Mikaela says:
It's time to pick it up, America. Time to turn up the heat. Things are getting hot in Washington, but we cannot be satisfied with the removal of a few Bush fall-guys (as deceptively satisfying as that may seem). It's systematic, people. Systematic. Keep that in mind when you feel good that the Bush empire is in shambles. The truth is that Bush has put key players in place that will be difficult to remove for years to come. I know it's a good sign that his Miers Supreme Court nomination does NOT look like a cakewalk.
But let's keep in mind how comprehensive his efforts have been in re-shaping everything from the global economy to the balance of global powers to the welfare state to the public education system to the exploitive relationship of corporation to the public and the business to the worker.
Today's story in the New York Times about a speech by former aide to Colin Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, that sets out what we all suspected and whisper about in broad daylight -- what Wilkerson calls a cabal between the vice president of the United States, Richard Cheney, and the secretary of defense, Donald Rumsfeld, to undermine foreign policy and pursue a neo-con agenda that has made the country more, not less, vulnerable to future crises.
Some quote highlights:
- "I would say that we have courted disaster, in Iraq, in North Korea, in Iran, generally with regard to domestic crises like Katrina, Rita - and I could go on back," he said. "We haven't done very well on anything like that in a long time."
- Mr. Wilkerson suggested that the dysfunction within the administration (secrecy, arrogance and internal feuding) was so grave that "if something comes along that is truly serious, truly serious, something like a nuclear weapon going off in a major American city, or something like a major pandemic, you are going to see the ineptitude of this government in a way that will take you back to the Declaration of Independence."
- The former aide referred to Mr. Bush as someone who "is not versed in international relations, and not too much interested in them, either."
Today's Democracy Now interview with former UN weapons inspector Scott Ridder is a much-needed reminder of just how bold-faced their lies really are -- all of those politicos in both Democratic and Republican parties who have hijacked our country and delivered it into the pockets of corporations.
Today's e-mail from Barbara Boxer demonstrates just how hard it is for well-meaning politicians to make any headway against the climate of lies and continued brazen attempts to capitalize on a bad situation to justify even worse choices (read: invading Iran and Syria, eviscerating tort law under the guise of "safety" of gun ownership as seen in the aftermath of Katrina, and pushing through more tax cuts for the wealthy in the name of "doing something" to help).
- She asks UN Ambassador John Bolton about his efforts to "eliminate the UN's Millennium Goals that would reduce poverty, improve education, reduce mortality rates, protect the environment, and reverse the spread of AIDS." Yeah, sounds AWFUL, doesn't it? Those are some goals that we just can't get behind, world. I mean, what good will they do US? But he doesn't answer the question. Just says, well, but the UN put those goals back into the final document! (Which if nothing else is an admission of his own ineffectiveness -- thank god and let's hope it continues!)
- She presents Condo-sleazy Rice (who Scott Ridder tellingly slips up and calls the country's Cheap global Diplomat) with a petition signed by over 100,000 Americans asking for a clear outline of our strategy in Iraq and timeline for withdrawal, and Rice does the ole classic bait-and-switch and changes -- yet again -- the outlines of our mission there. Turns out we went to Iraq as part of the mission to remake the Middle East. Huh. Funny. I've thought that before, but I never heard the Bush administration come out and say that. Would Congress have voted to go to war with Iraq over such a mission? Would the American people have supported it?
It's everywhere; everyone in Washington is winking and nodding, still, getting ready to send the sacrificial lambs Rove and Libby down the river; the information is out there to be had; more and more government officials are "leaking" and defecting and telling their stories; and there STILL is no momentum toward stopping the madness.
The fucking emperor has been outted. He's dancing around naked; the little boy has already pointed and laughed. We've all gotten red-faced, caught in our own complicity of cowardice, yet no one's telling him to put clothes on, as though there's just no easy way out of this situation because we all told him it was okay to do what he was doing all along.
We'd all have to admit that we were wrong; we were hoodwinked; we allowed it to happen; we winked, too. Well, I'm waiting, America. How many more have to die -- in Iraq, in Florida, in Mississippi, in Louisiana -- silently in city after city due to poverty that only gets worse as capitalism accelerates the profit-imperative -- slowly year after year with cancers caused by all the chemicals we refuse to tell corporations they can no longer produce?
So how about it, America? Ready to try something new? Something drastic like, I don't know, having a conversation about our values? How about reversing some of the trends to fuck the little guy and pat the rapist on the back with tax cuts and no health care requirements?
It will take a long time, strong leadership, and our continued patience and support -- and most of all -- clarity about our values -- absolute clarity and solidarity in our shared values, because we do have them. Let's remind those in power (not to mention continue our efforts to BE those in power) that we value equality -- economic, social, educational, and political -- above comfort, freedom above entertainment, justice above security (which has really only been stolen from us because of a concerted campaign of fear and an emboldening BY OUR political, economic, and military action of the very people they tell us to fear!).
Say it with me, now: equality, freedom, justice for all. For ours is the power. To take now and forever.
It's time for the emperor and all his corporate attendants to go home -- paid-for democrat & republican "leaders" in tow. We've got it from here, fellas.
Sorry, world. We'll strive to do better ourselves. Now, how can we help?
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