What's really concerning to me about this country right now is our collective ability to have the wool pulled over our eyes due to our intellectual apathy and our willingness to let one or two key issues color every other issue. Particularly, I'm upset about the war in Iraq and the judicial nomination process. But what's most disconcerting is how moderate Republican and Democrat leaders alike keep getting played by this neo-conservative administration.
Let's not talk about all the lies and mistakes besmearing our name and reputation in Iraq, let's talk about leadership and patriotism. Let's not talk about judges with frighteningly narrow views of the constitution--judges who want to erradicate equality programs--rather let's talk about abortion. Both times the bait and switch. Why? Because hardly anyone is taking the time to do the hard work of trying to see through the smoke, or more ominously, no one gives shit because they're so tired of being lied to over and over again by nearly everyone in power.
I personally prefer to think of it more along the lines that Huxley articulated when he prophesied that we'll become "too busy with the orgy-porgy and the bumblepuppy" to care. It's what entertains us that kills us, and those in power know it all too well. Just appeal to a few hot button sentiments and no one will ever know the wiser. The average citizen can't be bothered with the truth when his faith only boils down to pro-life, or worse yet when the most pressing thing she has to know is what's gonna happen next on "Lost." Lost indeed!
It's frightening because the only way this country is going to change is if the people collectively stand up and call the leaders to task, hold them accountable, and we can't do that when most of us are sucking our thumbs in front of the TV instead of kneeling in the house of the Lord.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
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5 comments:
No quips for me? Come on people! I throw out some good old timey vitriol and all I get is silence. Where are my neo-con friends when I need them??
Amen, my brother.
I'm comforted that the Pope likes my work.
In a recent NatGeo (Jan 2006), 20th Century genocides are timelined. Who was the number one butcher of the 20th century? Was it Hitler with his 11 million? No he was a lowly 4th place. Was it Stalin with his 20 million? No, his paranoia only earned him 3rd place. What about Mao? Surely the crush of his Great Leap Forward puts him at the top of the heap (of what?). No, he would only get the silver medal in the butchering event. Interestingly, the number one butcher is not even on the chart. Somehow the slaughter of 40 million unborn children since 1973 didn't get the attention of Barbara Harff and Clark University. Is it possible that the 1.8 million who die of AIDS in Africa are but a reflection of the nearly equal number of children murdered in the United States by people who, for the most part, just didn't want to be bothered with the stigma or the work of having a child?
I loved Bono's speech, but methinks that until we rid our nation of this Pink Floyd's The Wall-esque baby-grinder, all the issues we have in this nation are just distractions. I don't know that any other domestic issue merits attention until we come to our senses, have the battle in SCOTUS so that it is again up to the states, and be done with tax-supported abortion for good. Maybe then we can, with a clearer conscience, begin to address the other issues.
Having said all that, I'd fancy placing my foot firmly up the a** of our President for leaving the border wide open and letting the UAE (which is to Mid-East as Switzerland was to the Nazis) have any control over our ports. Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...
Wow dude.
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