Pre-Boomer Musings

When is the last time Iraq was on the front page of the newspaper or the lead item on network television?  Based on the lack of coverage, you might think our troops have all but left the country.  Recently, however, Iraq was back in the news when the people of that country once again expressed their desires through the democratic election process.

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It will be up to the elected representatives to sort things out and govern the country on their own.  We Americans must allow this fledgling democracy to develop Iraqi-style, which means offering our help while not imposing our will.  This 7-year Iraq conflict has lasted longer than all of World War II.  It is so unpopular, here and abroad, many would rather abandon the investment of time, money and human resources and simply leave – a move scheduled to be accomplished by September of 2010. 

The US presence has dropped to some 90,000 men and women, but more than half that number will remain as advisors after the pullout.  By the end of the year, we will have spent nearly a trillion dollars in support of the Iraqi War.  The human price has been about 4,500 US troops killed, compared to less than 300 lost by all other countries combined.  In addition, 32,000 US troops have been wounded (mental conditions are not part of this number).

The toll on the Iraqis has been greater with 10,000 police and soldiers dead.  Civilians killed are pegged at 100,000.  But some estimate this number to be as high as 500,000, because of underreporting, according to About.com.  More than 55,000 insurgents perished during the years of the conflict.  Displaced Iraqis are estimated at 2.3 million and another 2.3 million are refugees in other countries.

With our stay in Iraq nearing an end, a stable government there could help:

 –   establish a democracy in a Muslim country in the Mid-East

 –   give Israel a little breathing room

 –   keep Al-Qaeda from garnering support and marshalling local forces

 –   deter Iran from starting a conflict in the area

 –   demonstrate to the people of neighboring countries that freedom is working

 –   serve notice to dictatorships that change is in the air

 –   bring home tired troops and provide backup to finish the job in Afghanistan

Reading the true results of the Iraqi election will be an ongoing process, but voting had its perils.  First, party headquarters were bombed and candidates assassinated.  Then, the citizens endured suicide bombings and rocket attacks.  Finally, there was coercion, fraud and voting irregularities.  Nonetheless, the courageous people of Iraq made their way to the polls and were proud to hold up purple-stained fingers to prove they voted. 

In the end, the people had their say; and now begins the difficult role of governing.  Americans know democracy is not always pretty in the making.  But it is the only free form of government.  Good luck, Iraq, and enjoy the adventure. 

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Every few years the political party not in power promises change if they get elected.  We have heard this rhetoric time and time again at the local, state and national levels.  Often the public votes for change, but when the dust settles everything reverts back to business, make that politics, as usual. 

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The presidential election of just over a year ago was about change.  Americans were tired of the ways of Washington, and many believed in the candidate’s message of change.  He won impressively, but not with a mandate.  In fact, there was nothing specific laid out on the campaign trail.  Change in attitude, openness and fairness were the recurring themes fed to people hungry for something different.

Change came so quickly.  The vault was open, and money was being shoveled out the door faster than it could be printed.  The Stimulus package, including the takeover of GM and Chrysler. Cash for Clunkers, which sold more foreign cars than US brands.  Cap and Trade, taxes and fees that will put our industries at a competitive disadvantage and cost consumers more for energy.  Plus the now infamous Health Care Reform bill, the legislative disaster that demonstrated how poorly politicians listen to their constituents.  These are not solutions; they are part of the problem 

While those elected by us are following their own agendas, the people of this country are crying for jobs, so we can get the workforce back on its feet and get the economy going, then growing, again.  The simple truth is the people have lost confidence in the government’s willingness and ability to do the right thing.   

Spending is out of control and the debt is dangerously high.  The question is when will the politicians get a handle on financial issues?  Many of us want the government to slow down, examine their priorities and then go about the peoples’ business.  Yet the pleas from concerned citizens continue to be  ignored.  No wonder trust in our elected representatives has dropped so low.  No wonder protests, town hall meetings and grass root movements are so popular with the people but not the politicians.  No wonder incumbents of both parties facing November elections are worried about being booted out of office.

Politicians must start using common sense, forget about pet projects and, for God’s sake, when the time comes to bring up legislation, work together with those across the aisle to bring the people something we can believe in.  In the meantime, Washington needs to create an atmosphere were businesses, large and small, are willing to re-invest in the future of America by putting people back to work.  That’s real change. 

Isn’t this what New Seniors like us want and expect?  We need to let our elected representatives know how we feel on the issues that matter to each of us.  While we may account for less than 15 percent of the population, those 65+ deliver nearly 30 percent of the vote in primaries and off-year elections.  We are the people who can change things.

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A recent conversation with a friend about the simple things from our respective childhoods led us to the subject of ice.  Yes, frozen H2O.  The stuff we never thought much about unless we hit a slick spot on the sidewalk causing us to slip and slide or maybe fall to the ground.  As we grew older we learned about the many dangers of ice, particularly when driving.  But back then, everything associated with ice was positive.  

For instance, the ice truck stopped by my neighborhood a couple of times each week until well after the end of World War II, because the corner grocer as well as several homes still had ice boxes.  I can remember the signs people placed in their windows indicating how big a block of ice they needed. 

The ice man, a strapping older man with a thick Italian accent, didn’t like us kids hanging around his truck.  Because he knew that as soon as he walked away to deliver his merchandise, we would scamper up the back of the truck and grab the biggest slivers we could find and hightail it around the corner.  If he returned sooner than expected, a big scene ensued.  He would wave the ice tongs above his head and vow to get us next time.  I won’t forget how much courage it took to participate in this adventure, even though I later found out the whole thing was simply an act on his part.

