Imagine in a storm a tree falls and breaks the high power electrical line to the hospital.  Not only that, but the backup generators are underwater and the trucks with repair supplies can’t make it to the line break.  The foolish inexperienced apprentice lineman says “no problem” grabbing both ends of the of the severed line resting in the assurance his body will be a splendid bridge conductor and he will be an applauded hero for turning the lights in the hospital back on.  Snap and poof; no more lineman and the hospital lies in darkness.  Power does what power does.  We build structures and procedures so humans are safe from the power of what we devise.  Insulators, knowledge and rigid structures allow the linemen to remain safe in the immediate proximity of lethal power.  They are brave souls with much more knowledge that the fool wannabe hero we just described.

The United States Federal Government hierarchy is an instrument of power designed in such a way that if used properly can generate massive power without destroying the people within.  The sum total of American power is lethal in its pure nature and yet it can be designed, tamed and channeled  to do the nation and planet untold good if used properly and skillfully.  To call professionals in the public sector and their rules and regs nonsense is very dangerous foolishness,  The system can destroy people who are not careful, knowledgeable and skillful in the halls of power.  We have seen cabinet secretaries almost as mistaken as the above lineman see their reputations and futures go snap, poof, because they didn’t know what they were doing.  We have a president who is rewiring his personal power without previous skill or knowledge in the federal bureaucracy in such a fashion that sooner or later, snap, poof, will go his reputation for power. We don’t want to lose the nation with the mishap.

Modest Proposal for good

We must stop being intentionally ignorant of what is going on.  Neither the Democrats or Republicans can alone undo what this administration is setting up. We need a new configuration of patriotism which can only begin as we come to understand as citizens how to handle the power of this nation. You will not be able to buy a new democracy on Amazon.  We must learn the roles of the critical public servants (when they return) in high places.  Cronyism will kill us. Just because you know the CEO of the local utility doesn’t qualify you to throw switches at the center of the grid. Show some respect for what was once America and can become again one of the worlds most sophisticated dedicated public service sectors.  What we have abused we must rebuild.  That would be good.