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L<\/span>ike several other early works from my ‘suitcase of songs’ this song bears sign of neither my discerning and subtle sociopolitical analysis — nor my often arch sense of humor. Making it, more or less, a screed<\/span>. A rant. Not even a proper diatribe.<\/p>\n Back in ’75 or ’76 when I wrote this, I knew it wasn’t exactly a sophisticated, subtle rendering. It was not long after Gerald Ford took over the presidency from the disgraced Richard Nixon, immediately granting Nixon a pardon for any crimes he might have committed, no matter how grievous, even though Nixon hadn’t even been formally charged with any of the numerous violations of law that forced his resignation. Clearly, the fix was in, and the “loyal opposition” was busy toadying up to the powers that so evidently still were.<\/p>\n Now, I really was a political (and economic) naif back then — and was held that way, in part, by my own cynicism.<\/p>\n Today, as a businessman and longtime politics junky (other folks watch football), I have a considerably deeper understanding of how things really work. It has made me — in some ways — a bit more hopeful, and considerably more practical.<\/p>\n And the way I see it, I should end up more or less in the political center, on average.<\/p>\n I’m a firm believer in small government, fiscal responsibility, environmental responsibility, free, fair markets, clean government, and a strong and effective defense. Defense, mind you… I’ve always thought the US should be working to defend itself <\/span>rather than embarking on foreign military misadventures in what are usually vainglorious attempts to “extend American power.”<\/p>\n Me, I think “empire” is geopoliticalese for “jumping the shark.”<\/p>\n I would think that those seemingly quite (small-c) conservative values should put me more or less in the center of the political spectrum — yet I find myself, along with a sizable, sometimes near-majority, number of my fellow US Americans, increasingly marginalized by both of the two major parties, whose policies increasingly flaunt the core values of a lot of responsible, thinking US citizens.<\/p>\n Yes, there are alternatives — but they are not moderate alternatives. They are, in some fundamental ways, more extreme. It’s not that I don’t have deep sympathies with, say, the Greens or agreement with a number of Libertarian principles.<\/p>\n But, if the US political system were truly responsive to the will of the governed, a mainstream, middle-of-the-road guy like me ought to find some sort of agreement with one or both of the “mainstream” parties. Instead of finding them to be closet brownshirts and neo-Know Nothings on the one hand and spineless, hypocritical toadies on the other.<\/p>\n You know, not to put too fine a point on my political malaise.<\/p>\n Oh… WTF… let’s dedicate this<\/span> one to the one person majority on the Supreme Court that aborted the 2000 presidential election.<\/p>\n\n