[Cross-posted at The Left Coaster.]
The United States is engaged in a scarily stupid proxy border war with Pakistan, just another insane element of its tragic blood-drenched war in Afghanistan. Sovereign borders, congressional approval, remote drone warfare, impossible regional political constraints, go for it anyway, my American Democratic DC brothers, what could possibly go wrong?
Beyond outraged local Pakistan political elements shut down the American Afghan supply route recently after a drone strike went awry (as the very good John Cole of Balloon Juice just said, we’ve become so sickly lost in space when the US thinks aerial bombing works for anything, anywhere), which resulted in a stall of many fuel trucks, which just so happened to spectacularly blow up, many tens of thousands of $50 a gallon gasoline erupting in a roaring conflagration so fitting in result for US foreign and environmental policy.
Because we think killing children by accident for macho political posturing and petroleum resources that deliver the delightful twofer of killing the planet along with trillions in cost is the American Way we ignore our own people, even to the point of ignoring critical infrastructure elements. Bridges fall down, tunnels don’t get built, pipelines don’t get maintained.
The little people of San Bruno—just 21 miles from here--found out last month in ways beyond horror how brutal American regard for the lives her own people really is, terrible deregulation and sick political neglect has weakened our public utility for electricity and natural gas here in California. Even to the point of ignoring screamingly dangerous gas pipeline maintenance, a San Bruno neighborhood of fine American homes reeked for weeks of the appalling danger but, well, America has just lost her way for too long in too many ways, you know?
Near 280 at the exit I use to go Pacific fishing that San Bruno neighborhood blew up even more violently than that fuel convoy in Pakistan, screaming death and destruction for regular Americans engulfing approximately 150 homes, cherished loved ones, homes, dreams and pets engulfed in roaring flames because America cares about drones, not little people pipelines.
"That was my Father’s house," an attractive woman close to my age said brokenly at a shelter, tears streaming down her face. "I did so much there, he died there..."
"At least we’re alive," her mother said, trying but failing to be sound stalwart. Her daughter simply cried harder, bewildered that being alive could just bring so much horror. Assuming everything goes perfectly for that woman in trying to piece together the shattered material and emotional lives of her mother and herself (we all know it won’t be close, not hardly), what her state and country put her through will knife her soul and American perspective for life.
I do get so tired of the patently absurd notion that folks can get over whatever life inflicts upon them. Shattered lives and corpses litter policy scenes everywhere, many of our people will never get over it or be remotely close to being whole and happy again. Choices were made for these outcomes and the knowledge will emotionally smash many of our folks, just as surely as other choices keep the cardboard-encased coffins flying home.
I get interesting emails from Chris Bowers, Markos Moulitsas, Joe Biden and Barack Obama telling me what I can do for Democratic Party 2010 midterm election victory. I read from Glenzilla how Republican-like loyalty to The Leader is shutting up most liberal Democrats. I know it’s my duty to do something to keep the horrifying Republicans from winning, no matter how small, but very surprisingly all I can do is leave a few turd comment bombs at Daily Kos.
I’m not trying to be combative or provocative, so seriously, but all I can say to those who would plead to me in whatever form for action and Democratic advocacy, well, after long contemplation and refined sifting of conflicting political and moral duties I have this answer for y’all: my head is not a television set.
Really. I have one, of course, and while it shows me Obama administration officials comically transfixed with Fox News and roaring obliterating policy explosions in Pakistan and San Bruno unlike that infernal box from hell I have a memory, I actually do, I won’t forget the flames and explosions.
I haven’t forgotten what we did to that woman and her Father’s house in San Bruno, or any of the smashed and broken human lives that litter our Obama Administration policies. No, I won’t ever forget, either.
America will get my straight Democratic Party 2010 vote ticket along with a ballot to legalize marijuana, hey attorney general Holder, thanks for another stupid Obama administration move. Kiss my tight white ass, too, fool.
That’s all I can do, no more. When the roaring exploding flames that crush human lives stop perhaps I’ll change too.