter will invade my thoughts periodically throughout the day, only to have them scatter to the winds when I sit down to offer my opinion.

What strikes me with this particular ditty is the obvious inference that the fabled American Dream is dying because we’re either not paying attention at all or we’re constantly distracted by the endless procession of issues to digest. Like the real A.D.D., focus becomes difficult under the sheer weight of everything gone haywire, struggling for mental clarity amid the din of the punditry and politicians. We either tune out, remaining ignorant but by no means blissful, or we find ourselves scatter-brained and weary from the unrelenting onslaught of perpetual crisis.

The focus right now should not be healthcare, it should be the economy. Passing a monstrous spending program in the face of looming depression – oh I’m sorry, a jobless recovery – is simply not the smartest thing to do at this particular moment from an economic standpoint alone, much less any of the other crazy plundering schemes packed into an ever-growing piece of legislation.

The government has to get this money from somewhere. Since the government doesn’t actually produce any thing – other than pain and suffering, that is – that leaves good ole John Q. Public footing the bill for this wild experiment. That’s you and me, folks. To think otherwise is pure fantasy. It’s simple mathematics. They’re already spending more than twice their income. A luxury to be envied for sure, but it can’t last.

Oh they say they’ll only tax this group or that group, cut spending on this program or that one, but in the end the costs always trickle down to the lowly masses. Already fees and taxes are rising on just about everything. In New York alone they’re considering forcing us to buy new license plates every year for $25.00 in a “deficit-reduction plan,” with an additional $20.00 fee if you want the same tag each year.

How about a deficit-reduction plan that involves reducing the amount of self-important, pot-bellied bureaucrats lording over us like so many feudal barons? Give them a little taste of the fruits of their labor – in the unemployment line.

We need to bring prosperity back to this country. That starts with ending the destructive policies of the Federal Reserve and their whipping boy in the Treasury. You can’t do any thing unless you have a stable, transparent currency. We are very close to realizing that goal. This would be a massive victory for every man, woman and child in this country, not to mention the rest of the world.

There are still some good men and women in the House of Representatives, as evidenced by these videos…The grilling of Timothy, Part I Part II.We need to voice our support for what they do and urge our own representatives to support these positions. We need to urge them to get behind H.R. 1207 and S. 604 in their original form. We need to actually resolve something for once.

And that takes focus.