American--And Not Proud Of It At The Moment
Posted by Number Six at 07:24, 13 Dec 2004I'm an American.
And, right now, I'm not very proud of it.
See, I'm fed up with the president. He's not my president--I'm Libertarian and I didn't vote for that bastard who's sitting in the White House; true, I have to admit that I did support Bush during the beginning of the Iraq war. Hey, I fell for the lies and I ignored what my fellow Libertarians were saying. It wasn't until I saw the pictures of children blasted to bits, Afghani and Iraqi children . . . killed by Americans, by American weapons . . . that I had changed my mind.
Face it, many of my fellow Americans are stupid or they have rather convenient selective memories. They seem to forget that our government had helped Saddam, helped Osama . . . and the other tyrants and thugs that the government has supported and coddled over the years. My fellow citizens blissfully look the other way as heinous crimes are committed by these people, since the government looks the other way; but, when the American regime decides to interfer, intervene, impose or what have you, out comes the flags and the blind nationalism and patriotism. It's like that annoying Daryl Worley song, "Have You Forgotten?" It'll be the neocons' "Horst Wessell March" in years to come. Worley laments that people have forgotten the 9/11 attacks.
No, I haven't forgotten the 9/11 attacks. Nor have I forgotten our support of the Duvalier family, Marcos, Pinochet, Qaddafi, Saddam, Osama, Samosa; I haven't forgotten all the other bad things that our country has done--to others and its own citizens--over the years. From the treatment of Amerinds and blacks, to Chinese coolies and the Japanese-Americans during--and after--WW2, this country has done a lot of bad things.
Hey, I am all for patriotism and nationalism. But, I try not to let it blind me.
One night, watching a news story, I saw this piece on American troops in Iraq, and they were talking about the elections. Most said that they were voting for Bush?
Why?
Because Bush brought back "pride" to America, to the American military.
Hmmmm . . . .
I'm quite sure that some in the German military were feeling very proud about themselves as they marched into Poland.
The thing that America has to understand is that having the might doesn't make it right and that having the might doesn't give it the right.
I know that some people tried to connect Teresa Heinz-Kerry with supporting "questionable" Muslim groups; some even went as far as calling her a terrorist.
However, many ignore Dubya's grandfather, Prescott Bush, and his close ties to Hitler in the late 1930s. Yes, nothing ever really came of that--but, then again, there was nothing solid on the Heinz-Kerry issue.
American hubris and hypocrisy is growing old, tiresome. The government's foreign policy has caused much of the problems my country is now facing. We armed the likes of Osama and Saddam and ignored the brutal acts they committed; the American government intervenes and imposes, not giving a damn about the innocent people caught in the crossfire, only thinking of the American agenda. Ask the people of Central America and Southeast Asia.
I don't know how long the American empire is going to last; and, at its current rate, I hope it's not too long. The Bush regime, while touting America as being a bastion of freedom, is hell-bent of shutting down some freedoms. They want to ban same-sex marriages and already Oregon and other states with medicianl marijuana laws are being threatened; Oregon's humane physician-assited suicide law is also being threatened by the regime.
And, let's not forget that Bush has to be one of the dumbest men on Earth. His neophobic views on cloning and stem-cell research shows that. My wife suffers from Lupus and I have brother who has polycystic kidney disease. Both--along with mnay others--would greatly benefit from those new sciences. I heard many neocons (C'mon, let's be real: They are neofascists) mock John Edwards' speech after Christopher Reeve's death. Now, over a week ago or so, news came from South Korea where a woman, unable to walk for 19 years, is learning to walk again after being treated with stem-cells.
I have yet to hear a response from those mocking neocon whores and bastards.
While Bush and others warn my fellow Americans of the dangers posed by fanatical terrorists who've hijacked Islam, America is being hijacked by right-wing religious fanatics.
The Dubya Taliban.
Most of these whack-jobs profess to know and believe the Bible yet they embrace the concept of the End Times, which most of you already know that concept was never in the Bible. These are people who condemn homosexuality because the Bible says so; well, the Bible also says that you can sell your daughter into slavery but you don't see that happening.
The Dubya Taliban would love to turn this country into a theocracy and I worry more about them than I do that bogeyman Osama. Saddam was never a threat to my freedoms--but bastards and whores like Falwell, Hagee, LaHaye want are a threat to me.
They oppose science such as stem-cells and cloning. Think about this: The first commandment isn't really pro First Amendment, if you think about it.
America is a good place to live; it's not the greatest country, the bastion of freedom--but it can be. I do have hope for it. But, Bush and his regime are twisting it into something ugly, pushing an agenda of America imperialism. Just as imperialism toppled the Soviets, the same will happen to America.
