For those of us that have been following the flow for a bit and not pretending the writing on the wall was in Portuguese (we, being typically English-only types, 'round here) the announcement by the Bush Administration that the being built and or upgraded currently in Iraq will be permanent fixtures.
Oh, and "we" won't "allow" a "democratically elected" government in Iraq that "we" don't "like."
Well, I'll be. That doesn't sound like "us" at all.
Oh yeah, and Lieberman et al queing up for Presidential bids seem to be following in line behind. The whole concept that we've somehow arrived at this point in History simply because a bunch of recycled Reaganite wackos made the highest office on the planet is kind of beyond me. If Al Gore and his lovely bride of "Free Speech and Expressionism" (heck, you can throw in Ralph Nader, here) had made it, I argue we'd be in much the same boat we find ourselves today.
A) It's not like Osama and Co. decided that "Hey, Shrub made the White House, NOW we take the towers ...." Horse pucky. We're all in this one together, kids. Dem's, 'Publicans, Green Party, the lot.
Now Ralphy's response might have been decidedly different to all of this, but he would made us all out to be a bunch of commie panzies who actually might want to listen what the rest of the world has to say. But that's not how we grow up 'round here, not amongst many of my Monolingual buddies.
And oh, yeah, just a friendly reminder to my "real" leftist co-horts: if you plan to go out and practice your right to free speech and march and protest and "practice civil disobedience" (all of which I am willing to fight and die for - as well as being a major proponent and supporter of) don't be surprised when a bunch of folks who don't agree with you (from the "redneck" and his death theats down the street to the cops and National Guard firing rubber bullets, wooden dowels and tear gas at you) come after you.
Don't fear it, accept it as part of the War against this growing menace in our society. Arm yourselves with knowledge (legal, and otherwise), self defense - to be read as offense - (aerobic kickboxing classes, don't count shoogah), and have the understanding the reason why the Black Panthers "lost" is because they didn't have enough (or big enough) guns.
And by all means, don't cry about being shot in the face and back by some joker in a blue uniform with a sidearm. How and why would you expect anything different?
Pacificism works only in very specific situations, Michael Moore. Look at when and how the British left India. Let's revist history all over again.
I'll have some 'splainin to do regarding some of this ...
