A Fine Mess You've Gotten US Into

Over the past few days, I’ve been offering contrasts to General Patraeus’ report to Congress. Given that only 31% of the American people believe him and BushCo when they say the surge is working and we need to hold the course, it seems that Congress should be willing to put a stop to it.

So why don’t they?

I think you can lay it at the feet of political complacency. The Congress is made up of men and women who believe in the system. After all, the system got them to what they perceive as the top. If, they must ask themselves, the system is functional enough to recognize my greatness and put me in this position, how could you possibly find fault with it?

So, in the same way as so many of the still supportive citizens (though with much better personal reasons), they refuse to take action in the belief that since the system put this president into office, they owe their allegiance to him and his administration.

Our political parties have done a great job of instilling the notion that failure to support a war is unpatriotic, and that the government knows what is good for the people
better than the people know, that far too many people truly believe that the only way to be a good citizen is to shut up and salute.

The only way Congress will ever take action against this administration is if huge numbers of citizens take to the streets in protest of the horribly, wastefully bloody decisions dick and W make every day.

Is that going to happen? As Molly used to say to Fibber, “’Taint likely McGee.”

It’s too bad Iran’s Ahmedinejad is such a fool. If he didn’t continually blow it with his exaggerations and side-slipping comments he would be in an excellent position to have had an impact by speaking frankly to the UN as he did yesterday. It is obvious to everyone but the hardest of the hard liners that dick and W would love to take Iran out and that a lot of what he said is true. No one will act on his word, though, because he has blown his political capital with idiotic statements about the holocaust never happening and his refusal to deal openly with the UN about nuclear development.

It seems to me that the world is as badly in need of good leadership as are the U.S. and Iran because any solid world leader would stand up and denounce them both and then maybe they could be reined in. In the meantime all us little folks can do is rant and rave and rail against them in the hope that the Demorats might find some backbone.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. -- M. K. Gandhi

Individually we have little voice. Collectively we cannot be ignored.
But in silence we surrender our power. Yours in Peace -- BR