- Representative Ron Paul - physician-veteran - stated
the other morning on C-Span, "I don't believe I will be able to stop
the war". This was in reference to a resolution he had introduced;
that Congress take it's rightful authority in declaring war instead of
passing the decision on to the Executive Branch of Government.
-
- The madness continues, as the prelude to war is brought
to us in the comfort of our trailers or tract homes; popcorn, a sixpack,
some pork rinds and we're all set! The prim and proper folks, who live
in real houses, that we sometimes brush shoulders with in the services
of life remark with sniffed disdain that they don't stoop to the commonness
of watching television! Which leads the listener to believe that they
have just received a not too sublimable message that there are more lofty
pursuits in life for the intelligentsia and serious thinkers of society
to pursue in search of knowledge and entertainment! Sniff! One can only
think that if they held their noses any higher in the rain they'd drown!
Be that as it may, one is tempted (not kind) to want to remind them that
there ain't any of us getting out of this (life) alive!! Death the leveler
of class-religion-color and politics!
-
- Television is for the programming and conditioning of
the herd, the masses, human resources, breeders et. al. The more abstract,
ethereal, political and economic consequences (not suffering) are best
discussed in debates, in upscale bars, the club, or invited gatherings.
Now, perchance you are not one of this fortunate inner-circle of thoroughbreds,
and aren't into pork rinds and beer, you'll have to search the world
over for others like yourself, who had the audacious gall, to become literate
with the rare quality of possessing critical thinking skills!
-
- And so, many of us are caught in Limbo, mostly isolated
in the communities where we live, thinking that perhaps we've gone mad...this
couldn't all be happening....it's all an insane nightmare! Cluster bombs,
nuclear bombs, micro-wave weapons, etc., all being discussed in cavalier,
mocking joviality for the supposed reasonings of "liberating"
a demoralized, dusty people into McFreedom-McLiberty-and McJustice for
all! How you annihilate and vaporize the multitudes into any semblance
of 'free at last' is not explained? How do you bomb a country into democracy?
If Iraq was the leading supplier of lima beans to the world would we be
so strident in freeing the people? What a coincidence that they sit on
30% of the world's gas and oil reserves. But, who's thinking oil at a
time like this? Amazingly, due to the clever manipulation of language,
70% of Americans now believe that Saddam was responsible for the horror
of 9-11!! "The great masses of the people...will more easily fall
victims to a great lie than to a small one. What luck for rulers that men
do not think. Altogether, care should be taken not to regard the masses
as stupider than they are". Hitler
-
- TV is no help! C-Span has Marie calling in from Connecticut
asking (with the nation on high orange alert) if this will interfere with
her family's plans to visit Disney World? Now there's a worry!! George
from Chicago, playing the thug remarked, "Someone should tell these
people to look out their windows and see what's coming!" Marie, obviously
having given the issue much thought says, "I say step on 'em...step
on 'em and wipe 'em out for good!" Switch the channel and we have
the Mayor of New York telling people to go about their lives and leave
the worry of attacks up to the professionals. Huh! one wonders? What happened
to all this professionalism, with billions upon billions spent for defense
and 'intelligence', on Sept 11--2001? Are $1.29 box cutters considered
weapons of mass destruction? Where are the pork rinds when you need'em?
-
- Pictures show men in helmets with M-16s (I guess, not
being a weapons person) standing at subway entrances, in front of tunnels,
bridges etc. The instructions are that 'soft targets', like apartment buildings,
recreation areas, hotels, restaurants or any places of gathering might
be the targets! I check my list. This ominous message is cut off as a
commercial comes on. A goofy, slovenly man is shown trying to stuff herbs
into an oversized gelatin capsule with the message given; "How do
they do it? Metamucil, stay regular the natural way." Next, a scene
of Australia and beaches advising to get away for just $1,499.00.
-
- Drum roll, music, back to "America on Alert".
The news room has been turned into what is referred to as a Situation
Room! Someone with imagination has the map of the whole middle-east drawn
out on the floor! An 'expert' with a pointer jumps from country to country
explaining what he thinks the strategy will be in troop movements! I'm
feeling a little better knowing that I've been invited into the Situation
Room getting the inside scoop on why the Kurds might be just a little
nervous with Turkish troops gathering on their border. A quick skip and
the expert is now standing on Iran with the announcement that they've
been advised to just mind their own business! COMMERCIAL.....An upscale,
successful white male, lounging in the library of his sumptuous home overlooking
manicured gardens, leans back in his leather chair and remarks, "I
can relax now knowing Merrill Lynch has my investments under control"
Then, a sleek black car is shown driving through back road estates, advises
to drive the ultimate machine, a BMW series!
-
- Graphics, drum roll----"other targets may be nightclubs,
power plants, or train stations!" Mr.Ridge advises citizens to just
go on living their lives or the terrorists would have won. Harumph! The
devil's in the details I think to myself. With retina scans, cameras, triplicate
ID, the elderly being stripped searched in airports, car searches, black
listing at borders, helmeted troops on streets, etc., somebody got things
a bit mixed up! We, Americans, the focus of all this scrutiny are the
victims not the enemy! Duh! If freedom's are gone, how should I feel more
secure on that next trip to Disney, the yacht club or golfing??
-
- Israel is shown, and the preparations in civil defense
that are being conveyed to their citizens. School children are shown being
taught how to put on gas masks (which every citizen is supplied with) and
evacuation routes. Mr.Ridge comes on again and starts to say something
about American families having a plan to call each other on the phone
in case anything should happen, but he got abruptly cut off with another
commercial. " Embarrassed over unsightly facial hair---send for this
pen shaped hair remover, 'Finishing Touch' for only $14.99. And if you
act now, get a hair wrap and mirror absolutely free". Music, another
slick car, off to some place exciting, "Toyota Matrix.....get the
feeling". Well, at least I can relate to the Matrix part. They never
did get back to Mr.Ridge and his contingency plans for us!! Well, I'm leaving
it to the professionals!
-
- "But I don't want to go among mad people, Alice
remarked. 'Oh, you can't help that', said the Cat: 'we're all mad here.
I'm mad. You're mad'. 'How do you know I'm mad?' said Alice. 'You must
be' said the Cat 'or you wouldn't have come here'. Alice didn't think that
proved it at all; however she went on 'And how do you know that you're
mad?' 'To begin with,' said the Cat, 'a dog's not mad. You grant that?'
'I suppose so', said Alice. 'Well, then', the Cat went on, 'you see, a
dog growls when it's angry, and wags its tail when it's pleased. Now I
growl when I'm pleased, and wag my tail when I'm angry. Therefore I'm mad'.
Alice in Wonderland
|
