Over the last few days, with the release of the stories about
more tax cuts for the rich,
rifles pointed at peaceful protesters, and
the government recording my phone calls, I've finally admitted to myself an incredible conclusion.
Allow me to share this journey with you.
Everything changed on 9/11.
But not entirely in the way we expected.
Bush was told about the attacks.
But he thought it was more important to continue reading "My Pet Goat".
(I think it's the only time I've ever heard of him reading).
We were horrified at what had occurred.
We were outraged. We all feared that if it happened once, it could happen again. Anywhere!
Anytime!
We increased our police force at places like Disneyland and the Golden Gate Bridge
In response, the Government created a colored threat system.
That it used to boost Bush's ratings
The government determined that al-Queda and bin Laden were responsible for the attacks.
Anti-terrorism was one thing we could all agree on. Bush's rating skyrocketed.
And so we went to war with Afghanistan. Most of us were behind it. We bought in.
PATRIOTISM! FREEDOM!
We almost had Bin Laden, however we let him escape. But 'the goal [was] never ... to get bin Laden', said the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff on April 6, 2002. 'I truly am not that concerned about him', said Bush.
So, uum, what were we there for again? This is the question I have been pondering.
Then it was on to Iraq on false pretenses, and you know how that story goes.
Even with the plethora of scandals (eg. the UN plane hoax, the Downing Street Memos, and Halliburton), the real focus was never outside the USA.
Since then, we have had The Patriot Act, media consolidation, tax cuts for the rich, tax cuts for the rich, and tax cuts for the rich.
While the left has been preoccupied with Karl Rove's scandals
Tom Delay's scandals
Bill Frist's scandals
Jack Abramoff's scandals
Duke Cunningham's scandals
Tom Noe's scandals
Kenneth Blackwell's scandals
(Who else have I forgotten?)
The Republican congress has passed a harsher bankruptcy bill, a confusing medicare bill, and cuts to veteran's benefits.
Corporations are playing along because they are also seeing benefits in the form of lower tax rates, which translates to higher stock prices and richer CEO compensation. CEO Pay has hit new highs, companies have been making record profits, and media consolidation rules have been relaxed, allowing corporations to grow larger, further limiting competition and enhancing profits.
Meanwhile, on the personal end, personal savings are at an all time low. Consumer debt is growing at an alarming rate. Bankruptcies are at an all time high. 41.6 million people under the age of 65 don't have health insurance.
Our rights are being eroded under the patriot act, and government domestic spying. Our finances are being eroded by an economy whose growth don't reach all segments.
Meanwhile, we have conservatives elected to the supreme court to help ensure that progressive policies are stalled out or reversed, through rulings such as imminent domain (property seizure).
Cronyism is rampant, the rich slapping each other on the back.
You're doing a heck of a job, Brownie!
The ultimate neo-conservative goal isn't perpetual war -- the perpetual war is a distraction, meant to keep us occupied and continue to reward corporate interests for being sympathetic to the neo-conservative cause.
The ultimate neo-conservative goal is class warfare.
The rich get richer, and live outside the realm of responsibility, a place where dollars make right. They want to have their poker parties with prostitutes, golf trips to Ireland (paid by you), pay for play operations, accounting scandals (Enron), accounting scandals (Worldcom), accounting scandals (Tyco), and more accounting scandals (Global Crossing). They want to drill the arctic refuge for money (no link needed for this one). They want to sell national parks for money.
Note where it all comes back to? Money.
All the talk about helping you feel secure from terrorists? It's bullshit (9/11 commission), bullshit (airport security), bullshit (FEMA), bullshit (troop armor), and more bullshit (veteran's medical care).
Under the neo-conservatives, the middle class becomes the lower class, and the lower class become slaves to their debt (and thus indirectly, corporations). The high debt and low savings is indicitive of a middle class struggling to stay middle-class. The high bankrupcy rate is indicitive of them failing.
Your right to information on what your own government is doing is denied. Your right to privacy is denied. Your right to vote is denied.
Want to protest? Stand over here, in this protest zone. Where we will point rifles at you.
This is the real war.
The real war was not in Afghanistan.
The real war is not in Iraq.
The real war is not against terrorists.
The real war is here, at home.
Against people like you and me.
And we are losing.