I Remember...
I remember about 10 years ago being an artful conservative. Listening along with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and laughing in glee as the "Contract With America" promised new levels of self-reliance. Now I'm sitting here, in the middle of the afternoon, drafting a diary for the "evil liberal elitests." How times have changed. How I have changed.
I Remember...
I remember about 10 years ago being an artful conservative. Listening along with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and laughing in glee as the "Contract With America" promised new levels of self-reliance. Now I'm sitting here, in the middle of the afternoon, drafting a diary for the "evil liberal elitests." How times have changed.
I hear all this talk about traditional moral values. I can't help but think of all the things I've learned in Sunday School over the years. But I wonder. I see all this burning hatred for men that love other men. "Burn the fags!" seems to be a rally cry all around me from the depths of my little red state world. Wait a minute! Christ never wanted to burn someone. He taught peace. He taught forgiveness. Christ went everywhere and taught to everyone regardless of their history, beliefs, race, creed, sexuality, whatever. He taught servitude and hard work, not angry preaching. Didn't he defend a woman from stoning? What's all this crazy talk about traditional moral values? Wow. Times have changed. Looks like we're the party for morality, now.
So what's all this talk about gay rights? Why are we even arguing about people having rights? Since when can the federal government tell people who they can and can't sleep with? That's just odd. Suddenly we've become the party that wants to keep the government out of people's bedrooms! How times have changed.
What's this stuff about smaller government and less taxes? I have no desire to piss away my hard-earned income on foolish and wasteful programs. Just like Republicans -- and most Democrats too, I suspect. But what's wasteful? Is providing a strong competitive education for our children, so they can keep our nation strong... even during a time of war... is that a wasteful program? Or how about making sure little old ladies don't die alone and penniless? Is that a wasteful program? How many billions have we given Halliburton this year? Maybe we should cut that program! Strange, now we're the party for a responsible government. How times have changed.
It's odd. There is a definite Libertarian bent to most of the Democratic party these days. Not because we chose it, but because it has been forced upon us. The right-wing is forcing intrusive, draconian surveillance laws upon us all and paving the way for version 2.0 of the Orwellian dream. We are the ones that have been constantly fighting to keep the dogs of war on their chains. Maybe we should be embracing support of strong popular privacy laws. Rather than worrying about flag burning maybe we could push an amendment to the constitution giving us back our right to privacy. Maybe make the now defunct posse comitatus protections a force of law again. Controlling the war machine. That's our new job. When did that happen?
I hear the cries for a strong nation. But I hear only faint whispers against the constant export of the manufacturing industries that insure our might. How can we fight a war when all of our material and supplies come from other nations? Where is the strength in un-even trading agreements that not only rob us of economic security but also rob us of physical security as well? Now we're the party for strong industry. Isn't that a threat to national security, too? Looks like we're also the new party of national security, too. How times have changed.
I saw a sign that read "Support our Troops." Am I the only one that believes supporting the troops means more than a quick pep talk? Am I the only one that thinks maybe real support comes by bringing justice to those sacrificing their lives on the front lines while their children await their return from an ever-growing "stop loss?" How much blood must be shed on both sides before we say enough? And what about those who have lost their loved ones... can we ever really "support" those troops? I can't help but think... what a better way to support our troops than to bring them home out of harm's way. Turns out, a lot of you think the same way. Strange, we're also now the party of making sure our troops are safely protected. Who would've thunk it? And while we're at it, why don't we make it tougher to go on these crusades in the future? Let's decentralize a bit of authority. Maybe we'll realize that for every unjust war abroad there must be a culture war at home. When will we learn that we cannot fight on two fronts at once! The new party for peace. How times have changed.
But wait, we still have all these wacky environmentalists right? I mean why try to save some obscure species. How do you justify spending billions trying to save the red-headed freakybird when there's a perfectly good orange-headed freakybird out there. Why discriminate between the freakybirds!?! Oh wait. What about the man trying to go bird watching only to find none. Or a grandfather and his grandson trying to fish in a creek... only to see a school of dead fish float by covered in garbage. Or a room full of weezing children all reaching for their inhaler in unison as a cloud of smog floats lazily by. Doesn't seem so out of touch anymore, does it? How times have changed.
