Have you, at anytime in your life, felt like you were marching in circles? The routine, the predictable outcomes, trying to change the product, but always coming back to the same, same, same… because we do the same, same, same…

If you predictably place the same energy or information into a scenario, you will predictably get the same or at least a very similar product. Things do not change unless you variate or alter the variables. I dissent greatly with doing the same thing and getting the same variable. It could be ADHD, but I want things to have variation. I desire outcomes that make life richer, not predictable. I feel the drudgery of routine just fuels depression and negative variables.

What brings this up? I remembered a conversation with my brother about 7-8 years ago, where he told me to stop raging about politics, cause “This was the way we do things now.” Here we go, a pacifist, content to live in a world that made his struggles greater. He was satisfied with struggle instead of fighting for a better way to live life. My response, “It doesn’t have to be this way if you pay attention to the patterns.”

The last couple of nights Representative Ashley Hinson of Iowa has paid to broadcast a new commercial for her U.S. Senate campaign to replace Senator Joni Ernst, from”We’re all going to die.” fame. Ashley Hinson’s message is, “Washington’s the problem, they make life more expensive, I’m going to fight these problems, cut taxes, and end wasteful spending.” I have heard this same message from countless campaigns by Republicans. Reagan, Bush, Bush, Trump, Ernst, Grassley, Miller-Meeks, and countless others. Guess what? They say this, and the opposite happens.

When a Republican cuts taxes they create a revenue problem. Their cuts to spending are always the social safety net, while they increase military spending by billions. The deficit grows by trillions, and our tax cut usually is a tax increase while the billionaires earn millions in tax breaks. When will the people see this revolving door of sameness? I have sociological study that looks at wealth inequality from the Carter administration to the Obama administration. Guess what? It shows how wealth inequality increases under Republican administrations and during Democratic administrations this inequality decreases. I have referenced it in previous blogs, but I am not going to bother to look for it today to reference it. Let’s just say, the more they (Republicans) say that they are changing things, the more they stay the same and our quality of life decreases.

A few years back, before my tinnitus got bad, I noticed that the system of teaching that led to successes previously was not working with my current music program. When I examined and reflected on everything I noticed a few issues. First, students of late 2010’s were far more plugged in to technology. Second, I was still teaching students in an analog fashion. Three, the relationships needed to propel a music program forward were not developing as I would have liked them too. Despite attempts to alter my strategies, I found myself doing the same things and getting the same results. The students were not investing in me, as I was not investing in them.

Solution, I needed to leave. This was one of the few times in my life where I looked at the problem, and realized I was the problem for this situation. My philosophy and background did not align in anyway with the sociological construct of the community. By changing the variables in play, both myself and my former program under a different teacher found success in a different way. Am I jealous of my successor? No, I was happy for them, and those students. I’m happier having moved to a new job. I begin year seven this August at this position. I feel the Republican Party is very much like the bullheaded man that I was, before that reflection and job change.

I also feel the corporate Democratic party is also stuck in the same rut as the Republicans. James Carville is very angry about the rise of the democratic-socialists within the democratic party. My message to him is: We tried it your way since the Clinton administration (1992-2000.) Did it work? Or did things get worse? No and Yes are the answers… We need to change something.

As Generation Y and now Generation Z have entered the foray some Generation X’ers like me have clambered on board their train. The system Carville, Obama (less so,)Hinson, Ernst, Clinton, Bush (both,) and Trump are selling is making our lives harder while they enriched themselves within their offices at our expense. The rise of the democratic-socialists has been slow and steady. This past year we have seen the election of an Islamic Mayor, naturalized citizen, and democratic-socialist Zohran Mamdani in New York City. He promised a new way of doing business. A radical change from the previous mayors. Guess what? Change is happening. Is it all positive? We have to wait and see. Hindsight is 20/20, so we shall wait and see. The changes appear to be making a difference in the working class of the largest city in the United States. These changes are leveling the playing field with the rich.

When you change the variables and philosophy you get something different. This is what our country needs. Something different, because the fear mongering of the Republicans and corporate Democrats has failed!!! Literally!!! It has also failed in the education field. When these same Republicans and Corporate Democrats move education into capitalist territory by focusing their school improvements on test scores did they actually improve education? Or do they continue to blame the teachers for their policy failures? I’ve been through thick and thin over 35 years as an educator and I was a student when Reagan ushered in this paradigm of measurement. The more they defund education to motivate… It fails… The more they alter the system to support test scores… It fails… Children are not motivated by capitalist paradigms. They are motivated my love, relationships, being treated as humans, and having their needs met. Education is a social enterprise. If you want improvement, you have to change the variables. The status quo of our corporate owned political parties doesn’t work… It just pumps out more the same… failure…

I was smart enough to recognize when I was the problem. I changed it. Our current political leaders both Republican and Corporate Democrat can’t admit their philosophy is the problem. They are using fear to prevent change in their media ads and messages. Look at Speaker Mike Johnson. He is rolling back to the same message his party has used for 50 years. The status quo makes him rich. He doesn’t want you or I changing things. He wants to rule, not legislate. He represents his interests not Louisiana’s interests. When are we all going to recognize their culture of corrupted sameness? I’m tired of the drudgery, are any of my readers?

Am I willing to pay more taxes? If it makes my neighbors lives easier, then YES!!! If it enriches Metaman, $47, or their henchman, then NO!!!! I would rather have everyone fed and housed, than seeing the rich and famous flaunt their 4th home and 2nd yacht. Our veterans need to be cared for their whole lives. They should not be depending on nonprofits like the Wounded Warrior Project to live their lives post wartime injury. The U.S. Government should be footing that bill 100%. We can afford it. Order fewer missiles. Focus on building instead of destroying.

I dissent with the same ol’, same ol’. It does not have to be this way. The power of change is in our hands. … so it goes…