Let’s take specific issues out of the mix.  Let’s not even talk about the Republican/Democratic debate of the last forty or so years, with Republicans mostly, (I was tempted to say ‘only’), ranting about fiscal topics, budgets, taxes, military funding, etc., while Democrats have been talking about social issues and education and the environment…you know, we the people stuff.  But, even if that’s the way the parties’ platforms line up, there have been, at least, debatable ideas.  Enter the whacko, ultra-conservative, uber-religious, massively funded, Fox News supported, mostly, (still tempted), misinformed grandstanders of the New GOP and you have the irreparable stalemate we are facing today.  And the reason there is no solution, is that one side, (guess which), is too dumb to propose new ideas, (at least none that don’t require abject denial of facts and science), or thoughtful amendments to those of their counterparts.  The sworn oath of a Congressman is to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America and the Laws of the Land, (Affordable Care Act?), with some tacit agreement not to make job one insuring Obama to be a one-term President, (McConnell/Boehner), or the repeal of Obamacare, without any hint of some alternative or thought of maintaining the countless beneficial parts.

Personally, I believe that our survival lies in our becoming more globally united and much less nationalistic, but until we’re there, and we still have the big gun and the big, (albeit shaky), checkbook, we can’t look so stupid to the rest of the world.  Too much is riding on the belief that the big picture is being watched over by the best and the brightest.  Maybe that’s never been quite true, but with today’s access to twenty-four hour news and every statement, post, tweet and blog… right now, we are sadly exposed to be in a steaming pile of dumb.