A Fine Kettle of Fish You've Got Me Into, Ollie!

The financial markets seem to be in total disarray, if not fallen into chaos. The economy seems quite unsettled, to say the least, and most people are terrified about the prospects for their own future and that of their children.

I am intrigued that no one in government is willing to assume any responsibility for this mess. Ah, I know, the matter is very complex, and no single policy or person can be held totally responsible. Nevertheless, I’ll have to say that this all happened on the watch of the Bush regime, as did the unnecessary, falsely promulgated war in Iraq with the attendant thousands of deaths of United States soldiers and Iraqi civilians; the destruction of New Orleans; the abuses of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo; and the continuing violation of the rights of citizens in the country. I mean, when I look about I can’t identify one positive item which results from the administration of these smug and calloused and selfish and often, immoral government officials.

Nevertheless, I’ll have to admit that the problems are complex. Nevertheless, no one in public office is willing to step forward and assume any responsibility for our present state of national and international affairs. No one, not even our fearless leader, has the courage to admit culpability for our present crisis. Once my daughter carved her name in our window sash, and when confronted with the evidence, with her engraved name in our window, she denied culpability. The center did not hold. Neither should it for these mendacious, corrupt officials who deny responsibility.

But, it fascinates me, as indeed, it should you, that it has become common wisdom that our economic failures, our military troubles, and our moral lapses are definitely the fault of the lower test scores on standardized texts, and the incompetent teachers who cannot prepare students properly to take those tests. I mean, everything that is wrong with the United States rests at the feet of its educational system and the teachers who, it is held, incompetently service it.

Oh, please. As my daughter would say, “Get Real.”