Monday, January 1, 2007

What I want ...

*Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.



As this New Yorker waits for Governor Spitzer to be seated today, and the 110th Congress later this week, as I welcome 2007 in with hope it will be better than 2006, I just wanted to remind the people, the American citizens who continually voted to enable the thieving, lying, morally bankrupt administration and rubber stamp Congress that runs this nation, how they were played for sheep. There was a formula in place, devised by people far smarter than those using it now, and all of you fell for it. Thank you very much. It makes me wonder how many of you fall for the African 'get rich quick' email schemes that litter my Inbox.

The reason I'm bringing this up now, on the first day of a new year, this New Year, is because I'm tired. I'm battle fatigued fighting the 'Information Civil War'; at least that's what I call this situation between the reality-based folks and the Right Wing Noise Machine. I've been looking back through our archives this morning, randomly stopping at posts over the past 2 1/2 years and realizing that we (here and in Left Blogtopia [y!sctp!] in general) spent a lot of time rebutting untruths and spin shoveled in by the Right.

I'm fucking tired of you folks believing everything you hear on TV as gospel truth. Don't you question anything? Or don't you care because other people's kids are dying, or other families are the ones who can't make ends meet, or you won't be around when the environment finally succumbs to all the crap we've poured all over, in, and above the Earth? You don't care what goes on as long as you get your share. As long as you have your house, your SUV, your little urchins have their video games, and you can pay the bills, fuck everybody who can't. As long as your kids ain't dying in some misbegotten war, as long as you don't have to sacrifice for the nation, who gives a fuck what they do in Washington, right? I'm sick and tired of you sheep.

It was the sheep in Germany who allowed an evil group of men to take control of a proud nation and break it; only now, 60 years later can Germans begin to hold their heads up with national pride. It was the sheep in this country, those of you who thought the Chimp was somebody 'they wanted to have a beer with', who thought the Republicans would 'keep us safer', who believed all the spin, misdirection, and lies without the slightest iota of doubt, who willingly gave up their civil rights, and were willing to give up more of them, in a cowardly attempt to 'be safe'.

I'm sick of you fucking people.

You're the ones who are jumping on our bandwagon now. The 40-odd percent of Americans who now realize the mess they've allowed to be spread all over this country and now they're all pissed they've been fooled. Thing is, a couple years from now, you'll probably be fooled again. I've seriously lost faith in the intelligence and common sense of my fellow American over the past 6 years, because the situation we're in is your fault. Seriously, how many of you possess a deed to the Brooklyn Bridge?

I remember a time when being an American meant something good in other parts of the world. I remember, in the 60s and 70s, spending summers in Europe and being treated like a celebrity just because I was an American. I remember when people used to look to this nation as an institution to emulate, something to strive for in pursuit of personal liberties and freedoms, as a nation abiding by the Rule of Law and, while not perfect, a nation of people striving for fairness for all. It pains me to visit Europe now and see signs and grafitti saying "Fuck Bush" and comparing us to the more dastardly regimes of history. Thank you for making me feel unwelcome in my ancestral home, you sorry, cowardly sheep.

I also want all you armchair generals to shut the fuck up this year. Every day my ears and intelligence are assaulted by idiots who've 'had it with the Iraqis, after all we've done for them' and we should just 'bomb the shit out of them and get it over with'. We started this, you morons. The blood spilled already is on our hands. I'm truly sorry you never got to experience combat and your only connection with it has been through Hollywood offerings. I'm truly sorry that our children fighting and dying in some desert (or jungle) somewhere makes you more of a man (or woman) and satisfies your bloodlust. I'm sorry you're that insecure as a human being, but you make me sick. It sickens me that you have such little disregard for innocent human life, people who are more like you than different, just because their skin is a different color, or worship a different God, or speak a different language. Do something with your lives to give them validation instead of finding some sort of meaning in other people's sacrifice. It is you who are responsible for the carnage, no one else, for without your cooperation, your vote, your complacency, this would never have happened.

I hope you got your rocks off at Saddam's trial and subsequent lynching, because if you think any justce was done there you, as usual, are sadly misinformed. And for all of you who are of age to serve this nation, cheerleading from the homefront doesn't qualify. If you really support the occupation in Iraq, enlist and do your part. Because you hypocrites piss me off more than the regular sheep. Playing GI Joe at the paintball range or taking your AK-47 out to shoot up junk cars doesn't qualify, so refrain from telling me what you would do in Iraq. Enlist and show me how many ragheads you're gonna kill. Otherwise shut the fuck up because I've made a resolution to put you on your ass this year. There are now 3000 U.S. troops dead in the war you wanted, either put up or shut up.

So, for 2007, I have one request for the sheep. Stay out of the fucking way. The choice to elect our representatives is not American Idol or Survivor, it is serious business for an informed public. If you're not serious about your freedoms, rights, and privileges that come from being American, stay the fuck home on Election Day. The choice of who leads the world's only superpower is not a game, not a fucking reality show. Our representatives' decisions affect not just the lives of a third of a billion people in this nation, but the lives of six billion others who don't have the right to vote in America. If you can't take it seriously, if you can't inform yourself and rely on the dog and pony show in our so-called 'free press', just stay out of it and go about your business. If you've learned anything over the past 6 years, it should be that qualification for elected office, especially the Presidency, has nothing to do with a candidate's personality.

You've made our job, those of us who actually care what happens to this nation and the world now and in the long-term, that much more difficult. We'll deal with the hardcore morons and Kool-Aid drinkers, the 18% of socio- and psycopaths, the racists who want to turn this nation into Germany 1933, but it's you sheep that give them relevance and credibilty through your inaction and apathy. We're leading, either follow or get out of the way.

The Republican Party is a criminal organization and you sheep are just passive foot soldiers. They couldn't have created this mess without you as accomplices. Make up for it this year and actually pay attention to what's happening around you and stop parroting the horseshit you hear on Fox News. We're just beginning to straighten out the mess, let us do it.


*Great thanks to our pal Ed Encho for the Hermann Göring quote.

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