The Native Iowan

It’s a lovely, clear morning here in QLD. Jacarandas are in bloom, giving the valley that feminine, soft, pleasing eye candy. Gotta luv QLD…

I am watching the world as its attempts to relearn expensive lessons. Every generation need to jump out of the tree, after being told “Dont do it, you will break your arm”…

I rationalise what I see by saying “its a sign of the times”…

But, perhaps, just maybe… I am a bit old fashioned. A bit “set in my ways” of seeing the world and viewing those around me… See, I am unapologetically the product of emigrants and the Great Depression. Emigrants in my past were basic serfs, peasants from Germany and Greece. Both sides of my blood lines left their homelands in search of “something better”. The left their homelands in order to survive.

My father’s people got out of Germany. We note that in the 1880s Germany was not a great place to be… In 1880, Germany was a newly unified empire undergoing rapid industrialization, economic growth, and significant internal migration, while also navigating political shifts and social tensions. The country adopted a uniform currency and a central bank, surpassed France in steel production, and implemented protective tariffs. Despite this progress, economic hardship in rural areas spurred large-scale emigration, and Chancellor Bismarck’s government sought to consolidate power by forming an alliance against the rise of social democracy.

My Mother’s people were refugees from the Ottoman Empire. By 1900 my grandfather and his brothers all emigrated to the US. They were fleeing wars and hunger and generally rough living conditions… The early 20th century finds Greece weak after many bankruptcies and the lost Greco-Turkish war of 1897.

I was raised believing hard work and thrifty habits were required to survive. Both sides of my lineage emigrated to something better. Once at their new home things got even worse… They ended up living in near starvation conditions during the Great Depression… The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty.

I was raised to depend on my ability to survive, to produce, be productive, be busy, be fruitful.

I was raised with a work ethic. A Work Ethic. I know, a very old fashioned attitude.

What has changed?

Folks now expect a “living wage”. Im still trying to figure that out. I do nothing, contribute nothing and expect to get a “living wage”. The world has changed…

I watch the world with a combination of mild amusement and severe shock. Drugs and drug abuse is promoted, financed by the state. Billions are spent “housing” illegal immigrants. Morbidly obese folks are complaining about not getting the government handouts/ food stamps. While they touch the screens of their thousand dollar phones. Children are not expected to be literate in the “ol fashioned” sense. Merit and ability no longer means much at all. Diversity is our strength… but who is tending the vegetable garden?

I may be missing something. Maybe sitting on my arse, stuffing toxic waste in my pie-hole, while watching MSNBC is the way to go? Maybe being a drugged out zombie, defecating in public, is better than being what I am… an aware, awake, hard working old fart.

Here is a list of attempted Communist “experiments”:

Historical Communist StatesUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) (1922–1991) – The first major communist state, encompassing Russia and 14 other republics.
People’s Socialist Republic of Albania (1946–1991) – Ruled by the Party of Labour of Albania.
People’s Republic of Angola (1975–1992) – Ruled by the MPLA in a Marxist-Leninist framework.
People’s Republic of Benin (1975–1990) – Formerly Dahomey; adopted Marxism-Leninism.
People’s Republic of Bulgaria (1946–1990) – Ruled by the Bulgarian Communist Party.
Democratic Republic of Afghanistan (1978–1992) – Ruled by the People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan.
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia / Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–1992) – Ruled by the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (Titoist variant).
Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (1948–1989) – Ruled by the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
People’s Republic of Kampuchea (Cambodia) (1979–1989) – Post-Khmer Rouge; ruled by a Vietnamese-backed communist party.
Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) (1975–1979) – Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot (extreme Maoist communism).
People’s Republic of the Congo (1969–1992) – Ruled by the Congolese Party of Labour.
Socialist Republic of Romania (1947–1989) – Ruled by the Romanian Communist Party.
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (as above, but often listed separately for its non-aligned status).
German Democratic Republic (East Germany) (1949–1990) – Ruled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany.
People’s Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991; earlier provisional from 1974) – Ruled by the Workers’ Party of Ethiopia.
Hungarian People’s Republic (1949–1989) – Ruled by the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party.
Mongolian People’s Republic (1924–1992) – Ruled by the Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party.
People’s Republic of Mozambique (1975–1990) – Ruled by FRELIMO in a Marxist-Leninist state.
Polish People’s Republic (1947–1989) – Ruled by the Polish United Workers’ Party.
Somali Democratic Republic (1969–1991) – Adopted scientific socialism under Siad Barre.
Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) (1967–1990) – Ruled by the Yemeni Socialist Party.

Here is a list of current Communist controlled countries:

People’s Republic of China (1949–present) – Ruled by the Communist Party of China.
Republic of Cuba (1965–present) – Ruled by the Communist Party of Cuba (after the 1959 revolution).
Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) (1975–present) – Ruled by the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party.
Socialist Republic of Vietnam (1976–present; North Vietnam from 1945) – Ruled by the Communist Party of Vietnam.
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea) (1948–present) – Ruled by the Workers’ Party of Korea (officially Juche ideology, but rooted in Marxism-Leninism).

So, we rewrap and rewrite an old tale, from a now forgotten moral lesson.

Where is Aesop when you need hm?

I am perplexed.