Pharaohs, Pharisees, Obama & Andy Stern
I’ve always been a believer that Nature has a great deal to teach me. Now I have to add that history does, too. I’ve been following the relationship between President Obama and Andy Stern, President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and quite frankl>y that relationship is, at best, disturbing.
The President, Mr. Stern and SEIU have a long and entwined history that has generated a lot of mutual indebtedness. Mr. Stern has a lot of White House access. The Union, in the form of Mr. Stern, wants universal health care and they want it now.> SEIU has a “chit” its calling in from the President for having donated $27 million dollars to his campaign. Mr. Stern has not been shy about making that clear. One need look no further to understand the White House’s push to force passage of health care legislation and impose it upon a nation where 52% of the population oppose it.
Its made me think about some historical figures.
Pharaoh, for one. You know, the one of Moses’ fame who liked having organized labor do his dirty work and whose sweat kept him and his cronies in total control. Or the Pharisees, also of biblical notoriety who, along with the Sadducees, corrupted the Priesthood of ancient Israel and are those who Jesus railed against when smashing their money-changing tables for doing business in his Father’s house on the Sabbath.
When special interests get too close to corrupt power, much perversion is done both in the name of good and the name of God.>
I think we’re there.
History is replete with similar analogies. And Nature is replete with as many “corrections.” Flood, famine, tsunami, earthquake, volcanic eruption… Her list is lengthy. Of course, there’s always that brief lull, or pause, between our awareness of the problem and Nature’s need to act on our behalf. Its in that pause that we get the chance to self-correct… which much less overall trauma than if left to Nature. At times we have seized that moment. More often than not, we have not.
What will we do now?
We are in the pause. You can feel it because things are speeding up and slowing down… all at the same time. Its a moment… our moment… to self-correct. We can now make some important, and at times difficult, decisions… or we can abdicate responsibility for what we know in our hearts is wrong. Seriously wrong.
The choice belongs to each of us. Step up or step down. One way leads to higher ground. The other leads to…. well let’s just say that in a difficult economy that continues to spiral out of control, ark building might soon be a very lucrative career choice.
I hope not.