Ahh the ever so sensitive subject of politics warms my heart just before giving way to a seething, barely controllable outrage at the current landscape.
While many online forums might forbid the discussion of religion and/or politics in many threads, I thank God for things like blogs where it's allowed. What follows are just a series of my own random thoughts about the current state of the US. Bear in mind, I LOVE my country, I'm proud to be an American and all those things. But caring about something/someone you love sometimes requires saying some hard things:
- The Two Party System- An Idea Whose Time Came and Went: How did we get to this point? How did we wind up, in a supposedly democratic country that was founded on, among other principles, being able to vote for those we best felt able to undertake the task of governing, with a system that limits, or let's be really honest, VIRTUALLY ELIMINATES the idea of real choice. We've been reduced to the notion of having to select the lesser of 2 evils, and that, in the context of a supposedly just, moral and intelligent society is just flat-out UNACCEPTABLE!!! Where in the US Constitution does it state "Thou Shalt Only Have Democrats or Republicans running for elected office? Well, haven't the last 40 or 50 years taught us anything?
- On the one hand, the Democrats, once claiming to be the party of the working man and average citizen have plunged headlong into the seductive allure of Stateism, or let's call it for what it really is, COMMUNISM, centralized power, merciless regulation and micro-management of people's lives, stifling innovation and growth through prohibitive regulatory overkill, excessive taxation, all the while, making high-minded proclamations of their percieved moral superiority over the other party (and of course, the Clinton administration as just one of many examples with its Scandal Of The Week, Bimbo Eruptions and convoluted legalese replies to simple questions being evidence to the contrary. And people conveniently forget that Dr. Martin Luther King's harassment by the FBI took place under the watch of TWO Democratic administrations, Kennedy and Johnson, and it was the Democrats who vehemtly opposed Civil Rights legislation). And don't even get me started on how people like Slick Willie sold us out to foreign interests (like for example, handing over the port of Long Beach's management to acompany associated with China's ruthlessly Communist gov't) or one LBJ got us hopelessly mired in Vietnam without a clear way of winning or making a difference. And don't get me started on the Clinton administration decimating our military, squandering an opportunity to nail Osama Bin Laden to the wall, and not to mention the numerous proud displays of complete amorality (the numerous trysts and affairs on the sly among other things I'm sure), and don't get me started on Al Gore's prediliction for outright lying, stretching the truth and his shallow opportunism and complete lack of ANY depth, and those oh-so-lame statements like "There was no controlling legal authority" and of course, his junk-science books and outright hypocrisy still continuing to this day.
- And on the other hand, the Republican party, claiming to lay hold of the principles of the Founding Fathers (and I believe at one time they did their best to) have HORRIFICALLY lost their way. I think that after the end of Ronald Reagan's second term as President was the beginning of the end for the GOP. Seemingly, in a lemming-like suicidal mad dash, it threw away nearly everything it once stood for. And the party who once did its utmost to field candidates that were competent and principled (Eisenhower, Reagan) took a wrong turn and the best they can do are vacuous DOLTS like George HW Bush, Bob Dole and George W Bush!!!???? Good God, no wonder Clinton managed to get a second term!! And if these guys don't get a brain and get a clue, one Hilary "Seig Heil" Clinton is almost guaranteed to elected (Owl's note, I am NOT against the idea of a woman being president, I'm just against it being a coldly ambitious rabid socialist/power-mad Stateist like Hilary Clinton) In the time since Reagan left office, the GOP has fallen on its own sword numerous times, like for instance, GHWB caving into the Democrat's demands on the budget agreement in 1990 that sent taxes through the roof, plunged us into a recession (so much for "Read My Lips-No New Taxes". I think what he really said was "Heed My Quips, Go To Texas"). To be fair, his one shining moment was being able to drive a ruthless murderous dictator like Saddam Hussein out of Kuwait. When the 1996 election came around, the best the GOP could do was a vacuous dolt like Bob Dole who didn't stand for much of anything!! WTH???????? And taking advantage of an electorate wearied by the Clinton's shameless shenanegans, one George W Bush was thought to be the one who could win, and certainly NOT because of any overwhelmingly great accomplishments or qualifications (he didn't really have any), again, proving the idea that people just fall too easily for surface flash and soundbites). GWB seemed to talk a good game and I didn't exactly relish a Gore presidency and more of the same Clinton-esque idiocy. Well, time clearly proved we didn't get any more Clinton-esque idiocy, WE GOT LOTS OF GWB IDIOCY!! Holy voter's remorse Batman! These same GOP-ers who claim to be for limited government, lower taxes, individual freedom and such have proven themselves NO DIFFERENT THAN THE DEMOCRATS:
1) ILLEGAL Domestic Spying against US citizens has increased to levels that eclipse that of the Nixon administration, time and time again, a complete disregard for the Bill of Rights and checks and balances outlined in the US Constitution has made itself very clear! Federal courts have numerous times rebuked the Bush administration for these very things. Not an ounce of remorse found anywhere! This so called Department of Homeland Security is a joke, let's face it. If you stop and think about it, we're actually giving the terorists what they want, namely we've become so fearful and reactive we treat our own people like the enemy. Don't you just love it when the Bush administration proudly boasts how, by way of "signing statements" they can intecept your mail, keep tabs on your phone calls and more. And you gotta love how US citizens who buy airline ticketshave been assigned a terror-risk classification that CANNOT be challenged even if it is obviously wrong, and good 'ol Homeland Security harassing library patrons.
