Meat reminded me yesterday that this is not only my last column of the year, but the last of the decade. Think anyone's paying attention?
In the slim possibility that someone really is, I suppose I'll play along.
First, we'll start with a personal observation. If I make it to Wednesday, I'll be opening my eyes on an eighth decade. Seems kind of crazy, but I was born in the Fifties, so you do the math.
It seems a little weird to talk about "the twenties" as the future because I knew people who were alive in the last one. Come to think of it, there are a couple of them still around.
We called the last iteration the "Roaring Twenties" because we were so plastered on a cocktail of post-war machismo, sanctimony and bathtub gin that we sprinted headlong into a world-wide depression that led to world war which was confusing because the last one was supposed to end all wars.
Of course, that couldn't happen today because we've adopted perpetual war as an economy.
Sometimes we get bored with the real bombs dropping and make up a conflict to align with our virtual reality sensibilities. War on Drugs, War on Christmas, War on Coal, Culture Wars, the list goes on and on.
These reality tv wars are popular because they're much easier to script than an actual war. And since such a high population of Americans in this century only see black and white, opposing 24/7 cable channels compete to drive the gullible further into their confusion.
I'm not much of a look-backer (see last year's last column), but I will say an interesting facet of being alive these last few is witnessing 3 of the 4 impeachment procedures in American history.
Richard Nixon at least had the decency to resign before a non-partisan majority voted to kick him out. Once upon a time, politicians actually did put country before party.
I believe Clinton should have done the same thing. While I don't believe extra-marital sex is a good reason to impeach a president, lying and trying to cover it up is. If he'd either owned it from the beginning or resigned once caught in the lie, I believe our politics would be very different today.
Instead today we're actually debating whether the most unfit cretin to ever occupy the White House should get to stay. From treason to obstruction to self-enrichment to sexual harrassment, the Trump is guilty and every morsel of evidence is clear.
So far it looks like Pelosi is heeding my advice to hold on to those articles of impeachment. That's a good thing because the most destructive force of the last two decades does not need to be given the papers.
The wrong people took offense when Hillary talked about the despicables. Mitch McConnell proudly wears the chrome plated crown. Mitch has done more for billionaires in China and Russia than any paycheck to payceck American.
Mitch believes, if you aren't rich, you should die if you're sick. He believes you should starve if you're poor. He believes you should be at the end of the line if your skin is darker than mauve. He believes money should determine elections.
He especially believes money should determine elections...and everything else. You may have enough to make the car payments, but likely not enough to get Yertle's attention.
So as we close one decade let's try to look at reality here in Kentucky. I know that's a long shot, but I am an optimist. If we can do anything to start the next decade right, it would be to retire the worst human on the planet.
Happy new year!