Bent out of shape

The bending of rules is not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion.  Not every violation is a blatant disregard for the law and common sense should be judiciously applied.  If there was a zero-tolerance policy for every law the criminal justice system would be overrun with jaywalkers and litterbugs, to say nothing of the many drivers who don't come to a complete stop at a stop sign.  There aren't enough police officers to enforce everything, nor should there be.  I think it comes down to what level of enforcement is necessary for public safety and stability.  A police state is never a good thing but neither is a societal free-for-all.

That's one of the problems of life in the good ol' US of A.  We are taught from an early age about our rights as individuals but then we are confronted with all those laws, rules, and regulations that prevent our expression of those rights.  Individual rights should be preserved at all costs, save those that threaten the health of our society and it is not always easy to determine where the lines should be drawn.  One of our problems, I think, is that we lack continuity of cultural cohesion and identity.  We come from "all over the place" and our mobility is such that we don't spend enough time in the same location to establish a good sense of community.  These ideas are half-baked and I'm not articulating them very well but I have a sense that we are still grappling with what our society should be.  The political processes have been eroding over the last year and a half and we may end up in deep shit.  Decorum has long since departed, replaced by mendacity and pettiness.  Decisions aren't being made on the strength of the arguments but by personal attacks and ridicule against the opposition.  It grates me that this is the new normal and accepted by the powers that be in Washington, with trust and respect only memories of a past gone by.  The feckless are prevailing.

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So, how about all the tariff and trade hubbub, bub?  Soybean farmers are in a tizzy, the EU is fighting back, Harley Davidson is on the hot seat, and China is baffled by the developing trade policies.  It may very well be that the economic gains made in the past year and a half will vanish despite the extensive deregulation and tax cuts for the fat cats.  With any bit of luck the Trump supporters will realize that they've been played for chumps and any government safety nets have been removed.  The Chinese had it right: be careful what you wish for.