This is an essay published by myself in a series on my Boomer Blog (http://www.boomer-blog.com).
America the Shamed
I never thought I would have to say this in my lifetime, but I'm ashamed of my county.
Now, before you start calling me names like "unpatriotic," and "un-American," remember that I am a Vietnam veteran and have ancestors that came over on the Mayflower.
I am immensely proud of the America I was born into, and the astounding ideas and philosophies under which this country was formed. The brilliant work of the Founding Fathers remains one of the most fantastic and influential leaps in human thought since humans have been thinking. The idea that governments only govern at the behest of the governed is one of those thoughts that topple kingdoms and enlighten the world!
But, all of that was effectively overthrown with the great American Coup of 2000, when Bush and his 5 cronies on the Supreme Court negated the vote of the people, and appointed the loosing candidate to the Oval Office.
Don't believe it? Or, perhaps you just don't want to believe it. Excuse my harshness, but if you are still supporting the Republican Party with your votes, than you are either part of the conspiracy, or to damn dumb to pay attention. Come on people! Listen to what you are told! Analyze it, and don't just accept it as fact!
Conservatives and the Republicans are all about restricting the rights and freedoms of the people, and forcing their rules and morals onto the rest of the population. This country was NOT founded on Christian principals, but on the principal of freedom of religion. The MOST important component of freedom of religion is freedom FROM religion.
The astounding ideas of the Founding Fathers are so amazing because they are absolutely logical and correct. The proof is in how successful this country and the people in it have been. Why has it worked? Because there is stupendous POTENTIAL in people. In ALL people, and only in an environment of freedom and liberty can that potential be fully reached.
But the people in this country today, who are the most successful and well off, have forgotten the principals of the Founding Fathers, and have slipped back into the more natural but less effective mode of selfishness. The concept that freedom and liberty for some of the people is more beneficial to those people who have it than freedom and liberty to all the people is a fallacy. Before America was born, the human race wasted thousands of years pursuing that philosophy.
Indeed, wasting the talent and potential of even some of the people is, in the long run, bad for ALL of the people. Therefore, freedom and liberty, the right to vote, and opportunity MUST be given to ALL of the people in this country. Unfortunately, the "haves" in this country have mastered the art of convincing even reasonable people that what is patently false is actually the truth. It is called 'SPIN', and the Republicans have mastered it.
The best example of this is the 2000 election itself, and the fiasco in Florida. On every issue in Florida, the Democrats were exactly correct, and the Republicans were disguising lies as truth. I know, because I spend thousands of hours researching all the issues during that election. Much of what I found can still be found at http://www.desautel.net/... .
To be continued....
BB
America, The Shamed - Part II
Well, if you read the first part of this tirade (judge not what is said by the anger in the saying, but rather by the logic in the words), you probably think that I am not doing too well and envious of the wealthy. Well, think again. I am not wealthy, but I've done OK in my book, and envy is not an emotion that comes my way often.
I am a 60-year old white male, of French, English, German, and American-Indian extract, a veteran of the Vietnam War, and a middle-class educated (BS and MBA) American. I was blessed, and cursed, with a very active, analytical, and logical mind. For better or worse, logic is behind everything I do and say, and is at the core of what I am.
However, the application of logic requires an awareness of the issues and paying attention to events. Unfortunately, I did no such thing, when it came to politics, for most of my adult life. So, I cannot attest to, nor analyze, whatever shenanigans took place in the world of American Politics prior to the 2000 election. Since November of 2000 however, I have been paying very close attention, and have done a whole lot of analysis.
I will not re-hash here the many issues of that election. I have done that in a page on my newdoi.com site (see the link in the first part of this essay). However, I will mention the two most disillusioning aspects of what I learned once I started "paying attention" to politics. The first is the tremendous gulf between conservatives and liberals in this country, and more important, the depth of hatred and vehemence between the two philosophies. The second aspect is the appalling apathy, stupidity, or just plain lack of attention being displayed by the American public in general, when it comes to the lies and SPIN of the Bush Administration and the Republican Party.
Even more appalling than the herd mentality of the American people, is the betrayal of the American Media. The conservative Republican Party is the party of dictatorship, controlled and funded by the wealthy. And the American media, also owned by the wealthy, is no more than the lap-dog mouthpiece for that dictatorship! Now that I got your attention, and perhaps have lost some credibility in your eyes because of the harshness of my words, I will end part two of this essay by pointing out one glaring example of the total control the conservative movement has over the sheep-minds of the American public.
