Democracy had fallen by Plato’s formula: liberty had become license, and chaos begged an end to liberty. – Will Durant, The Story of Civilazation: Caesar and Christ.

There are more than a few similarities between the Roman Empire before it fell and America in the second decade of the 21^st century, when our nation is closer to falling than a lot of us realize.

Some might look at the above quote and say, sure, liberty has become a license for excess and violence and want our government to do something about it, but I think liberty has become a license for complacency, and our government can’t do anything about that. Only we can, however we are choosing not to.

I say this seemingly every hour on the hour: the 2014 midterms illustrated this perfectly: On Election Day 2014 Congress had an eleven percent approval rating. We still reelected 96 percent of incumbents, however. Our message was clear:

America is not happy with its government. America is unwilling to do anything about it.

If we were taking an active interest in our government, if we were holding our leaders accountable for what they are doing to our nation, we would have better government. We will always – and always means every single time – get the government we elect.

The chaos that attends the crumbling of great nations and peoples isn’t here yet, but it is on the way. Don’t kid yourself. If you are over 50 you might get off easy and die before complete anarchy sets in, but if you are under 50 you will probably witness it.

Some may scoff, but does anybody really think America can survive endless wars, constant domestic shootouts and mind numbing debt forever? Don’t be silly, of course we can’t. I give us until this half-century is out before our once-great nation falls. We cannot continue down this road without consequence.

…chaos begged an end to liberty.

The good news is this doesn’t have to happen. Even better news is the future of our country is firmly in our hands. We can change everything this November because the government we want is never farther away than the next election. All we need is concerned and conscientious citizens – you and me, we the people – demanding more of ourselves and our government.

When we do that, when we demand better at on Election Day, we will have better. A nation of demanding and participating voters will deliver the country we want.

As always, we will get the government we elect.

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Insanity triumphed because sane people were silent. – Randy Shilts

Randy, a reporter who died of AIDS in 1994, was writing about the utter lack of action on the part of the authorities at the start of the AIDS epidemic. He might as well have been writing about America today.

We are a once-great nation with a myriad of problems that if not checked will destroy us before this half-century is out. Does anyone really believe we can continue with endless wars and an $18 trillion national debt with impunity? Anybody who tries to tell you we can is either deluding themselves, trying to delude you or, as likely as not, both.

We can’t. Deep down, I think we all know that, however the comfort of the familiar is difficult to overcome, even when it is not serving us well. Our 2014 midterm elections showed that better than anything: we reelected 96 percent of incumbents to a Congress that had an eleven percent approval rating.

Sane people were silent.

It’s time sane people like you and me – we the people – speak up. It’s time for us to get our country back. And it’s not that hard, either, because the government we want is never farther away than the next election. All we need is concerned and conscientious citizens determined to make something good happen for America.

The sane, you and me, must stop being silent.

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For of those to whom much is given, much is required. – John F Kennedy.

Kennedy, then a couple of weeks away from being inaugurated president of the United States, said these words as part of a longer passage in a speech before the Massachusetts legislature. It has its roots in the Book of Luke.

Like Kennedy tended to do from time to time, he made a good point. He was speaking to elected leaders about the responsibilities of elected leaders. Our leaders are given much and from them we expect much. Whether or not we are getting much from our elected leaders is a discussion for another time and, ultimately, is in our hands besides.

Kennedy could also have been speaking about each one of us. All of us have been given much in terms of the talents and ambitions we were born with. Much is required out of us because each of us has an obligation to get the most of those talents.

Whether you think those talents were issued by nature, fate or providence, every single one of us has something we can do well and I’ve always felt the key to a well-lived life is utilizing the talents we were born with. There is no point for a carpenter trying to build a career as a stock broker. The writer who is unwilling to write is not doing anybody any good. We all have our talents and society runs better when everyone is utilizing theirs.

For of those to whom much is given, much is required…

We must put the 24 hours that are in every day to good use. It is the only commodity every human being is issued in equal measure and the life we have is largely dependent on how we spend those 24 hours.

Since you and I have been given much, much is required of us: we must make our time on this planet serve us and not spend it merely marking time. Not everyone is born to privilege and will live down the ages like President Kennedy, but all of us can fully develop the talents and skills we were given. Only in this way will be useful to ourselves and others.

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These poor bastards. They’ve got us right where we want ‘em. We can shoot in every direction now. – Chesty Puller

Chesty Puller remains one of the most legendary Marines in a Marine Corps filled with them. The above quote, from a biography of Puller by Burke Davis, was from a time when Puller and his men found themselves surrounded by people hell bent on killing them. Rather than whine about being surrounded by the enemy, Puller turned the problem over 180 degrees and declared this a splendid opportunity to kill the enemy because they were really easy to find.

This is life in a nutshell. Every one of us has times when life is not going exactly as we expect it. It may not involve being surrounded by the enemy, but there are always challenges to overcome and mountains to climb in life.

So much of our life is dependent on our attitude. To a degree I’ve found astonishing, us humans tend to get out of life what we expect. Those who expect great things, and put the work in to get them, sometimes get great things. At the very least they have the satisfactions of having become the best they were capable of becoming, one of life’s great prizes.

Similarly, those who expect very little out of life tend to get very little out of life.

Chesty Puller is a great example of a life well lived: he was meant to be a United States Marine, so he became a United States Marine. He did it well, too, almost universally revered by those who served under him. Tough but fair, he demanded the very best out of both his men and himself. The above quote might well be the ultimate example of turning a bad situation over into something good. It is something all of us can do on a daily basis.

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No one may hasten or alter his destiny.
                                                – Gore Vidal, Creation

All of us were put on this planet to do something. It is one of the earliest memories I can remember learning: all of us were born with certain talents and everyone can do something well. You learn this in grade school, where some are good at math and others at science or writing while some are better athletes than others. An annoying few can do all these things well.

It is up to us to decide if we are gong to do utilize the talents we were issued or if we are going to squander them. If we do put our talents to good use a well-lived life is the reward. If we do not, if we live out of step with what nature intended for us to do we are sentenced to an unfulfilling life where we are never entirely content, a life a half-step off from the path it was meant to take.

You are reading this because writing things for others to read is why I was put on this planet. To not do this would result in a life misspent. All of us have something we were meant to do, a destiny we are obliged to fulfill. We owe it to ourselves and our fellow humans go and fulfill it. A satisfying, well-lived life is our reward.  To go against your grain does not do you or your fellow humans any good.

No one may hasten or alter his destiny.

Once you are on your path, once you are living the life you are meant to live, what is meant to happen in your life will happen. It may not, heck, it probably won’t happen immediately, but that’s OK, some effort and some patience and it will. Everything us humans want out of life is on our path. All we have to do is stay on it.

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