War

In my youth, I was more left of center in my politics but as time passed I moved right of center. This change was gradual but was most noticeable with my support of Johnson's Great Society. I thought it a grand idea, a way to help those in need, and voted for Johnson because of it. In was only later when I discovered the inefficiency in the government's reallocating resources. Much of the money went to new programs and each wanted to enlarge their budget and their influence and in time those most in need seemed to be left behind. To this day I see the war on poverty as mostly a waste of good resources. Over the years I moved back and forth between center right and center left but as I watched the middle and lower income groups lose their good paying manufacturing jobs to the new fad of globalization, I moved right and stayed there. Throughout the late 60's and 70's I watched cold war pacifist, who were almost exclusively liberals, live in fear of the Soviet Union. Reagan, in particular, rattled them when he called the Soviets the evil empire. Many responded with the slogan better red than dead. This fear led them to believe that the government could take care of them and they already had a penchant toward government. It started with the US government but soon spread to their liking of international governmental agencies. They were particularly fond of the UN. As the left became more enamored with government I became more suspicious. The lies that were uncovered by government, especially regarding war, further convinced me that government could not and should not be trusted. As I try to discern the motives for the Ukraine situation, I have the uneasy feeling that the government once again is not being forthcoming. The two year stalemate has enhanced the defense companies and destroyed Ukraine. Most people are too busy with their day to day activities to be concerned about a war that is thousands of miles away but in time that will change and many feel the change is already started.