PBA Series – American Umpire | Eastern North Carolina Now

 While I was avoiding the first presidential debate I had to look for alternative viewing during my early morning sleepless hours. What better way to spend a sleepless night than to watch a documentary on Public Broadcasting.This is a review with comments of a program that I watched in the early morning hours.You may be able to find it on your PBS station. BT 

   The PBA series is about the United States following the Truman Doctrine of being the world's policeman.  After World War II we as a country decided that we could not sit by and wait for things to boil over into another World War.  We would be the parent to the whole world.    In essence, the USA became the Umpire for the rest of the world.  We provided the military might and protection to prevent countries from engaging in small wars that had the potential to inflate to another world war. 

   But I the process of doing this we gave the rest of the world a blank check to cash anytime they felt the need for our military and economic protection.  We became enablers for the rest of the world.    Just like the wife or husband of an alcoholic or abusive spouse who continues to make excuses for their actions, we provide coverage for any manner of a lack of self-reliance.

   The parent who allows their child to live in the basement until they are thirty years old is an enabler.  One of the fundamental facts of this process is that it gives a degree of comfort for both the enabler and the enabled.  Both feel that they are doing something wholesome and worthwhile.

Probably the best example of this is the recent Affluenza Defense case.

Ethan Anthony Couch (born April 11, 1997) is an American who killed four people while drinking and driving on June 15, 2013.

G. Dick Miller, a psychologist hired as an expert by the defense, testified in court that the teen was a product of "affluenza" and was unable to link his actions with consequences because of his parents teaching him that wealth buys privilege. Wikiepedia

The PBA TV series presents a review and ask some questions about how long we as a country can continue to provide protection to the rest of the world without presenting them a bill asking them to pay us for the umbrella we provide.

At the risk of overburdening the discussion with one of my overly used quotes, I offer the speech of Jack Nickloson in A Few Good Men.  I may be one of the few who thought he had it right and the legal nerds had it wrong.

 Col. Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinburg? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the Marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

   We have extended the concept of guiltless victim-hood to our own society.  We allow ourselves to be deluded that some big company is conspiring against us or that we are so racially corrupt that no one can overcome the built in hurdles.  The deck is always stacked against the average man. 

   Well, think about this.  When the Great Depression hit there were no excuses.  Everyone was in the same boat.  That generation put their back to the load and pulled out of the despair because of self-reliance. We also as a country began the effort to soften the blows of life by allowing the government to take control of all possible needs of our society.  We have now reached the point where we have more people working for the government than we do working in the manufacturing sector of our economy.  Government vs manufacturing.  What did that generation do?  It fought a war to save the world from overly expansive governments in Germany and Italy.  An then with all due respect, they set about raising a generation of Baby-boomers by insulating them from any of the trials and tribulations of life.  As a result we have what I believe is the most dysfunctional generation in our history now raising another generation that thinks that everything should be fair and there should be no individual self-reliance.    If we do not allow our kids to skin their knees anymore for fear it will affect their self-esteem.  Most lessons learned in life are learned by failure and starting over. 

   I encourage all to watch the PBA Series. Here is the website for American Umpire

Here is a short 30 second summary of the program on YouTube.