Hello Kossacks! I don't write too very many diaries on here these days. Not since the `election.' I shelved my outrage and bitterness over the radical right's endeavors to run this country, its people, and the rest of the globe into the proverbial pit and decided to just wait until the American citizenry got a nice taste of text book-style lessons in humility. Figured I might still be alive to help clean things up - once the majority of the country became cognizant of the need to clean things up.
History is full of stories about countries who got too big for its britches, got too wealthy (and fat) for its own good, the citizenry too apathetic about anything other than each individual's personal comfort (real or imagined). And about the only thing that got the peoples' attentions was a complete implosion in their real or imagined `personal comfort.' It's interesting to me that the only thing that seems to bring a society back to realizing and fomenting anything close to a humanitarian objections in its daily works as well as consciousness is FORCED HUMILITY. When man is brought down to his knees begging for mercy, he seems to elicit what I consider to be a God-given drive to care - really care - about his neighbor. I suppose it is because actively caring about creatures other than oneself is the only option for redemption after one helluva spectacular drunken orgy the likes of which Bacchus would have been proud.
So, among many evils that the United States of America has wrought on itself (I blame the citizenry not any government or group of government officials - no matter how evil those individuals are), we are in a war for oil. And of all things, the only thing that has gotten the attention of the citizenry about the problem with a war strictly for oil (and other great loot) is the price of oil. It went up and stayed up. It's going to be a very cold winter. And even for those who can afford to keep their homes all toasty, I surmise that even they are a bit unhappy about how much it will cost - for the shere `principle' of it, of course.
I delight in hearing the national conversation. Finally, elected members to Congress are calling for troop pull out in Iraq! Pundits are calling for it! My co-workers who didn't bother to vote (working two jobs and still not making ends meet) are talking about this travesty we call the war, the lies of the president to get us into it, the toll on our military men and women. HOW TO END THE WAR is the national conversation.
Do ya thinks we might oughta want to actually SHOW UP IN WASHINGTON DC (real soon!) and conduct one of our previously ignored but heavily attended Anti War marches? Or shall we allow those elected officials to conduct the conversation and MOLD some alleged solution?
This is a call to the activist Americans who have spent the past 5 years in a state of horror over what is happening and we finally, FINALLY, have the attention of the citizenry. If we really want to end this war, we must take over the conversation and debate over `what to do' about fixing it. We have the eyes and ears of the majority of our countrymen. This is an unbelievable opportunity to change the course. But once it starts to warm up outside (mere months away), and your average American finds it more comfortable (heating bills won't be an issue), the country's attention will turn away. Oh and by then, the Bush Cabal will have us in a full-fledged war against Syria and/or Iran. And the flag-waving will begin cause, face it, those countries will naturally have a nasty response to our imperialistic war mongering, and boy will the meme, "fight them over there so we don't have to fight them here" take on new life. I guess in that event I can duck for cover and expect this country to learn the mother of all lessons about humility. We will be better for it. The lesson is unnecessary. I think our countrymen have had enough of their comforts ripped away. They seem ready to me.
The clock is ticking. Opportunity to return to a society focused on civic-mindedness is ripe. We need to get off these blogs and pile onto busses and head to DC and take over the solution debate. We have the entire country's backing today. Months from now? The national attention will have shifted. Shoot, if we can take over the debate, I believe that the make-up of the entire Congress come Election 2006 will be completely different. Why does anyone think that ANYONE in Congress is even debating this? Cause they care? GOOD LORD NO. They are worried about their cushy positions come election time. They are actually CAMPAIGNING to keep the status quo right now under the guise that they have a `problem' with how things are rolling in Iraq. It's all campaign rhetoric, folks. All of it. I am infuriated about that. Not because all of Congress is just doing damage control with the blood of our soldiers. I am infuriated because We the People are actually falling for yet another tearful and animated campaign stunt. Again. Ugh. UNLESS WE THE PEOPLE MAKE IT A REAL DEBATE. Unless the people stand up. The time is ripe for the people of this country to effect real change.
Are we going to act?