Without a profit motive.

Got a call this morning. From someone trying to raise funds to supplement the local fire fighting budget. That turned me off. Because it's the responsibility/role of government -- local, state and federal -- to see that fire fighting services are adeqately funded. Through taxes, or whatever. That's why I'm for government. For the serving of the common good. Because the private sector ain't gonna do it. Especially under the capitalist system. Which is out to serve the individual good. Which is usually selfish. The aim often is to get rich, monetarily speaking. Even if that means exploiting the consumer. I'm sure that the private fund-raiser for the fire fighters was setting aside a nifty profit -- for himself. I want government to provide essential services. Without a profit motive. --Jim Broede

Just joking, folks.

Republicans think they can get away with almost anything. Such as denying non-Republicans the right to vote. With voter suppression laws. Making it difficult for poor people and old people and minorities to vote. By requiring everyone to have a government-issued picture ID when they go to the polls. Of course, Republicans declare they are doing this to curb voter fraud. But that's bogus. The Republicans can't cite any cases of voter fraud. Instead, the aim is to make it more difficult for Democrats and non-Republican citizens to vote. I'm for a law to make it illegal for scum-bags to vote. That would disqualify many Republicans. Just joking, folks. --Jim Broede

The best way of all.

In some ways, it's just as well that I don't speak Italian. Because I'd cultivate contacts and relationships that might make my Italian true love nervous. Such as extensive chit-chats with total strangers. I'd find that fascinating. And I'd cultivate contact with complete strangers on my daily walks. I would diversify. As it is, I am focused heavily on my true love. Which is satisfying and fascinating. I'm making the best of my limited knowledge of the Italian language. And taking advantage of Italians that speak English. But imagine what I'd be doing if I spoke fluent Italian. Instead, I narrow my focus when in Italy. Which is all right. Because I become more an observer. I see so much. And I think about what I see. And the significance of it all. And I see so much of Italy through my true love's heart and soul. Which may be the best way of all.--Jim Broede

With a lack of sensitivity

I engage my Republican neighbors in political talk. And only hope they know I'm half joshing 'em. Like the other day, I sort of taunted a neighbor about her lawn sign, which declared opposition to same sex marriage. She favors a law that allows for marriage only between a man and a woman. I quipped, 'Give me a law that prohibits marriage between two Republicans.' Wouldn't that be wonderful? Treating Republicans the same way they treat others. With a lack of sensitivity. -Jim Broede

Societies get it right -- eventually.

Hard for me to believe that the Romney/Ryan ticket could win the presidential election. But then, societies do some mighty peculiar things. South Africa had apartheid for a long, long time. And the Germans had the Third Reich. So I suppose there's nothing stopping America from having Romney/Ryan. But I'm an optimist. South Africa rid itself of apartheid. And the modern-day Germans look at Hitler with disdain. Goes to show that when things go wrong, societies eventually get it right. --Jim Broede

We are shameful Americans.

America has always had something rotten at it's core. Right from the beginning. Ever since the founding of the USA in the 18th century. Slavery, for instance. Inequality. We Americans had a civil war, and we theoretically eliminated slavery. But we have never rid ourselves of inequality. We are still denying people their basic civil and human rights. Of course, America has always taken a holier-than-thou attitude. Patting ourselves on the back. Claiming to be good. Claiming to be the best and greatest nation on Mother Earth. If we are the best, god help us all. Because in some ways, we are pitiful. Just look at our state of politic. It's gawdawful. Our politicians cater to the rich. We've created a privileged elite. A plutocracy. A dictatorship of the monetarily rich. Of millionaires and billionaires and bankers. Money manipulators. Greed permeates our economic system. That's the way I see it. At our core, we are an evil nation. Always have been. That doesn't mean America is totally bad. There are strains of well-intentioned goodness. Reasons to be braggarts. Which causes us to overlook and ignore our badness. Our basic immorality. Our corruptness. Thing is, there's always something wrong with America. Always will be. Maybe that's the nature of the human condition. Our inability to recognize how bad we really are. Therefore, we'll always be bad at the core. Deep down. We Americans will continue to utter our high-minded platitudes. Pretending. Pretending. Pretending to be something we aren't. Unfortunately, we'll remain hypocrites. Not practicing what we preach. We'll be proud Americans. When really, we are shameful. --Jim Broede

Wanna live to see it happen.

I'm accepting the notion that my Chicago Cubs have to get really bad before getting good. That everybody remotely responsible for the Cubs losing baseball ways must be purged. Gotten rid of. The Cubs have to start with a clean slate. Rebuilding at every level of the organization. A clean sweep. That appears what the Cubs are up to. I've been warned by the new management to expect losing teams for a few more years. Really bad teams. As if the teams of the past weren't bad enough. These will be even worse. I'm expecting seasons of over 100 losses. I'm expecting totally pathetic, incompetent teams. The worst of the worst. So that the Cubs can some day emerge as winners. I'm age 76. Waiting patiently. Hope I live long enough to see it happen. --Jim Broede