Just think for a moment about the words Conservative and Liberal, and more importantly, the two philosophies represented by those words. Take a moment and look them up in the dictionary. In fact, liberalism as a word and a philosophy is about tolerance, freedom, openness, and a lack of constriction. Conservatism on the other hand, is about restriction, intolerance, rules, limited possibilities, and constricting the activities of others. Liberalism is about releasing control over others, and conservatism is about increasing control over others.
Yet, the SPIN of the Republican Party and the conservative movement, propagated and distributed by the American media, has actually been able to make the word "liberal" a dirty word in the minds of the American public! Beyond that, the same sources have been able to make the phrase "the liberal media" a common and accepted concept in America! That is patently ridiculous! But the power of words and the spinning of those words are astounding. And the mass media in this country wields that power in the cause of conservatism.
Yes, it is true that liberalism also advances control over others in the form of applying "social programs" for the poor and sick. But as I explained in part one of this essay, those programs are actually GOOD for those who end up paying for them. That may be hard to see on the surface, but that is the conclusion that comes from a logical analysis of the facts (without the bias of selfishness).
More to come...
BB
America, The Shamed - Part III
The high crimes and misdemeanors of the Bush Administration are so numerous and egregious that it is difficult to even think of listing them in any coherent fashion. As far as I'm concerned, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney should be hung for treason, and Bush should be sentenced to copying the Constitution, by hand, a thousand times.
But as I have said, the criminals in the Administration are enabled by the mass media and the lack of awareness in the American People. The Bush presidency has been disastrous for this country and the ideals expressed so well in the Constitution. The Bush Administration is a dictatorship, with no respect for the Constitution or the Law. And, it is 100% intentional. They have systematically castrated the Justice Department, ignored congress, and trashed the Constitution.
They lied their way into an illegal war, costing thousands of American lives. They fired and replaced Justice Department personnel, stacking the political deck in their favor. They leaked the identity of a covert CIA agent as punishment to her husband, who dared to tell the truth about the so-called justifications for invading Iraq. They shamed the country by their lack of response to the disaster in New Orleans (you can bet your ass that if it had happened in Beverly Hills, there would have been a massive and immediate response). They illegally and unconstitutionally used warrantless phone tapping and eavesdropping on Americans in the name of National Security. They have engaged this country in the torture of prisoners of war. And, they have mistreated and abused our own soldiers as they return from a foreign war.
And, that is just the illegal stuff. But, even their legal (not to be confused with ethical) actions have been disastrous for the economy, the environment, and most of all, the stature and standing of this country on the world stage. Of course, we should not be surprised. They lied and used illegal and cheating tactics to get into the Oval Office in the first place, and they have been doing the same ever since!
At some point in the future, when historians chronicle the rise and fall of The United States of America, they will mark the peak of the rise with the Clinton Administration, and the beginning of the fall with the Bush Administration.
BB
America, The Shamed - Summary
This country has a rogue Administration in office that thinks itself above the law and above the Constitution. It has castrated the Justice Department and stacked the deck in the judiciary. Bush and his people do what they damn well please, and are not allowing any oversight or separation of powers to get in their way. They think that ONLY the administration has any power, and that their branch is the only branch of government.
They simply ignore any attempt at oversight, using Executive Privilege as a shield, and continue to operate as a completely unrestrained Dictatorship. Their list of scandals, illegal and unethical deeds, and unconstitutional actions is extremely long (see part III of this series), and they have not been held responsible for any of it. They have no respect for, and are not deterred by, the Constitution, the law, Congress, or the good people of this country (as expressed through opinion polls).
So, if you are a Republican, and especially if you are (or have supported) a Republican Senator or Congressional Representative, it is time for you to take a deep and soul-searching look at your priorities. Are you a Republican first, or an American? Do you have any respect whatsoever for the Constitution, the Founding Fathers, or the ideals upon which this country was founded? Are you up for living under a dictator (what happens when Bush makes a decision that you do not agree with?)?
In many ways, the fate of this country is in your hands. Face up to your mistakes! It was the Republican Party that orchestrated the great American coup of 2000. Do you really want that which you have wrought? Are you proud of the more than 3000 of America's finest whom you have killed for a war based on lies? Is the money and the control over the actions of other people really worth that much to you? Are you willing to destroy the greatest country (and more importantly, the greatest philosophy of government) ever known to the human race?
It is time to love your country Republicans! It is time to stand up, lay aside all the lies and SPIN, denounce Bush and his Dictatorship, and help your fellow citizens (yes, even though they be Democrats and Liberals) save this country from the downward spiral in which Bush and his Administration has dumped it!
We need Republican citizens calling and writing Republican Senators and Members of the House of Representatives, and telling them to DUMP the FACIST Administration of Bush and Cheney down the toilet! You may be the last hope this country has!
BB