Air War & The Government Shutdown.

Close-ups - Air War. A New Piece.

I didn't have the current government shutdown specifically in mind when I made Air War...but it's a pleasant affirmation of the idea and helps enforce the overall message behind the piece.

In short, the piece is about the US's obsession with defense and safety while we constantly and idiotically hamper our own ability to advance and help ourselves. Our politicians continue to spew reason upon reason to follow them, their party and their plan, but when faced with any decision that promises actual change, they sit on their hands and point across the aisle.

Instead of working toward the best possible solution, they demand their ideal solution, no matter how impossible it might actually be. Instead of setting a goal that's achievable and would help, they set their goals in an idealistic world where everyone agrees with them,. Then, when that goal is shown to be impossible, they don't reduce their demands so that something, anything positive happens, they call the opposition a roadblock and refuse to do anything at all, despite that "nothing" hurting the very people their "idealistic" approach was supposed to support.

It's an "I'd rather everyone starve than each get a smaller portion" mentality...and it's created this war of words that isolates, divides, and, ultimately, destroys.