With their abysmal polling ratings, and the critical mid-term elections a mere 3 months away; you can bet the Bush Administration, and the Republicans will make the most of the terrorist threat so timely thwarted by our British allies.
Once again, they will claim a victory and tell us that they are winning the War on Terror. And again, at the same time, they will also tell us that we have to be very, very afraid, and that they are the only ones who can protect us from Terrorism.
However, as today's Green Button Linked story again shows; fighting Terrorism has not proved to be one of the Administration's priorities.
The Republicans cry out from their pulpit about their ironclad resolve to protect our country. However, the Department of Homeland Security remains underfunded and mismanaged, as we learned all too well during last year's hurricane season.
So why the wide disparity between their words and deeds?
Well, for one thing conservatives favor the status quo. If the conservatives had prevailed in July 1776, we'd be standing up to sing "God Save the Queen" at baseball games each summer.
And these Conservatives especially like this Status Quo. They need it to justify tactics like the Patriot Act and the NSA free-for-all surveillance, and their resolute devotion to their counterproductive foreign policies.
They are exploiting our frightened and mournful memories of 9/11. They are marching on the memories of those thousands of victims; and forgetting that they represented a cross-section of America's citizenry, every nationality, sexual orientation, race and religion.
They are exploiting our fear to justify their tactics, to incrementally further their political and Conservative Christian agenda.
They want us to be afraid. They need us to be afraid.
Because if we're not afraid, we might notice that they're doing big favors for their rich and their religious right friends, while nibbling away at our Constitutional rights and cutting back on programs for the poor and elderly; and on programs for veterans, including the wounded soliders returning from Iraq. So much for "Compassionate" Conservatism.
They need us to be afraid so they can lead us around by our collective noses. Then they can eventually tell us the Big Lie; that they are ordained by God to rule over us, filling their already bulging pockets with our hard-earned wages, and telling us how we are going to live our own precious lives.
And they need us to be afraid, because they are afraid. They are afraid of that which truly makes our nation great, the source of our country's glory and strength: America's pluralism. They are afraid of our cultural and religious diversity. They are afraid of free speech, free thought, and especially freedom of religion.
They are afraid because they want to hold on to their power and their money, and they want more of both; and history shows that Americans will once again stand up for their rights and fight for a level playing field. And we might demand that they actually do the jobs we elected them to do. Just imagine a government of the people, by the people and for the people!
So when Bush and his Party boys once again dust off and spew forth their anti-terrorism rhetoric in this election season; remember that as far as Homeland Security goes, remember that all they've really done is create another Cabinet department so they can give more cushy jobs to their ill-qualified friends.
Remember that they care more about profits then protection.
And remember what the War on Terror and all the violence and tension in the Middle East has done to oil prices, and done for oil company profits; and that the President and many of his cronies have ties to said oil companies.
And remember that those of us who are not rich conservatives also have power under the Status Quo. We have our minds, our voices, and our votes.
Once again. the super-hero, holy mission rhetoric is coming to an election season near you.
Don't buy the lie. Demand the truth instead.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
QUAGMIRES "R" US: Or This Is Another Fine Mess You've Gotten US Into W
What again!? I thought as the I heard the brief description of the linked NPR story on my way home today. Once again, the Bush Administration is dickering around with the definitions of war crimes, and tweaking their collective noses the Geneva Conventions, and the world.
Is it any wonder that North Korea thought it was okay to test their missiles, that Iran feels free to develop its nuclear program, or that Hamas and Hezbollah took aim at Israel?
After all, if Bush et al. can change the rules, why can't the "Axis of Evil"? By cherry-picking which laws and agreements which they will or will not adhere to, the Administration has declared a great international free for all.
Look at Iraq. Bush, ever resolute, wants the warring sanctions there to settle down, stop fighting, and live under a democratic government. But you can't bring democracy to the world when you're folding, spindling, and mutilating it here at home.
And you can't ask errant nations, or even anxious allies, to live by existing agreements and treaties, when you're playing fast and loose with rules yourself.
Bush and his minions may blame terrorists for all the world's ills. Under an ever less plausible guise of protecting us from Terrorism, they have helped shape the tragic situation in the Middle East today.
I realized the other day that Bush's "War on Terror" has legitimized terrorist organizations. Before 9/11, terrorists were considered extremists, members of dissident factions; they were criminals, and hunted and tried as such.
In Afghanistan, we brought down the Taliban and weakened the support and training camps of terrorists ( and unfortunately haven't done much to maintain that success, but I digress); a standard response to terrorism by the U.S. and other nations. But in Iraq, Bush et al. have achieved a retroactive self-fulfilled prophecy; for there remains no evidence that terrorists were there before we invaded, but they sure as hell are there now. Although I think most of what's going on there is really just the civil war (that the Administration still believes will not occur), with different factions fighting for control of the newly freed country.
Unlike the metaphorical "wars" on drugs and crime, Bush declared real war, and our tanks rolled into Irag. And Terrorists suddenly has status virtually equal to the status of nations and other sovereign states.
Now Hamas is the political party with control of the Palestinian government. And Hezbollah, supporting Hamas and feeling empowered; has declared war on Israel.
And let's face it, as the U.S and France try to negotiate a cease fire with Lebanon and Israel, we're really indirectly negotiating with the Hezbollah terrorists. They didn't have or want the Lebanese government's support to start bombing Israel, and it's not likely they'll stop just because said government, or any government, tells them they have to. Let's be honest here. They're going to want some quid pro quo.
Bush maintians the US stance to never negotiate with terrorists. But that's what happens in war, you eventually end up at the negotiating table.
