Curmudgeon's Corner

Sobering Thoughts

Posted by Al Campbell on June 30, 2012

U.S., Quality of Life, Political, Economy, Education, Healthcare

A friend, with whom I share similar sentiments on politics and life, and with whom I share a vocation, shared a word, new to me, yesterday at the end of this tumultuous week in our country.  The word is ineptocracy (in-ep-toc’-ra-cy) and is defined as follows:

            “A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.”

This is an admittedly cynical view of the world, and probably more especially of our country; I don’t believe it is true of us at this point in our history, although some would no doubt argue that.

There is the portent of a possible future to be found in this word and its definition if we continue down the road we seem to have taken at some point in our past.

Obviously, if this definition is, or becomes, applicable to us as a country/society, then there will be no hope for recovery once the line of supply made possible by the producers has been forever crossed by the demand of those who are unable or unwilling to sustain themselves.

I fear for us as a people and as a country.  I know that I will keep this word and its definition in my mind from this point forward.  I hope many of you will, as well, that we might not slide into a place from which we’ll be unable to recover.

Understand please that I am not alluding to any of the political or personal decisions taken to this point as having been taken with the intent of such an outcome; I am simply reflecting on the potential for such an outcome of which we become aware only after we’ve crossed that point of no return.

It is important that we be mindful of the price of our independence as we celebrate on this Fourth of July.