2) The Iraq War may have started out with good intentions, but it quickly turned into a HOPELESS disaster and quagmire of beauracratic incompetence, short-sightedness, institutional arrogance and just inexcusable stupidity. Worse yet, it was done on the pretense of intelligence and information that was QUESTIONABLE and sketchy at best, if not outright WRONG! In addition, former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld (or more accurately DUMBSfeld) refused to listen to the advice and counsel of KNOWLEDGEABLE military people regarding such an incursion. He and others were told for example, that in order to not only have a successful operation a MINIMUM of 500,000 troops would be required to not only carry it off, but maintain order once it was over. So what does DUMBSfeld do? Sends in but a small fraction of that, and well, look where we are! Worse yet, there was NEVER any clear plan or idea as to how to start and END the operation. A smart person will ALWAYS begin something with the end in mind. Well, in the case of the Bush administration, their incredible stupidity, short sightedness and utter incompetence played out in spectacular fashion! And with all this, I GENUINELY feel sorry for our troops who are at the recieving end of Washington's stupidity and incompetence and the Iraqui people caught in the middle of all this. They lost a ruthless murderous dictator and gained a plethora of murderous, ruthless insurgents that had free reign, and al because one DUMBSfeld didn't think ahead or listen to those who could help.
3) Illegal Immigration, a sore subject for many, and the best this bunch of incompetent bozos can do is conjure up a bill to give AMNESTY!!!???? The utter IDIOCY of this whole bill astounds me. It's no secret that many corporations are profiting off of cheap and ILLEGAL labor while our own people are denied jobs. INEXCUSABLE!! And so many people have lost their jobs to overseas outsourcing that in the long-term is FAR MORE COSTLY in terms of money, productivity and efficiency--INEXCUSABLE!
4) How did we get a Chief Executive of such low intelligence and speaking ability to begin with? Yes, to me IT MATTERS if our Chief Executive can form coherent sentences, be knowledgeable of pertinent facts, BE DECISIVE, display articulateness and intelligence. Otherwise, what kind of example are we to the rest of the world? GW's NUMEROUS verbal gaffes, omissions and misrepresentations of facts, inexcusable ignorance and such are well documented.
5) The Sale of Ports to Dubai fiasco of early 2006. The stupidity just flowed like a river. While George W. didn't generate the idea, those that were responsible for this TREASONOUS plan to sell some of our ports to a Dubai state-run company, whose government KNOWINGLY financed and supported terrorism were told in no uncertain terms by GWB that he would support the deal and do nothing to stop it. When word got out to the general public, it raised one HELL of an outcry of anger and indignation, and rightly so. WHAT WERE THESE IDIOTS THINKING??? As far as I'm concerned ALL involved in this stupid plan, including GWB himself should be put on trial and EXECUTED for treason! How could these people come up with such a thing? IDIOTS! TRAITORS!!!
6) And of course, it's been Scandal of The Week all over again, from the ridiculous (Dick Cheney's literal inability to shoot straight) to the INSANE (the whole pathetic Scooter Libby affair in which Karl Rove got away with murder, the firing of 8 attorneys and the utter incompetence of Alberto Gonzalez so proudly on display, the whole Mark Foley scandal and how utter HYPOCRITES like Dennis Hastert and others covered his ass instead of doing the right thing. These guys were far more afraid of the Republicans being percieved as "homophobic" than the legal and moral consequences of NOT taking approiate action. The Ralph Reed scandal, and the Jack Abramoff Scandal. Again, further proof of the Republican Party's complete abdication of principle and moral fiber)
And for even more in-depth listings, download this PDF document http://www.thenation.com/special/pdf/100facts.pdf
- I don't claim to have the answers but I can say I'm mad as hell at our current state of affairs. Are there alternatives? YOU'D BETTER BELIEVE IT MY FRIENDS!! For example, consider throwing your support behind someone running independent or in the Libertarian or Constitution Party. Also to note, one Ron Paul, a Texas lawmaker is running on the Republican ticket (only for the access to funding and media resources, he is SOLIDLY Libertarian in his beliefs and values otherwise) If Ron Paul somehow makes it to the ticket I think I'd vote for him, he does seem to be a much needed blast of fresh air in a field of incompetent and corrupt bozos who just want more of the same mediocrity, hypocrisy and idiocy.
In conclusion, there is one book I would HIGHLY recommend reading (among
many by numerous folks addressing our current issues) by Lee Iacocca entitled
"Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" that explores thesse issues and more in depth, in addition, Lee REALLY rakes the Bush administration over the coals (
he actually used to support the Bush administration until the facts could no longer be ignored) Lee's mad as hell, and I am too!
