Political ruminations by a roofer. Or, wolf-whistling in the fog. by Scott from Oregon
(libertarian)
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
We in the construction field often find ourselves sitting on roof ridges, noshing on sandwiches, watching the doings of some town in America below us and making commentary on what we see. People going in and out of the bank. The local kids who speed off from intersections. The street people and their habits, as well as the merchants and their predictable routines.
We construction people may look dirty and unshaven and quite possibly illiterate, but we may know far more than people give us credit for.
From our perches above the fray, we get a bit of the mystic perspective on life where we live, a bit of the overview, if you will, of the whole shebang. Add this to the likely fearlessness and individualism you'll find in many hammering hell-raisers, and you get a political concoction more resembling a peanut-can full of odd and useful nuts and bolts, than a party affiliation or binary label.
We don't care what the world around us thinks- we have eyes and ears and practical brains and each other to toss out our opinions on.
Bush can be followed by many expletives and we never stop chewing.
Mention Cheney and shotguns and a whole series of humorous one-liners will follow.
Obama will be noted, "rhymes with Osama" and we make no apology. We don't care. He's just a guy. We're almost all guys up here. Take your lumps or get off the roof.
And Hilary? Please. What woman stands by her man while another woman kneels?
There are no sacred cows on a roof full of construction workers. There is just life and the way it plays out far below us.
There is a growing trend amongst my crowd to show genuine worry, though. Politics is not just a passing lunch time conversation, these days. People know people who are off to war. The whole "feel" of the Federal government seems to have changed. Conspiracies are bantered about while crunching on potato chips, and a feeling of pessimism has supplanted the happy-go-lucky lunch time banter we'd grown accustomed to.
Those who we all know and focus on, the Washington DC players and their affiliates, aren't just other guys and gals anymore. They have become sinister players in a national game that we feel left out of. Much of what we have always perceived as "government" is now done in the private world where we can't have our overview. We construction workers know there is something afoot, that there are deals made behind the curtains, and it bothers us.
It is gray out there, this feeling we have. Gray in the hazy sense. In the foggy sense. What we see from our rooftops while we masticate out of our lunch boxes is ill-defined and unwatchable. It moves in the shadows. We can't wolf-whistle at it or crack a joke with it or even threaten it with our masculinity and construction worker bravado.
It has names we never see parading along our streets. NAFTA. WTO. CFR. NAU. FEMA. IMF. World Bank.
It has supporters that we know have far more money than we do, because they are now the names of our sports arenas and stadiums.
They have agendas we can't possibly understand and channels of communication and decision making we can't possibly oversee. In essence, we've been frozen out of the reality of our own reality by simply not being allowed to be privy to it.
And I ask you-- is this America? A free, democratic country where the government is supposed to serve the will of its citizens? Are not construction workers citizens anymore? Have we been aced out of the process?
Can someone tell us why the world we observe has nothing to do with the world anymore?
I've been reading the Constitution lately. I've been following along with the presidential debates. There is an old geezer by the name of Ron Paul who seems to be as concerned about this state of affairs as me and the boys are.
He doesn't think laws should be written outside of our government. He doesn't believe the rules should be changed, nor the process secretive. He doesn't believe we, as average, hard working Americans, should be giving up our souls and our liberty to fulfill the aspirations of enterprises we aren't even in any part of the loop on.
When I sit on a roof eating a sandwich and hoping for a pretty girl to walk past, I want to know that that is the world as it is. I want to know that I have a handle on the rules and regulations that govern my life.
I don't want to sit up there chewing on lettuce, staring into the fog.
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The views expressed
in this article are those of Scott from Oregon only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
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I think people are tired this two-party shell game, where the only differences between the candidates is how bad they are and how fast this house of cards will collapse. Good article!
Mr. Scott from Oregon,
You are not alone and I do share your view!
As a concerned citizens, why our tax dollars funding all these “Illegal & Inhuman Activities” without our approval? A "Corrupted System” we feel so powerless.
A system which has no Pride.
Until now, “The People” have a legitimate choice and “CAN NOT” let this opportunity slip away. The choice is clear & obvious of Dr. Ron Paul. He’s been “Tested and Approved” by the people like you and I. The message he brings is “Universal” and the “Whole World is Inspired”
I, for one, am choked when I hear this politician speak. With his gracefulness and class, they tried and can’t put the “Good Doctor” down.
He is a humble and noble man. It’s time we honor this man of Truth and be proud again.
Freedom, Prosperity and Peace.
“The RP Revolution Army”
Any residential property owners or commercial real estate property owners that want to help fund Ron Paul in his campaign for president I will give 50% of the profit from any service sold because of this comment. 50% of what remains after paying employees and paying for materials and or dump fees. Get a New Roof, Roof Repair or Roof Cleaning for a competitive price and help elect Ron Paul in 2012. Get a Skylight Installed, Preserve your Cedar Roof or have a Protective/UV Reflective coating applied to your roof. Get your tile roof painted to look new again. Any service we offer if you hire us because you found this comment 50% of the profit goes to the President Ron Paul 2012 campaign. If you happen to need any service we provide why not get it done for a fair price and be a part of the 2012 Revolution. If I find I can afford to on some jobs I will give 100% of the profit to the elect Ron Paul 2012 campaign. Visit www.theportlandroofers.com and let me know you want to help Ron Paul lead the revolution to save America.
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