There were other sources of ice treats.  In the winter, icicles often form around the  porches and roof eaves.  It was fun to snap these off and suck on this giant, but tasteless, Popsicle.  Any specks logged in the ice where wiped off or spit out as they were encountered.  There was no way these could be harmful, since they were frozen.  At least that’s how we saw it.  The longer ones also doubled as a sword, which broke the first time it was struck during combat with a friend. 

In the heat of the summer, a man sold Italian water ice from a white two-wheel pushcart with red trim.  To keep the ice from melting too quickly in the hot and humid Philadelphia air, he covered the frozen block with a towel.  No one knew how often it was washed and no one really cared.  When he showed up, all the kids ran home and begged our mothers for a  nickel. 

With the coin clutched in our hands, we watched expectedly as the old man removed the towel from his precious ice block and ran the metal tool across the surface.  He dumped the shaved ice into the cone shaped cup and asked which of the array of flavors we wanted.  With the cones in hand, we found a shady place to sit and enjoy this refreshing treat, although we couldn’t sit on our front steps because of the mess we made by dripping the grape, cherry and other flavors all over the ground.  After finishing, we turned on the nearest hose and cleaned up before going back to play.

Of course, when the ponds froze we had fun skating and roughhousing for hours on end.  The most fun was playing hockey with homemade sticks and tin can pucks.  What great fun we had thanks to ice.           

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When we think back over the years, there were many events that made us the person we are today.  However, there are specific birthdays we all share and recognize as important for marking the passage of time and indicating the beginning of a new phase of life. 

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Turning 13, becoming a teenager, meant we were no longer a child.  Driving suggested we were becoming more responsible, so 16 was special – although the driving age varies according to states today.  And at 21 we had reached the age of the majority and were entitled to the rights that go with it.  Over years, the voting age has dropped to 18 and the drinking age has been raised in some states, but 21 was, and still is, a really important birthday; because we officially had become adults.

After 21, most milestones that follow are pretty much self-imposed until the age of 65.  There was  30 for those who had to be married by that age or have a child or reach a certain level of success in the workplace.  Others used 40 as a time to measure how life is going for them, such as owning a home and achieving specific financial goals.

Then, there’s 50.  This was the time for those who didn’t realized it before, that we began to accept the notion of getting older.  The kids were grown, we knew our standing at work and retirement planning was a necessity. 

At 6o our perspective about what’s important and what isn’t changed dramatically.  We didn’t think much about it, but this was a wake up call.  It dawned on us that more of life lay in the past than ahead of us. Yet we looked 5 or more years younger than our age, felt like we were only 50 and thought like we were in our 40s. 

What happened?  Were we really this old?  Was it the gray hair, the crow’s feet or the waistline?  Being 60 meant not getting ahead in business, having grandchildren or talking with our parents about moving into a retirement home.  These were indicators that things have changed.  Health issues, downsizing and retirement were no longer topics to ponder, they were matters that must be dealt with, and soon. And, more was to come.

The next milestone is the last major date we share in common.  Historically, 65 has been the age of retirement.  Some retire earlier, because Social Security allows us to do so, and others opt to keep working because they need to or chose to continue earning an income.  Medicare kicks in a 65, which tells us something.

But, those of us who have made the transition know turning 65 is not the end of life.  It is the end of the mandatory way of living and the beginning of the rest of our lives.  We are free to explore new interests or take what we learned and apply this experience to other areas.  We can use the knowledge gained over the years to help others, to change things in our communities and beyond.  And, we can teach younger people members how to achieve their dreams.  This surely is the time to give back what was so freely given to us.   

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Whatever happens with the climate debate should not detract from the opportunity low-cost, renewable energy brings to those who are willing to invest in its development.  In fact this could be the next big worldwide boom, not unlike the tech explosion at the end of the last century.  The question is who will commit the necessary funds and resources needed to jump-start R&D efforts without burdening American citizens with more government debt and potential tax increases?

Image by The Library of Congress via Flickr

First, we must consider the needs of the US.  We consume a disproportionate amount of the world’s oil production.  And, the countries with the greatest supply of this commodity are not particularly friendly toward America.  Withdrawal from oil dependency cannot and will not occur overnight, no matter how much we or the government wish for it.  We must find alternative fuels, but we must not put American industries behind the eight ball,  dramatically change the lives of our citizens or pile on more taxes for anyone. 

It is time to start drilling for oil wherever it can possibly be obtained – in the continental US, Alaska, off-shore and where our neighboring countries will make favorable deals.  This is only a stop-gap measure, but it gives us some breathing room while scientists, inventors, entrepreneurs and large or small corporations are free to come up with viable alternatives. 

The government’s role?  Stay out of the way!  Incentive can be tax credits and the offer of bonuses, sales rights and other rewards that pay for results not for simply “working” on the project.  The stakes are high, and the payoffs can be terrific, so why dole out money and have the government telling the creators what to do.  Give creative minds the opportunity to think outside the box, be bold and tap into that good old Yankee ingenuity.

Talk about funding Green jobs with stimulus monies makes little sense, because there is nothing to produce until we discover the alternate to fossil fuels.  Yes, build nuclear power plants, but don’t let the builders accrue uncontrolled cost overruns.  And before finalizing any contracts, bring in the unions and get some concessions for the good of all. 

Let the wind farms be built and grids established by bringing in the banks to partner with the municipalities who will benefit from the cost savings this form of energy offers.  Natural gas, clean coal, solar panels and yet to be determined energy sources all have a place in America, today.  Some of these may be short-term others provide long-range potential, but we need it all, right now.  The marketplace will decide which will succeed.

This opportunity is too important to restrict with a lot of government red tape.  The cream will rise to the top if we just allow Americans to do what we do best.  Create.  Once we have something that meets the energy needs of this country and it is renewable and affordable, our companies will be able to transport this technology to other countries.  The result will be a better energy sources, cost savings, more jobs for US workers and a cleaner planet.       

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