This country is a boat

In the interest of brevity, I would like to use a maritime analogy.

The USA is a boat!

This particular boat was built awhile back, but the way it was built was far superior to anything on the Seas at the time. The boat was not built without bad things happening: some timber had to be taken from some 'new native friends', which really sucked for them. And some of the labor involved in building the boat came from indentured servants, who were not immediately 'rewarded' for their hard work. But the people who drew up the plans for the boat were the finest minds of the day. So even though it started rough, within a short time the good ship USA began sailing around.

There were different classes on the ship. Some were on the top of the ship, driving it. Some were in the middle of the ship, working hard and looking out their portholes, hoping maybe one day they could get 'upgraded' and possibly even drive the ship! And in the lower decks were the people who did not have a porthole view, who worked hard to keep the ship moving, and also hoping they might get an upper berth.

Now this ship wasn't always a pleasure cruise. It did get caught up in some awful storms. But, through it all the boat sailed on, becoming bigger, stronger and faster. The amount of people on the boat grew, as did the boat itself.

The boat also did a tremendous amount of good: helping out other boats on the Sea in distress. Other people on other boats starting wanting to be on the good ship USA.

But then the boat hit a rock. A large hole appeared and water began flowing in the boat. Now, the people on the top 2 decks got together and immediately put the lower deck to work bailing. For awhile this worked. But eventually, without fixing the hole, they started to get uneasy about the situation. Add to this some in the middle deck ( some who got upgraded and some from other sinking ships we let get on) started telling the lower deck' this is stupid. Look at what those idiots did that drove this boat! They didn't pay attention to the maps, and now look! They built this boat with stolen timber and forced labor. If you let us drive the boat, well get safely to Port. But just sitting thier bailing in the dark while those drivers are sunning themselves on deck ain't gonna get you out of your situation. Matter of fact, if you don't let us drive right away, this whole damn boat is going down!'.

Now some on the lower decks got too discouraged to continue and just sat on their buckets. About 40% decided 'screw it'. 'I'm not bailing and if you guys on deck 2 don't wanna go down, you better get me a sandwich and a drink!'

Now the idiots that did in fact wreck the boat looked around them and thought' you know...If we can just get some of those off the 2nd deck, this boat would be a lot lighter! Lets toss off some of those older bitching passengers..' ..And then they thought ' You know what? I bet we can get some of those people floating around, from other wrecked ships, and let them on to bail! If were already giving half of those bailers sandwiches, I bet we could tell these poor folks that if they help bail, we will let them on and PAY THEM A HALF A SANDWICH!' Genius!

The problem is once the new bailers got dry and fed, and looked around and saw half the folks sitting on their buckets, they got wise. Now a portion of the 'new bailers' decided to sit on their buckets, too. Worse off, they kept to small groups by themselves, and didn't really try to hard to assimilate into the 'boat culture'. This did not help the situation.

So now here we are. No matter whick 'deck' you are on, were all in the same boat.

Yet nobody in any deck has addressed the real problem: not who drove the boat, not who gets to 'eat', but who is going to fix the hole. The only way to do this is to have every deck work together.

The guys up top have to realize that to keep the boat afloat, they are going to have to give up some of their sandwiches. They ar going to have to go from the 5 dollar Footlong to the 6 inch. Not the Value meal, though, even though some on the lower decks thinks that should be the case. And if they don't want a full scale mutiny, with everybody in the water, they are gonna have to let some of those in the lower 2 decks in the wheelhouse to help look at the Nautical Maps.

The people in the middle deck have to understand it is not in the best interest of the boat to rile up the other 2 decks against each other, just to keep their porthole view. And if the really covet those other boats, let them swim. But we don't CHANGE this boat to be 'more like' the other boats, that have resulted in a sea of humanity that just wants to get on the Good Ship USA. They are going to have to go down to deck 1 to start fixing the hole, too. And they might have to go from 6 inch to the Value Meal. But we will give them an extra cookie, and they at least get a view.

This poor bastards in steerage are going to have to look at the real problem: fixing the hole, and cant 'sit on their buckets' anymore. NO matter what the pretty people upstairs have been telling them. NO matter what has been ingrained after years down in the muck. They are the only ones who can effectively tell the other 2 decks how to fix the hole. In the meantime they are going to have some soggy sandwiches.

You have to FIX THE HOLE! Anything else, and the boat goes down!