There are two topics that I try hard to avoid in conversation and definitely in my writing and the winners are religion and politics. They are nothing, but trouble, because we treat our differences as irreconcilable in both these areas, often becoming an immovable wedge between many of us.

In Zen, there is something called the Middle Path. It thrives on compassion and avoiding thoughtless attachment to any idea. Today, it is impossible for me to ignore our country’s political theater. The challenge is to avoid coming down on one side or another because that is precisely how to insure a healthy dialogue never taking place. How the hell can you possibly find a Middle Path in this monstrosity of a presidential election year, which already feels more like a century of pure unadulterated bullshit.

When you have a billionaire bombast with ADHD on the Right and a Communist Jew on the Left, you’re looking at some serious polarity. Adding to this political gumbo is a woman representing the status quo on steroids, controlled by that now famous, very small percentile.

 If I could, I’d love to bring the Buddha back and ask him to find some common frustrations shared between the bookended contrasts of Donny and Bernie.  Hillary personifies the source of the disparate frustrations coming from all sides, the seemingly unstoppable business as usual.

 Ultimately, the idea of change represented by both extremes will not win this time.  Trump is in a state of perpetual tantrum, with no thought of consequences. His own party is in complete disarray, choking on his arrogance and ignorance. However, he has tapped into a huge vein of anger and frustration with a system that does not speak for the millions who have been voting for him. Bernie is living in his own perfect world, advocating revolution, envisioning a world completely different than The Donald’s version.  Hillary stands for whatever she needs to stand for in order to get elected and that is why she will get elected.

 The tectonic plates of our political landscape are shifting, causing tremendous tremors, evidence of serious dissatisfaction with the conduct of our affairs, domestically and globally.

 I believe it is our collective impotence that is resonating throughout the country. If there was ever a doubt that we are now all citizens of an oligarchy, it is perfectly clear today. The weather vane of our politics always blows toward the money and it has now become a full on hurricane, leaving us all of to fend for ourselves. The Right wants less government, the Left wants more, while the greedy Oligarchs already own it.

 The Right has always been more visceral, easily angered and the Left more intellectual and more adept at projecting civility. What is shared is the dissatisfaction with the status quo. Trump’s popularity taps into White anger about their loss of power, being forced to accept the pollution caused by other colors’ growing influence, a get tough approach. The idea of freedom has been perverted to stand for freedom for some and not for others, ideological bullies dying to get even.

 The Left has lost its way, afraid to stand up for progressive solutions, compromised by their inability to fight a system twisted by bank rolled philosophies that shame their ideals. They, too, are fast approaching a choice of continuing to acquiesce to the oligarchy or to break out of their comfort cocoon. I am floored that Sanders has the support of millions of us, a clear indication of the growing unrest with the dream of America fast becoming a nightmare.

 The Clinton Dynasty is an aberration of our political system that relies totally on financial underwriting from huge corporations and mega-rich individuals, serving their every whim. Eisenhower spoke about the dangers of the Military Industrial Complex and the Clintons are its personification. It reminds me of the Frankenstein experiment. We have an incredible body, birthed by some very lofty principles on basic human rights. We have screwed a head on this beautiful idea that only knows greed and the abuse of power and “It’s Alive!”.

 We are all going to meet in the street, speaking different languages and the only dictionary worth a damn is the one that looks for definitions of compassion that can be understood by the majority and never at the expense of the minority, that is my America, what is yours?