Dear Goomis,
Dilemma? Mwaah? I have simply stated ad infinitum that America will not survive eight years of George W. Bush (Me, 2004). I am not particularly happy about this development, because this is the country where I happen to get drunk a lot. As to your point about the Bush years being over, they most certainly are not. I’m stunned that this man is still making decisions (if you can call them that). He just appointed a man who pissed away more money on this ‘bailout plan’ than, well…than Bush himself did in the seventies. Let’s be clear, Barak Obama only has about a fifteen percent chance of limping this country along, but in the immortal words of Leslie Neilson, “There’s only about a ten percent chance of that.”
The best case scenario for our county is extraordinarily gloomy, Goomy, but only for those material-minded amongst us. For the rest of us, this may be an exciting opportunity to live out all those exciting reality television shows. Lost? You better believe we are. World’s dirties jobs? It’s back to digging your own outhouse. World’s nastiest food guy? We’re all going on the Renfield diet-plan soon enough. Oh, and let’s see how long Survivor Man lasts in a Long Island Wal-Mart holding the last bushel of apples. I can’t wait for that one.
Many tried to protect their assets by voting for the Republicans in 2004. Some of us made comments to the Wayne Rogers and Ben Steins of the world at that time; I suggested that they use the money to build bunkers (Me, 2004). Now, a few short years later, we are facing an economic collapse, two endless wars, and a constitutional crisis. The trick is never to damage the constitution in the first place. The trick is not to follow Russia or England’s lead into an endless imperialistic nation-building project (solo). The trick is not to squander the credibility that this country took over two-hundred years to develop. The trick is not to tank a virtually unsinkable economy. Make no mistake—the damage has been done. There is very little to do now, except stockpile canned goods. The “One” is done before he even gets to bat. Hope is nice and all, but it won’t pay the bills. Hope was in 2004. Captain cardboard might have been able to do something back then. The times they are a changing, and the really tough choices should have been made long ago. Thomas Friedman continues to be a real leader in this department, and I hope Obama heeds his advice.
As for your comment about asking them (Al-Qaeda) why they hate us, well…I’m sure they have a host of legitimate reasons and a host of illegitimate ones—which still does not excuse one item on a terrorist organization’s agenda. This is another example of the FOX News fallacy (FNF). FOX paints anyone who questions our strategy as an appeaser and pools anyone who questions Bush in with the denialist squad. Pacifistic appeasers are rampant in the US and they function predominately at a ‘green’ level of consciousness. I have referred to these folks as the ‘Bake Al-Qaeda Brownies people.’ They are the main targets of the FOX News All-stars. It is noble to be pacifistic but unrealistic when it comes to terrorist organizations. These liberal pluralists are unfortunately the main justification for the right’s ongoing stupidity.
The republican agenda has coddled these corporate criminals. The Dems, not wanting to be outdone, have now thrown their hat into the ring and are predominately responsible for the current sub-prime mortgage crises. Our President, always ready to up the stupidity ante, has now compounded the problem by doing something about it. Hooray for George W. Bush, the anti-King Midas, the man who turns everything he touches into shit.
At the last Republican Convention, Duncan Hunter stated “America doesn’t apologies to anyone” (that was embarrassing). Michael Moore described pre-war Iraq like Disneyland (that was embarrassing). The problem with most Americans is that they only have a visceral response to one or the other, but not both statements. That’s the polarization of America under Rove; that’s the closing of the American mind. You yourself only here one side of the argument and at this point probably always will. If you are happy with either party at this point, you’re sniffing glue (Me, 2006). The Democrats scare the shit out of me. Obama’s going to spend? What money? Our deficit has reached a point of absurdity. Someone said that “people choose a party out of ignorance and stay with that party out of pride.” Never has that statement been more true than today.
I supported the war in Afghanistan, but watched stunned as our army pinned Bin Laden up in the hills of Tora Bora almost to the moment Bush systematically diverted 70 million dollars (without congressional approval) toward the invasion of Iraq (the first of many impeachable offenses). I knew then that this was a turning point for the United States of America. Iraq needed to be sanctioned, watched, and maybe even invaded, but not amidst the pleas for patience by inspectors like Hans Blix. I protested ‘Shock and Awe’ day along with three other people. We were beeped at, jeered at, and flipped-off by our hometown ‘patriots.’ I was made to feel un-American by the likes of Sean Hannity, a man who championed the long string of White House policies that have crippled our country. Sean has essentially been wrong about everything with the sole exception that ‘there are bad people out there, who mean to harm us.’ Very astute, dip shit. You know when I figured that out, Sean? 9-fucking-11. The difference between you and I is that I’ve figured out a lot of other things since then.
Of course, all of the blame doesn’t go to the Bushter; this is a systemic problem, but his catastrophic leadership during a critical juncture in our country’s history has dealt a major blow to our credibility and our future. He is the symbol of everything that is wrong with our country. Here comes Incurious George donning his emperor’s new clothes as he water boards his way to world freedom.
What hurt Al-Qaeda most since the onset of the ‘war on terror’ was the election of one Barak Hussein Obama. This did not cripple the top leadership of Al-Qaeda but it will help with the soft war, and it could hinder Al-Qaeda’s ability to recruit. In other words, they will have less people available to fly in the planes that crash into our buildings.
FACT: Every NIE report states Al-Qaeda is alive and well and many have reported that the organization has strengthened since 9-11.
FACT: Having two-story billboard pics of Abu Ghraib atrocities (sanctioned by the Bushies) in downtown Tehran has been a tremendous recruitment tool for those who mean us harm.
FACT: Instead of winning one war in Afghanistan, we are losing two wars. Iraq is an endless, billion dollars a week, stalemate at best.
FACT: We are heading toward bankruptcy. The American way of life is a crumbling house of cards.
FACT: To gain intelligence you gain trust. Every intelligence agency in the last two centuries knows this, so donning your ‘I’d Rather Be Wateboarding’ t-shirt only shows the world that you’re functioning at a staggeringly low level of consciousness.
Much to the chagrin of the Hannity’s of the world, stating these facts does not place me into the ‘Bake Al-Qaeda Brownies’ club. They are simply painful facts about the last eight years under our country’s gross mismanagement.
For the last decade my fellow Discordians have been discussing a series of events that, sadly, have all come to pass. Here’s what we’re talking about now:
NEXT FACT: Capitalism became super capitalism became super (imaginary) capitalism.
NEXT FACT: Now we are discussing the less pleasant aspects of a societal collapse…things like food and water shortages.
NEXT FACT: We have re-watched every Road Warrior movie, without popcorn, to prepare for the inevitable.
You’re prediction, Goomis, that the economy will turn around in a few months, is a continuation of the FOX delusion. Time to pull those plugs from your head and climb out of the tub any time, Keanu. You stated in your rebuttal that the last time you checked this was a democracy. Last time I checked, we had war criminals in the White House—individuals far above the rule of law. Like it or not our government is a joke and we have slipped quietly into banana-republic-land (BRL). You are right about one thing; it is time to look to the future…a future that will be very different than the “FOX News All Stars” are predicting. And, yes, they will call it the Obama Depression, because they are assholes.
But I’ll tell you what, I’ll try to make this my last rant on Bush (operative word, try). And how about I save your socialist comments for the next rebuttal? I need to buy some more pancake mix for my latest venture, the ‘Hot Cakes for Hezbollah’ program.
Sincerely,
Mick Zano