I used to think that the rich were intelligent hard working people. And that poverty came from laziness. Then I watched as the company I worked for started lay-offs. My friends, who had worked half their lives away... got fired and went broke because someone had stopped paying into the pension fund and had been lying all along. Funny, historically the hardest workers have always been the slaves. Sadly, it's happening all over this once-great nation. How times have changed.
I thought about the evil "death tax" and how we could get rid of it. Then it occured to me... that money really helps a lot of people. Some of them are even my friends. I also noticed something, too. As a people we're more than just the sum of our parts, we are a society... and a rising tide truly lifts all boats. It's not a "death tax" or the "estate tax," it's a silver spoon tax. It's a justice tax, it's an education tax. It's an equalizer tax. A patriot tax that helps to ensure Liberty and Justice For All. That provides for a progressive life for all of us. Those times... they're a changin'.
And what's all this talk about abortion? Yes, abortion is bad. It's horrible. Is there anyone in the world that's actually FOR abortion? Is there anyone that actually wants to kill kids? Err, I mean kids here in the USA... Iraqi kids don't count, ya know. I didn't think so. But wait... What's the federal government doing up inside that part of a woman anyway? Why should they be digging around up there? Why does congress need to start passing laws about your mom, wife, girlfriend's, pelvis anyway? Is that really a good idea? Don't think so. Stay out my girlfriend's crotch, Mr Bush. Party for a smaller government. How odd is that?
Most of my friends still don't see Iraq as a problem. They all sit around and talk about how we're over there helping out the poor Iraqis. How horrible life with Saddam was and how much better it is now that we're there. It seems like such a great thing to do and all... making he sacrifice of watching others go to war all in the name of compassion. It's a kind of magnanimous warm-fuzzy. "Look how great and generous we are. We'll sacrifice our lives to help you live a better one. Go freedom! Go democracy! Woo!" But they've never tried to understand the nature of terrorism and the counter-productivity of tanks and armed troops. They don't read the stories about kids getting caught in the cross fire, or the kind of horrible things that are going on over there. But hey, what're the odds of a draft? Oh... yea, ok. Forget I said that. Suddenly we're the nation of building Freedom's allies. Times have changed.
Or have they. Is this really the first time we've been down this path?
Here's a quote from FDR's chat 28. Found at:
http://www.mhrcc.org/fdr/chat28.html
There can be no doubt that it applies entirely to our present day:
It is our duty now to begin to lay the plans and determine the strategy. More than the winning of the war, it is time to begin plans and determine the strategy for (the) winning (of) a lasting peace and the establishment of an American standard of living higher than ever (before) known before.
This Republic had its beginning, and grew to its present strength, under the protection of certain inalienable political rights -- among them the right of free speech, free press, free worship, trial by jury, freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. They were our rights to life and liberty.
We have come to a clear realization of the fact, however, that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. "Necessitous men are not free men." People who are hungry, people who are (and) out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.
In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of security and prosperity can be established for all -- regardless of station, or race or creed.
Among these are: The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries, or shops or farms or mines of the nation; The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation; The right of (every) farmers to raise and sell their (his) products at a return which will give them (him) and their (his) families (family) a decent living; The right of every business man, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad; The right of every family to a decent home; The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health; The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, and sickness, and accident and unemployment; And finally, the right to a good education.
All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must be prepared to move forward, in the implementation of these rights, to new goals of human happiness and well-being.
America's own rightful place in the world depends in large part upon how fully these and similar rights have been carried into practice for all our citizens. For unless there is security here at home there cannot be lasting peace in the world. One of the great American industrialists of our day -- a man who has rendered yeoman service to his country in this crisis -- recently emphasized the grave dangers of "rightist reaction" in this Nation. Any clear-thinking business men share that (his) concern. Indeed, if such reaction should develop -- if history were to repeat itself and we were to return to the so-called "normalcy" of the 1920's -- then it is certain that even though we shall have conquered our enemies on the battlefields abroad, we shall have yielded to the spirit of fascism here at home.
If that doesn't define our current struggle, nothing does. It must be made clear that our current situation is not about just fighting a war, but about reaching a long-lasting peace and the hope of a better future.
Seems the more things change, the more they stay the same. So why aren't letting people know? Why are we letting Rove walk all over us? Can't we atleast stand for what we believe in?