Fading Christmas thoughts

I realize that we are now almost officially out of the Christmas season, but a posting today on Common Dreams brought back me back to several thoughts I had the week before Christmas.  My ideas started to form after watching Frank Capras' "Its a Wonderful Life".  The thoughts I had never got committed to paper but this brought it all back.

As I watched the annual movie event, I too was suddenly struck by the scene of Main Street Bedford Falls as it was turned into Pottersville.  This is what our modern capitalistic society has turned small town life into for many rural areas including my own.  Where quaint shops, the small town hardware store, the neighborhood grocery store and even the locally owned savings and loan are now all replaced by Walmart, Wells Fargo, McDonalds and Lowe's.  And where the only thriving local business left on Main Street is a bar (or several).   In our case, it's not only the bars, but in Deadwood it's the gambling halls that have also replaced local business.  There now is even a move afoot to bring a nude dancing club to neighboring Lead, South Dakota, as "economic development".   


A recent facebook discussion with a libertarian concerning the right of free enterprise and capitalism further cemented my fears for the future.  According to the poster, we should let capitalism develop, unfettered and pretty much unregulated, and "let the market" determine the outcome.  That of course extends to wages, which should only be determined by what the law of supply and demand will dictate.  We are well underway from the transition from Bedford Falls to Pottersville.  Just as the townfolk were changed by the mentality of "survival of the fittest" from neighbors helping neighbors, we now are a nation fallen pray to Mr. Potter's business plan.  The Republican plan fits well with Mr. Potter as we see the definition of small business owners change, a continued attack on unions and a not so secret plan to bankrupt state governments to further erode public unions.

Sadly, in the face of the new Congress, I don't feel much hope for the next year for our small town life.  I think its time for the people of Bedford Falls to join with George Baily and return some of that wonderful small town life back.  Other wise the transition to Pottersville and Potters Field will be complete very soon.

Tax cuts and our liberal future

Well I see our outgoing Democratic House members in both North and South Dakota decided that letting the top 1/2 of 1 percent of their respective states taxpayers are more important than the rest of us.  Both Herseth-Sandlin and Pomeory voted on the side of the Republicans to keep tax cuts across the board.  Both were defeated in November and had nothing to lose on this vote, so why the whimp factor?  (btw, notice that M. Bachmann of Minnesota didn't vote - wonder why?)  

Turning out these two Blue Dogs may help us in the end, though we will have to suffer through a couple of tough years under their replacements.  Again, can we start a movement here in the heartland in the next year to do better?  I hope we can, but it will take hard work and determination and a total rebuilding of our liberal base.  Consider this a call to action from the west!  Lets start building our community.

Introduction

Today I begin a long awaited project.  This blog will be my journey back into the political world.  I encourage and hope that I will find others to follow me on this trek.  For too long I feel like a stranger in my own country.  Being a self professed liberal in a sea of red!  There are a few more of us here in the great west of the Black Hills of South Dakota.  It is my hope that this blog can be a sounding board and a gathering place for more of those.


I also hope to encourage a civil dialog here.  I will not turn any point of view away because I think we have reached a tipping point in our country. What lies ahead will require a lot of hard work, civil and thoughtful discussion and a coming together of concerned citizens to protect and preserve the future for our children and grand children.

My rules will be simple, comment but be prepared to defend yourself with research and links.  Any point of view is welcome as long as it is civil and can be well defended.  Any topic is welcome too be it a local issue, a state issue or even a national issue.

Finally, my real hope is that we can start to build a true progressive community in this great western area on the corner of 4 great states.  I will post my first thoughts later, but any feedback to this blog now is most welcome.