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| The dogs of 'Tug-of-war' |
It is simple and fascinating entertainment for this early, mild winter.
I take a break and watch my two young dogs out in the snow playing 'tug of war' with pull toys. The dogs themselves are different as night and day, one black, short and compact with a lot of fur, the other tan, tall, and short-haired. They're about the same age, still young enough to love playing with pull toys.
Pull toys are those brightly-coloured, braided rope things everyone has, inexpensive entertainment for dogs of all sizes and shapes. Some come with a short-lived fuzzy tennis-ball on them, a knobby plastic bone, or a loop for a handle. They can be woven, braided or knotted, but the actual construction is almost irrelevant as they get dragged around, chewed up, and eventually totaled.
It's tough being a pull toy around here.
The combatants stand nose to nose, jaws clamped tightly, seemingly to the death, pulling, growling, stiff-legged, shaking their heads, not giving an inch except to reposition for a better grip or to gain some other advantage. They are commonly both on the same end of the short rope, jaw to jaw, nose to nose, trying to gain as much of the plaything as possible.
Curiously, if called, given direction, such as 'wanna go for a walk?' or otherwise, they will often mutually turn and run in the same direction, side by side, teamwork immediately apparent, but both are still unwilling to let go.
At times, in the mutual attempt to dislodge the other determined combatant from the rope they will shake their heads so hard it makes me wonder if concussions could result, --how about neck or brain damage, like damaged hockey players-- injuries still arrogantly and vehemently denied by a few 'agitated and uninformed, but ' manly' sports advocates. Hockey greats Crosby and Pronger are the latest, but no matter--the injuries speak clearly for themselves, and yes, we digress as surely as the dogs of tug-of-war growl in bravado and give nary an inch. Making big money with hockey leagues is more important. A tug-of-war between profit and common sense. Go figure. Back to the pups under observation.
Ultimately the dogs might mutually drop the pull toy into the snow because of exhaustion, disinterest, or sudden distraction like the chatter of a squirrel, a scolding raven fly-by 100 feet in the blue sky above them, a snow plow or the occasional vehicle sputtering down the road.
Bottom line, unless specifically rescued from it's trials out in the cold world, the pull toy always gets the worst of it.
Shredded, chewed to bits, braiding segregated, parts missing, lost in the snow - dismembered, abandoned or just plain forgotten. Strangely, it may be rediscovered at some later date, and if enough material exists at the time of that revelation, with a few sturdy knots and some attention it may be adequately restored to tolerate yet another round of use and abuse.
Sounds something like democracy, isn't it? Is democracy in North America like a damaged pull toy that will eventually be abandoned because of severe damage? Can democracy survive stress, parts arbitrarily being removed, 'modified and stretched' in all directions, endless attacks perpetrated with intent by the devious? Is that process condoned by apathy and disinterest in government process? How about where the systemic, malicious degradation of democracy is practiced?
Is democracy as we know it to be eventually abandoned? Can democracy be rediscovered and restored?
At Incoming Bytes we suggest this analogy should not be ignored, lost, forgotten, or abandoned. Why?Since 9/11, personal freedoms in North America have been under attack under the guise of security. The images of riots, pepper-spraying 'officers' and riot-equipped police state are far too common. Across North America the 'Occupy This' movement was shut down by bureaucracy-- clearly with no moral right to stifle civilian protest and demonstration. Our leaders remove individual freedoms as they empower themselves and practice self-entitlement.
Will North American democracy continue to be willfully damaged, to a point where it will be eventually abandoned?
The question must be: Following devious, repressive governance, shall ever more extreme governments be installed until democracy is shattered?History shows that the abuse of power eventually leads to the destruction of government--regardless of political dogma practiced. Perhaps power leads to willful blindness and madness as well as abuse of power?
The reader at Incoming Bytes is encouraged to observe, think, and speak out --for change of direction and constructive teamwork--before genuine democracy is shredded, abandoned, AND forgotten.
Watching that progression is fascinating too--just keep that tug of war in mind.
That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
