When democracy was young
Does it strike anyone else as ironic that claims of wrongdoing in an Iranian election for a largely powerless office (the real power is in the Mullahs) is producing more unrest, by a factor of a whole big bunch, than did claims of wrongdoing here surrounding an election to the most powerful office in the world in 2000?
June 15th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
Naa we’ve always been two faced and quite willing to ignore our own wrong doings.
Tweak my memory here, what excuse was it that we used for founding the colonies? Religious freedom or some such wasn’t it? Then came 1659 …
“… whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, … every such person so offending shall pay for every such offence five shilling as a fine to the county.”
From the records of the General Court,
Massachusetts Bay Colony
May 11, 1659
Or if you prefer something more recent here’s a bit of a NIMBY for you.
“… 17 Chinese Muslims, or ethnic Uighurs, held at the Cuba detention camp. The U.S. government has struggled with how to treat them and where to send them — the government had determined that the Chinese Muslims at Guantanamo weren’t enemy combatants and should be released.”
Hmm… we can kidnap them then lock them up for years only to decide we done wrong but won’t release them in the U.S. or even on U.S. territory?
Then there is the current The times they are a changin aspect
August 2007 (on the trail) Obama says he would “reject the Military Commissions Act, and adhere to the Geneva Conventions.”
May 2009 (behind the desk) “…Obama on Friday revived the system of military trials for foreign terrorism suspects at Guantánamo…”
June 15th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
No, it doesnt surprise me in the least. The Sheeple went along with a stolen election with little more than an tentative whimper. The corporate-owned media suppressed even that. In fact, the Sheeple went on to re-elect Dubya and Deadeye Dick in 2004. It wasnt until their pocketbooks took a licking, that the Sheeple decided they had had enough. 9/11, two unwinnable wars, the destruction of New Orleans, and countless cases of corruption and incompetence couldnt hold a candle to the recession.
June 16th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Ironic? Possibly. But hopefully that is a sign of the difference between our civilization and theirs. That we have faith in our system and that perceived wrongs will eventually be corrected. If they aren’t, maybe our perception was wrong.
That or the fact that in the Middle East, protesting in the streets seems a form of popular recreation.
June 16th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
Ode to the Sheeple
How easy to just close your eyes
and wish away the truth
How simple to embrace the lies
and never ask for proof.
Oh, sheeple, you are so unwise
and eager to blindly follow
You believe the patriotic guise
Though the words ring hollow.
Here’s to you, oh frightened ones
whose fear and hate consume us
Here’s to you, your faith in guns
is greater than in Jesus.
June 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Substance22
Having faith that our problems will correct themselves is like having faith that an apple will quit rotting. It might but if it does it will be sheer luck.
If the peoples of the Mongol empire, or the Roman, Dutch, French or British empires had simply sat back and waited for the system to correct itself we would still be under the rule of the Khans.
Over the years we have been sold a bill of goods. First that we are a democracy and second that the very fact that we are a democracy means it is a self correcting system.
This country was founded as a republic, not a democracy. In a democracy each citizen has a voice, in a republic the citizens hand their voice over to a handful of representatives. Calling us a democracy was simply good salesmanship on the part of the government to make the people feel as if they had a real voice in what was happening. The rulers of this country are not ‘we the people’ or even the several hundreds of officials ‘we the people’ elect, it is the influence peddlers that wine and dine those officials. Those peddlers by the way are the same ones that have sold us on the need for two cars in every driveway, faith in the Lord, 42” televisions and $300 purses.
The Weathermen, the SDS, even (the original) greenpeace organizations were right, outside agitation is the only way to change the system. As greenpeace has proven quite nicely once you start working within the system you become corrupted by.
The problem with the Weathermen, SDS and like organizations is not that they were radicals, it was that they didn’t have a plan or any real organization… and they screamed the truth. Planning and organization was the only real difference between them and the founders of our nation or our unions.
Contrary to common opinion we have not been turned into a nation of sheep, sheep at least group together in the face of common danger. We have been turned into a nation of gentle narcissistic sybarites each in our little bubble of anonymity writing to our representatives and typing on our computers. To concerned with our own warmth and comfort to face the batons and mace of the ruling elite. There may be a few like Chuck or Steve who would be willing to go out to be mased but then comes the problem of where to find the followers.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
Good point richl. When people are reasonably comfortable, it takes an awful lot to get folks off their duffs. Too much to lose. Too little to gain. But what has been worth protesting lately? Do you protest Obama’s policies? I doubt it. Too much to lose. It’s tough to be an activist when your party owns the government, isn’t it?
“There may be a few like Chuck or Steve who would be willing to go out to be mased but then comes the problem of where to find the followers.”
Perhaps hire some Arabs?
June 16th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Despite what it sounds like I am not anti Obama. I am not real happy with Afghanistan right now but during his campaign he did point out that not only was he staying, he would be building it up. What I am against is his lying about gays in the military and the military tribunals at Gitmo (those were not smoke and mirror statements they were outright lies) and I really don’t feel those are worth a mass protest. They are however points in the ‘don’t trust him’ column which is quickly catching up to the points in the ‘trust him’ column. I say that with a bit of tongue in cheek because as I’ve pointed out before Obama is a politician and politicians are never to be trusted. If however Obama decides to attack Iran rest assured I will be in front of a federal building with my little sign saying “hell no we won’t go” or perhaps “Palaver Yes Pahlavi No!”
As far as protesters are concerned. We don’t need to hire outside. I know a bunch of Mexicans and Mexican Americans that would love to protest if someone could figure out a way to keep them from being deported. Sadly in our country today even citizens (naturalized) can be deported if they piss off immigrations. If you happen to be a natural born American like say Leonard Peltier or they’ll throw your ass in jail on trumped up charges then when your time is just about up they’ll change the law so as to keep you their indefinitely.
For those not familiar with him Peltier was convicted legally, if not honestly, of killing a couple of FBI types. Years later when FBI records that were kept from the original court were brought to light they showed that in the FBI’s opinion not only did Peltier probably have nothing directly to do with their deaths, the deaths were probably from friendly fire (if memory serves me) the courts refused to reopen the case.