politics

We need you now Teddy Roosevelt!

Back in 1974, Robert Lamm of Chicago commiserated on the current state of affairs in America with a musical affection for the return of Harry Truman, a President noted for plain speaking and down home style.

While the United States may be getting a taste of down-home style with the faux aw-shucks persona of George W. Bush, we certainly aren’t getting the plain speaking.

And, we’re not receiving the actions promised in the “compassionate” campaign of our 43rd President.

With America isolating itself from the world, with division growing more common than union amongst its people, given to grand adventures without acknowledging the costs, sacrifice, or suffering, bent on despoiling our rich natural resource heritage for a few ill-gotten profits, we need even more than Harry Truman.

America needs Teddy Roosevelt.

America needs you
Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy could you please come home

George W. is prone to moments of visual and audio ecstasy, witness his controversial sound byte landing on the deck of U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln and his taunt to Iraq fighters “to bring it on.”

While Teddy might have lauded the sense of adventure of the deck flight landing—loved that San Juan Hill!—he would most certainly defer from the loud pronouncement. “I have always been fond of the West African proverb: ’Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.’”

Things are looking bad
I know you would be mad
To see what kind of men
Prevail upon the land you love

The Bush administration has richly rewarded the large conglomerates with favorable contracts, relaxed environmental regulations and lenient enforcement of existing laws and statutes.

While Teddy was certainly no foe of big business--"We demand that big business give the people a square deal”-- he would have taken exception to the Enrons of the world. “In return we must insist that when anyone engaged in big business honestly endeavors to do right he shall himself be given a square deal.

"This country has nothing to fear from the crooked man who fails,” noted Teddy. “We put him in jail. It is the crooked man who succeeds who is a threat to this country."

Unlike the Bush administration, which appears to follow Ann Coulter’s strip-and-rip public utterances more than preserving Ansel Adam’s stunning vision of our landscape, Roosevelt understood the gift of America.

"Optimism is a good characteristic, but if carried to an excess, it becomes foolishness. We are prone to speak of the resources of this country as inexhaustible; this is not so," observed Roosevelt.

Teddy would have aimed his saber directly at the very folks who are Dubya’s partners in despoiling the environment in the questionable design of aiding the economy and, of course, fighting terrorism.

"Defenders of the short-sighted men who in their greed and selfishness will, if permitted, rob our country of half its charm by their reckless extermination of all useful and beautiful wild things sometimes seek to champion them by saying the 'the game belongs to the people.' So it does; and not merely to the people now alive, but to the unborn people,” noted Roosevelt.

“The 'greatest good for the greatest number' applies to the number within the womb of time, compared to which those now alive form but an insignificant fraction. Our duty to the whole, including the unborn generations, bids us restrain an unprincipled present-day minority from wasting the heritage of these unborn generations. The movement for the conservation of wild life and the larger movement for the conservation of all our natural resources are essentially democratic in spirit, purpose, and method."

America's wondering
How we got here
Teddy all we get is lies
We're gettin' safer cars
Rocket ships to mars
From men who'd sell us out
To get themselves a piece of power

Through legislation and personal choice, our way of life is being compromised for a false sense of security. In a somewhat earnest attempt to insulate America from the realities of the world, the Bush administration is curtailing some of our cherished liberties in the name of the fight against terrorism.

The Bush administration has cut benefits and salaries to servicemen and women bidding their calling. And, in many cases, failed to equip them appropriately for the dangers encountered in their mission.

"A man who is good enough to shed his blood for his country is good enough to be given a square deal afterwards,” offered Roosevelt. “More than that no man is entitled, and less than that no man shall have."

We'd love to hear you speak your mind
In plain and simple ways
Call a spade a spade
Like you did back in the day
You would play piano
Each morning walk a mile
Speak of what was going down
With honesty and style

America's calling
Teddy Roosevelt
Teddy you know what to do
The world is turnin' round and losin' lots of ground
Oh Teddy is there something we can do to save the land we love
Oh whoa whoa whoa

When we look around at the state of America, a man who speaks straight and who balances the needs of business with a respect and appreciation for the gifts of our natural resources sounds like a welcome relief and an aspiring hope.

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posted by dq @ 10:14 PM