What Is the Political Price of Life

First I question the need to even discuss politics and the price of life. What price? What life? That all depends on what the definition of is is.

Clinton jokes aside, is has many meanings as it relates to a state of being. Is is transitional, static, active, imperative or transcendent? Sure this is semantics. Semantics here relate to profound differences in meaning.

I question whether we Americans have the capacity to understand, based on knowledge of the tools we acquire for language development. Someone once asked me what a person who speaks two languages is described as? "Biilingual, right?" I answered.

"That's right. Now, what about someone who speaks three languages?"

"Trilingual."

"Good, good. How about one language?"

"Monolingual" I confidently replied.

"No. American."

It turns out that this joke is quite popular around the world. Do we really think that the world should learn English because it is such a superior language? I loved language classes. My German and Spanish are far from fluent these days, but I still know from learning languages and living in The US of A that remedial language skills are rare indeed amongst born and bred true blue-blooded Americans.

I had a writing instructor once who cracked down on the use of the verb to be. Heather circled every occurrence and totalled them. Then she graded down for each unneccessary use. Like the use of cuss words, Americans abuse this verb to the point of stagnating our language skills in a mode where it has no hope of ever expanding. Instead, lingual (and subsequently mental) dexterity atrophies. The importance of being earnest and due diligence compel those of us who desire clear truth as opposed to obfuscated lies to develop skills to express ourselves clearly. And we meet many blank stares. Our leader has the language skills of a mud puddle. No real incentive for anyone to build good skills. If this inarticulate boob can become president, then, like, any dumbf### can.

Some of us have just accepted this. We cannot be evangelical all the time. Our tolerance grows as endurance wanes. After time, we just wait for those instances where our desire to raise the median level of American intelligence meets the opportunity.

But I digress. Back to the definition of is. Is can be transitive or intransitive in English. Other languages make this distinction. We do not. English has developed into a tongue for liars. Clinton's true brilliance went miles over the heads of Jack and Jenny USA (J&J USA!), because the foundation for this distinction does not exist in the C student society.

Politically, using the a form of the verb to be which obscures the truth separates the winners from the losers in a vast majority of elected offices. Maybe we intend to be something. Perhaps it's true now, but won't be in the future. Maybe it's hyperbole or minimization. Maybe it's true sometime. Maybe it's something I want to be true, or imagine, or dream.

By such standards, 800 plus American lives, untold thousand of Iraqi lives, live of our 'coalition,' and even those of Uday and Qusay Hussein equals no price. As in zero. George W imagines a world where he pays no price for causing countless gallons of blood spilling around the world.

He does not even understand the significance being. That much is obvious in his actions. He does not deserve to be at this point. His karma grows exponentially with every passing hour, not day. I'd suggest to anyone listening: stay away from him, karma by proximity is like getting bit by a hurricane.

If you do not yet infer my point: the political price of life is the death of a political career. We must send this message to GW. I dream, imagine and want this to be true.

Stay tuned for a new blog where the Reverend Paul Reuben discusses the spiritual meaning of life, and it's price.