He has declared war on terrorism. But terrorism, even if we only think in terms of the extreme Muslim groups in the Middle East, do not have national boundries, or cities to beseige. Factions
exist in, and move easily between, different nations and regions. Defeat them in Southern Lebanon, and they'll spring up in elsewhere. And there are other terrorists of diverse nationalities, races, and creeds all over the world. This is no traditional battlefield. And we can't fight this enemy with traditional weapons.
Yes, we can and will find a way to put terrorism back in its place and defeat it. After all, we are the heirs of that rag-tag army of colonials which defeated the red-coated professionals of a distant king.
But it will take more than weapons and patriotic bluster to win this "war." Unfortunately, President Resolute and his minions, don't seem to have any other tactics at their disposal.
This is a time for new ideas and strategies. Concepts that, unfortunately, are generally not the strong suit of conservatives.
We rode into this fight as the white-hatted good guys, the invincible superheroes on the world. But the Administration's policies have estranged allies, violated international agreements, weakened America's global clout, and emboldened our enemies. We've lost much of our moral clout and superpower high ground due to their shenanigans.
And our soldiers, along with many innocent residents of the Middle East, are caught in the crossfire.
I'm just a writer and amateur student of history, so I don't have any answers.
But I do know that "more of the same" is not the solution. Neither is "do as I say, not as I do."
And so until wiser and cooler heads prevail; I ask those of you, dear readers, who are also people of faith to pray, meditate, or otherwise as your beliefs dictate, for the hatreds to cool, for the violence to end, for wisdom and tolerance to blossom, and for terrorism to end.
Oh, and of course, stand up, speak out, and vote every chance you get.
After all, we have to do something.
Is it any wonder that North Korea thought it was okay to test their missiles, that Iran feels free to develop its nuclear program, or that Hamas and Hezbollah took aim at Israel?
After all, if Bush et al. can change the rules, why can't the "Axis of Evil"? By cherry-picking which laws and agreements which they will or will not adhere to, the Administration has declared a great international free for all.
Look at Iraq. Bush, ever resolute, wants the warring sanctions there to settle down, stop fighting, and live under a democratic government. But you can't bring democracy to the world when you're folding, spindling, and mutilating it here at home.
And you can't ask errant nations, or even anxious allies, to live by existing agreements and treaties, when you're playing fast and loose with rules yourself.
Bush and his minions may blame terrorists for all the world's ills. Under an ever less plausible guise of protecting us from Terrorism, they have helped shape the tragic situation in the Middle East today.
I realized the other day that Bush's "War on Terror" has legitimized terrorist organizations. Before 9/11, terrorists were considered extremists, members of dissident factions; they were criminals, and hunted and tried as such.
In Afghanistan, we brought down the Taliban and weakened the support and training camps of terrorists ( and unfortunately haven't done much to maintain that success, but I digress); a standard response to terrorism by the U.S. and other nations. But in Iraq, Bush et al. have achieved a retroactive self-fulfilled prophecy; for there remains no evidence that terrorists were there before we invaded, but they sure as hell are there now. Although I think most of what's going on there is really just the civil war (that the Administration still believes will not occur), with different factions fighting for control of the newly freed country.
Unlike the metaphorical "wars" on drugs and crime, Bush declared real war, and our tanks rolled into Irag. And Terrorists suddenly has status virtually equal to the status of nations and other sovereign states.
Now Hamas is the political party with control of the Palestinian government. And Hezbollah, supporting Hamas and feeling empowered; has declared war on Israel.
And let's face it, as the U.S and France try to negotiate a cease fire with Lebanon and Israel, we're really indirectly negotiating with the Hezbollah terrorists. They didn't have or want the Lebanese government's support to start bombing Israel, and it's not likely they'll stop just because said government, or any government, tells them they have to. Let's be honest here. They're going to want some quid pro quo.
Bush maintians the US stance to never negotiate with terrorists. But that's what happens in war, you eventually end up at the negotiating table.
He has declared war on terrorism. But terrorism, even if we only think in terms of the extreme Muslim groups in the Middle East, do not have national boundries, or cities to beseige. Factions
exist in, and move easily between, different nations and regions. Defeat them in Southern Lebanon, and they'll spring up in elsewhere. And there are other terrorists of diverse nationalities, races, and creeds all over the world. This is no traditional battlefield. And we can't fight this enemy with traditional weapons.
Yes, we can and will find a way to put terrorism back in its place and defeat it. After all, we are the heirs of that rag-tag army of colonials which defeated the red-coated professionals of a distant king.
But it will take more than weapons and patriotic bluster to win this "war." Unfortunately, President Resolute and his minions, don't seem to have any other tactics at their disposal.
This is a time for new ideas and strategies. Concepts that, unfortunately, are generally not the strong suit of conservatives.
We rode into this fight as the white-hatted good guys, the invincible superheroes on the world. But the Administration's policies have estranged allies, violated international agreements, weakened America's global clout, and emboldened our enemies. We've lost much of our moral clout and superpower high ground due to their shenanigans.
And our soldiers, along with many innocent residents of the Middle East, are caught in the crossfire.
I'm just a writer and amateur student of history, so I don't have any answers.
But I do know that "more of the same" is not the solution. Neither is "do as I say, not as I do."
And so until wiser and cooler heads prevail; I ask those of you, dear readers, who are also people of faith to pray, meditate, or otherwise as your beliefs dictate, for the hatreds to cool, for the violence to end, for wisdom and tolerance to blossom, and for terrorism to end.
Oh, and of course, stand up, speak out, and vote every chance you get.
After all, we have to do something.
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