I think I will say this as often as is possible.
Our government is broken. We will not be able to deal with issues, from Iraq to health care or from ecological to economic collapse, until we (all of us) restore Constitutional order, balance of power and, most importantly, accountability and consequences in Washington.
I hold these truths to be socially and politically evident...
- The administration of George Walker Bush has been allowed to destroy our governmental infrastructure. And make no mistake. This destruction was done in order to outsource all major functions of our government for the benefit and profit of a few. We need to immediately stop the outsourcing of our military, our intelligence gathering, and our public education. For starters.
- The administration of George Walker Bush has been allowed to siphon power from our country and into board rooms of global corporations via sovereignty-sucking trade agreements.
- The administration of George Walker Bush has been allowed to TORTURE. Not just the torture of what Bush calls enemy combatants. It extends to the million plus dead in the Iraq debacle. It is darkens the homecoming of our troops who, broken mentality/physically/emotionally fighting an illegal war, are cast aside.
- The administration of George Walker Bush has been allowed to cast cultural issues like chum into the political debate. All to stir theocrats into a feeding frenzy over gay marriage and abortion et al. Make no mistake. George Bush could care less if you're gay or suffered through an abortion or had sex as a teenager. He does care about using theocrats as foot soldiers in his war on our Constitutional freedoms. What better way to kill freedom than to endorse those who would legislate their bibles, korans, or torahs???
Here I am again. Making more lists. But I believe these things are the underpinnings of George Bush's assault on America. Of course, the killer is the one for which I have no number::: The Senate's inability to force compliance with its subpoenas has critically wounded our democracy. Nobody is stopping them. Nobody is fucking stopping them. So why should they stop?
Let me wrap it up with this... it is imperative for our souls that justice be invoked and George Bush, Dick Cheney, et al be brought to trial for their crimes. It isn't optional. It isn't a nice-to-have... this is an absolute NEED-TO-HAVE.
We must have accountability. We must demand that those in POWER SPEAK TRUTH TO US. The only way to start to climb out of this mess is through the truth. We need to know how bad our situation is. We desperately need some orchestration and coordination of efforts at federal, local, state, and regional levels.
Warning.... using the words change or hope will not make it all better. We don't need a change candidate. Bush was a change candidate. You know... from democracy to fascism. Heh. I want a candidate who understands the work needed here is restoration. There is no equitable change, no beneficial change without repair of our infrastructure... our very foundation. It's like investing lots of money on cosmetics in an old house... you know, granite counter tops and fancy trim and hard wood floors and soaker tubs. Those investments can't stop a house from collapsing when its foundation is rotting away.
Our most urgent issue is restoration. We can not deal with the overwhelming issues that we face without a sound governmental infrastructure. We can't afford to wait and hope the next president will untangle these things. Those people in Washington need to know we demand these things NOW... because these things are evident... we need to be told the truth, to go after the criminals, and we all need to get to work, fixing our house...
It's still up to us. How this will go. Up to us.