I’ve been thinking a lot about just how gluttonous our society has become in so many ways. Today, it seems like everything has to be pushed to an extreme and that is disturbing. I really don’t think that gluttony can be limited to a definition of overindulgence in food or drink; but, just those excesses have turned us into the fattest and most out of shape nation on earth. I never thought I’d be one of those people who complained about the huge servings of food in some restaurants; but, the waste is remarkable. I’m not coming at this as a health nut, just someone who sees the benefits of setting down my fork at a reasonable point and going for a walk. More than just food and drink, I truly dislike the whole new trend of pushing everything past a reasonable sense of satiety. I’ll give you a few examples.
Climate change rhetoric has reached a level of religiosity that almost makes me burst into laughter when every article I read or news story I hear references it. For heaven sake’s, we had weather and natural disasters before Al Gore decided to blame it all on a few generations of human beings, politicize and monetize it. By the way, have you seen ol Al lately…not to be cruel, but while Al goes on forever about how my cow’s farts are destroying the planet, one look at him tells me that he ain’t skipping any of the major food groups. (Oh well, maybe he’s just doing his part to rid the world of cattle, one ribeye and ice cream sundae at a time). Have you also noticed that no matter how hard the climate change guys push us to use less, and go green, they still globe trot aboard private jets. Yup, talkin to you Al Gore, John Kerry et al.
I think most of America made peace with some illegal immigration a very long time ago; but, today, we are being forced into accepting whoever rushes our border and get called racist by the current administration if we don’t agree. The truth is that most of us treat all of our neighbors well. We interact with people based on how they treat us; but, to hear the mainstream media or some in Washington tell it, we’re a racist nation, and getting worse everyday.
We’re also told that if we have been successful in business, we should really be paying our fair share. Rarely does anyone correct this misstatement and suggest accurately that the top ten percent already pay 73.7% of income taxes and the cut off to join that group is just over $152,000. That, by the way is about what a police officer and tenured teacher might make as a married couple. Instead, we’re portrayed as greedy if we want to keep what we’ve earned through our own hard work and ingenuity.
Too many in public life no longer suggest that able bodied people work to support themselves. As a result we have developed a sickly underclass who simply choose not to work, but continue to dip their cup into the community well. If we push back against the homeless defiling our streets, parks and neighborhoods, we’re the bad guys.
More gluttony is displayed in the way Washington spends our tax dollars and mortgages our future. Nobody gets a pass here. All sides are guilty.
And speaking of Washington, I think the new trend of putting blatantly outrageous and unprofessional individuals into positions of power like our bearded, sequin dress wearing public relations director for department of Interior; convicted luggage thief, lipstick wearing head of nuclear regulatory agency, just make us look unserious and ridiculous around the world. It’s almost like the current administration goes out of its way to flout conventions and shove the most outrageous and potentially offensive narrative into our faces.
Finally, I think the worst current display of gluttony is within the realm of public discourse. I’m absolutely sick of politicians, media, smarty pants college kids telling me what American values are and how I’m not measuring up. Trust me when I say that the “new normal” on issues like LBGTQ (by the way, not sure when or if this acronym will ever be finished growing), gay marriage, immigration, race relations and the right to believe in putting America and American citizens first have stretched my faith, and my ability to be civil at times. I honestly don’t care who my neighbor sleeps with or loves (as long as it’s consensual and not a kid). I remember a time when people could be very different, vote their conscience and still have backyard barbecues with their neighbors without things getting ugly. I actually had an old friend breakdown in tears over a political banner I had tied up to my front gate. I had to remind her that I’m still the same person I’ve always been, and that she shouldn’t believe everything the mainstream media and institutional DC tells you. Yup, I voted for Donald Trump twice, not for what he said, but for what he accomplished. Will I vote for him a third time, damn straight I will. Do I like some of his rhetoric and gluttony of speech? Nope, I wish he’d just shut up and produce. Think I’m in the majority there.
We seem to have strayed far from the United States that our founding fathers envisioned. Far too many are gluttonous in their rhetoric and hatred of traditional values, faith and good old hard work.
Those that have embraced a gluttony of rhetoric, spending, incomprehensible identity politics and points of view far disparate from those of just a generation ago may want to reconsider their positions for I believe that the mighty middle of America is about to stand up and put them on a serious diet.
Kris Stewart is a rancher in Paradise Valley, Nevada.