It's Small Things, Medium-Sized Things, Big Things Thing

Dear America,

It was a classic press secretary response... to the question: "What is the President doing about the economy?" this morning:

"So there are small things, 

medium-sized things, 

and big things 

that this President has done 

and will continue to do, 

and will look forward to doing.  

And he will work with Congress 

to do all of them."

thank you, Jay Carney 

let's have a show of hands on that one...

c'mon everybody,
give it up for Jay!

so, just so we are clear, he cited the new Fuel Efficiency Standards as a conduit to save consumers some money, with the assurances that green jobs will come (Chevy Volt sales in July:  125); and cited the "additional forbearance" coming to the financially strapped homeowners; but all in all, he, Jay, quickly wrapped things up offering  no specifics or new things at all.

so, can we look at that number again, Jay....125.  In all of America, with 300 million people, and millions of cars, trucks and SUV's sold each year (averaging 17 million/year) -- the Chevy Volt sold 125 cars in the month of July.

so, all this should come as good news when we realize who will be leading OPEC for the next year.  A nice guy, I'm sure -- probably earned a great deal of respect over the years, in certain circles anyway; not all that attractive, however, but how narrow-minded and superficial of me is that? what a silly girl I am this morning.

He runs with the name:  Brig. Gen. Rostam Ghasemi (Qasemi) heads Khatam al-Anbia (KAA), an IRGC-owned industrial and engineering giant targeted for U.S., European and United Nations sanctions for activities relating to Iran’s nuclear program.  Go here to get a good look at him yourself.

oh yeah, and there's more, Jay, tell us what we've won:

Ghasemi himself was added in February 2010 to the U.S. Treasury’s Department list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) whose assets are frozen and with whom Americans may not do business. Designation was made under an executive order that targets proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems

so, that  part about "with whom Americans may not do business" seems a bit awkward, doesn't it?  Oh I am sure it is no big deal; it's just OPEC; it's just Iran having a little fun with us westerners (again). oh and about that IRGC -- it stands for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps -- who considers this sweet deal "a blow to the West."  just gets better and better, doesn't it?

so, it is a good thing we've got a Volt or two hanging around to beat them at there own game.  yes, indeed. we should be able to nip this burden of oil dependency in no time. no time at all.

What is the president doing about it -- just demanding car makers confirm to the new standards, or else; he has continued to put the boot to the neck of the Gulf oil production stream; he has deemed areas "protected" to protect the lizards and birds; he has restricted America's production of oil in any way possible, answering the call of the wild environmentalists (just one of his many favorite lobbyists).

so, at least we were at about a 9% overall approval rating, now we are at just five...according to the Arab World which loves to rate how they think the United States of America is treating them.

A recent survey tells us that

"the Arab world's image of the US as a whole has also soured to become even less favorable than during the last year of the administration of president George W. Bush, under whom the United States led an international coalition that invaded Iraq.

and that...

"the poll found that Arabs see the Obama administration's handling of key Middle East policy issues as having made no contribution to improving relations between them and the United States.

In fact, the two issues on which the US administration has invested "considerable energy -- the Palestinian issue and engagement with the Muslim world -- receive the lowest approval rating."

so, this made me think...you know that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when dealing with someone -- who, as a whole, you respect and adore and value -- as you enjoy their company and accept your differences -- and then, after maybe a breach of circumstances and natural evolution, you come to find out that after all this time, after all the breaking of bread, after all the niceties of relationship to and fro, that you come to find out underneath it all, they were really looking at you with contempt -- judging you from top to bottom.

this is how it feels after all this time, through dignitaries, ambassadors, kings and queens, sheiks and imams, prime ministers and presidents, from subjects to rebels to revolutionists to students, the richer the poorer, struggling to be in relationship with the Middle East.

We were doing a lot better when we kept to ourselves as much as possible; we did better when we kept at a reasonable distance; we were happier without the pushing and pulling and negotiating and compromising on the values we hold dear, vacillating with our own truth, making security breaches against our own personal security. The relationship is toxic, in seemingly every foreign relation's way possible.

and what is this president doing about it?   everything from bowing, struggling, angling, reinforcing, cajoling, manipulating, threatening in virtually every way he can think of just to make them "Like" us.  It is beginning to look like we are hanging our every move evaluating what they will think of us first.  How inauthentic is that?

so, you know that old Ricky Nelson line, 'you can't please everyone, you gotta please yourself...'

if you actually clicked into Ricky there, it tells you a story about how the song "Garden Party" came about; capturing the devastation to the psyche following a time when he was just being himself, putting himself out there from the heart, and getting booed off the stage (of course, the story says it may have just been a misunderstanding, that the crowd was really booing the cops, but Ricky didn't know better)  He took it personally and he held onto that feeling for a long, long time.  The song was the product of the cathartic, creative process to move himself up and out of his funk. (Kudos to 'Pequinito' on youtube for the project...nicely done)

This girl believes that we need to come to the Middle East from a different approach; we need to come from a place of personal power, our personal best, and stand up for ourselves.  All G see's is  the US standing up for them, in hopes it will work in our favor in the end.  This is clearly not working.

All the Arab world sees is a nation bowing with their insecurities and vulnerabilities leading the way; we are not meeting them with a sense of REAL authority, or authenticity , at all.  While with certain, there is no clear line of mutual respect between us.  And now with our unconscionable growth of our nation's debt, with little wiggle room anywhere to be found, we are forced into a relationship intent on being the submissive, affected, weaker party which clings to giving in more often than standing up.

and for that matter, now that I'm thinking about it, the entire world is watching the once Super Power fall into the position of Weakest Link.


Our actions must align with our talk, otherwise there is no power in it;  no one will take us seriously.

The Arab World doesn't have to like us; they don't want to like us; and they don't care if they like us or even if we all get along.  Actually, just guessing here, they would probably prefer to hold us in contempt rather than work things out.  It's just easier to make us the villain so that they can live on tip-toeing through the tulips (poppies) in their fairy land Arab Spring.  As a whole, the Arab World holds the power over us because all we want is for them to like us, and just maybe keep selling us that black gold that runs through their veins. 

The relationship will always be make believe; much like the stance of a typical presidential press secretary/spokesman/mouthpiece -- like Jay -- the fodder for what to believe about the things a president will do, wants to do, intends to do, dreams of doing, and what he actually does -- it all spins from a podium -- the explanations of the past, the amplifying of the present, and the safe-keeping of the future rests in the hands of how much "Jay" [and the president] can make the people, the press, the Arab world, believe.

In the end, though, like Ricky's song, it all falls back on each and every one of us -- to believe in ourselves, to believe in our own truths, to stand up for our own principles, to sing our own song, to follow through with our own word -- even if it might have the power to break a relationship and especially if it is toxic.

Because our life is not make believe, is it? 
It is real and it is right in front of us and it is what we make of it every day.

"So there are small things, 

medium-sized things, 

and big things 

that this President has done 

and will continue to do, 

and will look forward to doing.  

And he will work with Congress 

to do all of them."

Make it a Good Day, G