In conjunction with the President’s State of the Union Address, we have annually, semi-humbly offered our annual “State of the Government\u201d analysis. Consistently in that analysis, we\u2019ve opined the following\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And this was all true prior<\/em> to the 2016 elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let me insert an additional \u201ctoo\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are too divided. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n My sense is we are too divided because we look at socio-political issues from a singular perspective \u2014 thus from a limited perspective\u2026 from the left\/right, black\/white, rich\/poor, etc. We aren\u2019t good at looking through the perspective of someone who thinks\/looks\/acts\/votes differently than we.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Remember one of my favorite singular perspectives, creatively expressed six years ago?<\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s say I\u2019m a peanut farmer. I love peanuts. I love peanuts so much, I grow them in my backyard. (I\u2019ve got a big backyard.) I start my own business and it takes off \u2014 so much so, it\u2019s hard to keep up; it becomes a massive business, and we are providing ample nutrition to many across the country. It\u2019s a good thing, but nuts are all I think about!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n But in order to advance my cause, I need specific legislation to be enacted \u2014 or refrained from. Remember: all I\u2019m focused on is nuts. I need to thus ensure the Food & Drug Administration doesn\u2019t become too sensitive regarding nut nutrition. I need to ensure my state doesn\u2019t limit the land I till. I need to also ensure that no new taxes are tacked on to our cultivating equipment, so I can keep my costs low. In fact, I\u2019m hoping they raise the speed limit so I can deliver more peanuts more quickly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n So many decisions affect my ability to produce peanuts \u2014 economically and socially. I\u2019m concerned. Hence, I form N.U.T.S. \u2014 the \u201cNational Union for Tilling Soil\u201d \u2014 in order to mobilize more people who share my singular focus; this way we can affect political change. We don\u2019t care about almonds or pecans or even those high-calorie cashews. Our special interest is peanuts. Nuts it is.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Since the lobbyist laws were eased in the late \u201970\u2019s, we have more access to lawmakers. I don\u2019t mean to be mean, but I will let them know we will only contribute to their individual campaigns if they support our nuts. We will speak out against their legislation regarding pickles and potatoes unless they support nuts. We will be wholeheartedly supportive of them, however, as long as they advance economic and social policy favorable to our cause. Our focus is on one thing and one thing only. Our money will back that up\u2026 millions\u2026 yes, millions\u2026 oh, nuts.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n …<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s not that the passion of the peanut farmer is right or wrong; the problem is that they are not concerned about the totality of effective, responsible government. A healthy state of the union is reflected in the totality of an effective, responsible government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to achieve that healthy state, we must surrender the binary, divisive, partisan choices. We need to quit advocating for singular, limited perspectives. Especially when they\u2019re nuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Respectfully…<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR In conjunction with the President’s State of the Union Address, we have annually, semi-humbly offered our annual “State of the Government\u201d analysis. Consistently in that analysis, we\u2019ve opined the following\u2026 Our government is: Too partisan Too influenced by money Too big Too financially imbalanced And too far removed from the Constitution. And this was all … <\/p>\n
\nOur government is:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"