Zeroing Out

At long last the Zeroes are over. The Lost Decade that began with a stolen election and a mass murder and ended with a ruinous series of economic scandals, financial crises, and political debacles has left us less secure and less wealthy, but perhaps wiser.

Here are some modest resolutions for the Teenie Decade ahead:

Let’s resolve never to vote for someone again just because we would prefer to have a beer with him rather than with his opponent.

Let’s decide not to invade small countries just on the off chance they might someday maybe have weapons of mass destruction.

Let’s agree that if a money manager says he can offer us returns that are too good to be true he is telling the truth.

Let’s insist that politicians who offer us the government’s largesse also must show us how they intend to pay for it.

Let’s tax wealth and not potential; let’s not cut education to finance tax breaks.

Let’s not make our own government the enemy.

Let’s read newspapers instead of blogs and books instead of tweets.

Let’s actually vet candidates before we nominate them for vice-president.

Let’s resolve that health care is a human right.

Let’s give our veterans the honor – and the benefits – they earned.

Let’s tax bankers when they pay themselves bonuses they didn’t earn.

Let’s worship our Creator by respecting His creation and reducing our carbon footprints.

And let’s all spend a lot more time dancing.