My friend asked me the question in memory of the 1969 Mets. When I was a kid, my answers were always clouded with my own personal hopes. Today, I look at the big picture. His fun question activated something deeper in my mind.
D-Day...
was in the news with the 75th Anniversary of the turning point in WWll. Our fathers fought so bravely and well. They had a cause and a will because they believed in their effort would be best for all. Sadly, our government has abused the thought what is best for all to what is best for the bureaucrats of the pentagon.
Following Aristocratic Model
If you study Europe, you can see that our government is making the same mistakes that developed by the egos of the aristocrats and elite of Europe. The first real world war was against Napoleon.
After Napoleon was defeated in 1815, the concept of "Balance of Power" emerged on the continent. This was like our present nuclear power standoff. The idea was no nation alone could dominate. You needed allies and politics kept all allies on equal footing. The exception was Russia. They were determined to become a power. They wanted a warm naval port to increase trade and grow their economy. On the map they saw a weakness in the Ottoman Empire and a location of a warm trading port on the Black Sea. Their egos went to war. They lost. They still want the warm naval port and Putin grab it last year.
Anyway, Germany and Italy along with a few other European nations began their battle for unification which was to become one nation state. Their success had many ramifications. Germany was the center of it all. Unification was only the beginning.
Germany or Prussia as it was called at the time also wanted to expand. Keep in mind until recently, the winner of a war wanted a spoil which meant land. France objected under balance of power. Result: war. France lost and the concept of balance of power began to fade.
Dark Continent...
was spotted next by every ego driven, aristocrat in Europe. This led to taking of land in Africa and countless wars so the elite could get richer. Then, they looked elsewhere.
Asia...
became the next target. Their disease of imperialism spread to America. Our nation got infected with the concept except we called our version, Manifest Destiny. We went to war with Spain and we got Hawaii. We also got involved with Puerto Rico and Cuba along with the Philippines. We got entangled with the Boxer Rebellion in China. Our military began to exert power in government. The problem for the military was our society believed in what our founding fathers preached, peace at home and peace abroad. Switzerland showed you could be neutral and we copied that model.
War to End All Wars...
is what Woodrow Wilson said as he pushed the US into World War 1. This is the worst president. His bullshit, elite thinking help make the military a power in our government. He backed the formation of the Federal Reserve which he knew was against the idea of the gold standard as expressed by our founding fathers. These two points is the root cause in the decline of the philosophical concept of America and Liberty.
Before the 20th anniversary of WWI, the world was at war again and every twenty years or so, the pentagon pushes us into another useless, wasteful war that destroys our freedom, our lives and our way of life under the banner of our national interests. These idiots are bankrupting our nation and yet, they claim that they are keeping us safe. The founding fathers knew not to get involved with other
nations affairs and that is our national interest.
These were the thoughts that surged through my mind as the numbers triggered other thoughts. To answer his question, no way are the Mets going to win the world series. In addition, baseball is no longer our national past time. Today, football reigns supreme. With that said his question is something that no one is talking about. How cosmic vibes become alive in the culture. He is right about one thing. In 1969 our nation was in transition. Protests in the streets was a daily accord along with the body count from the wasteful, stupid war in Vietnam. The year began with the Super Bowl. The old AFL began to battle the original NFL for the championship. The N. Y. Jets were the biggest underdog ever. Nevertheless, they won. Their league was equal to the NFL. Change was in the air.
The Vibe of 1969
The vibe was in the air. The protesting kids against the war, for the climate and for civil rights were labeled, "hippies." "They" love to put labels on things as if that explains everything. Todays label is populism. They get you to talk about the label and not the ideas. Anyway, the kids gathered in upstate New York. They closed the interstate at Woodstock, New York. The Mets completed the trifecta. The change in the air would result in a change in our society.
Today
Maybe the first sign of a vibe is in the NBA. If the Toronto Raptors beat the more powerful and champion Golden State Warriors, the vibe will connect with society. A parlay could emerge if the Cleveland Browns of the NFL win the Super Bowl. These dogs have been last forever, but the vibe is out of the bottle. However, there needs to be the third leg to complete the triple crown. Who knows? Maybe the trade tensions will lead to new formations like a trade zone in North America whereby we coordinate to protect each others economy and jobs versus the global community? Maybe the transition from gas engines to electric along with a new appreciation for alternative energy that protects the earth, climate, water and soil? Maybe something else? Who knows? Time will tell.