And, I tell you this: Speak of this with some people and you'll be called a traitor.
However . . . .
I know that not all Americans are blind and stupid. There are some smart people outh there. Maybe it's time we get out there and shake things up a bit.
Sure, we'll be branded as traitors.
But, so were Jefferson, Franklin, Paine, and others.
Let the Revolution begin!
Here ends my rambling rant . . . .
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Comments
Number 6 I think you should promote yourself to number 12.
You have it in a nutshell;would that many others did the same.
Actually I know there are a lot of good people in America working to straighten out this mess.
And remember that sometimes good people do bad things, which does not make the people bad.
I love America and have faith that everything will come good eventually.
shadows
5 May 2004
5 years 4 weeks
Waitasecond, a political post! YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO POST POLITICS ON DAILY GRAIL!
Anything else contentious we can argue - like whether we landed on the Moon, religion, the meaning of the Grail itself, whether the Egyptian archaeology ministry is really run by Alfred E. Neuman, or whether country music bites ass (oh sorry, we haven't argued that yet...) - that's OK!
But don't post politics... because PEOPLE MIGHT DISAGREE. Remember, this is a forum for alternative ideas of all kinds, but not political ones!
Personally, I'm quite OK with people pushing anti-global warming posts ... you know what, I don't agree... but hey, if we all agreed on things, LIFE WOULD BE BORING.
Perhaps the political threads are the most heated. I notice the most spiritually enlightened among us claim to be above this mere mortal fray, yet sometimes deign to pitch in, although occasionally Anonymously, of course, so they can hide...
There are those of us who think out of heat comes light... I understand our spiritual path is irregular but I consider one of its prophets F.W. Hegel. So please bring more heat...
Steven Mizrach
Academic, Pop Culture Junkie, Grail Recycler
11 May 2004
2 years 14 weeks
Hi Number 6, Hi Seeker,
If you feel up to even more heat, why not have a look at and make comment on the political venting I am now saving up for the Newshog blog I began a month ago?
Yes, I know this is unashamed blog-whoring, but I really do think you may enjoy the experience :-)
Regards, Cernig.
Very well said sir and bravely too! I offer my deepest sympathy as a fellow human being and can only hope as many do, that the curse shall one day be lifted. I bid you "fare well" then from a once perhaps Great Britain, a small, damp and rather sad little place, often incorrectly refered to as a United Kingdom. Alas poor Blighty, you have grown so old and sick.
You exaggerate a lot of things in that article. I don't see where the President lied about going into Iraq. Maybe he had incorrect information, but that's different. Also, don't say that all Conservatives are bad fascists because this is simply not true and you sound very ignorant for saying so. It seems like you simply don't accept their opinions. "Mocking neocon whores and bastards"? Hey, I'm not the one mocking people.
Your article shows that you are much like Michael Moore. Your exaggerations are not backed by evidence and it's just a bunch of hateful rhetoric. Sure, civilians got killed. It's a sad thing, but it's something that happens in any war. In this case it was mostly by accident. I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that most of the military wants to purposely shoot at innocent civilians.
President Bush doesn't hate homosexuals, he just doesn't want them to be able to marry because he believes that marriage is between a man and a woman. It's not only in Christianity that this has been the tradition for years. Marriage is a tradition created by religion anyway.
If you dislike the country so much why do you want to live here? It seems to me that you would be happier in a more liberal nation like Canada, France, Sweden, or the Netherlands. You bash this country and its people, yet you still live here.
5 May 2004
5 years 4 weeks
1. He didn't point the finger at all conservatives, just primarily those of the neoconservative species. If you are a conservative, you should read up on the differences between neocons and paleocons. You might actually be surprised that these people are in the same party as you, maybe even that they are taking it in a different direction (even George Will has expressed concern over this lately...)
2. Lots of nasty stuff happens in war, but frankly since about 1925 or so torture of the captured has been a no-no. Why is it everybody is bailing on Bush but "Torquemada" Rumsfeld?
3. The Greeks are one of the roots of Western civilization, and however apoplectic they may be today over Oliver Stone daring to suggest Al the Great was bisexual (and he was), ancient Greece actually promoted homosexual relationships as a higher form of love. Don't believe me, hit the books. I agree with your statement that it isn't just Christians that have problems with gay relationships, but I would also point out many cultures are quite tolerant of them. Look up the words "Lakota," "berdache," "winkte".
4. Love it or leave it. Boy, some things do never change. Friend, the highest form of patriotism is to CRITICIZE your nation. "My nation, right or wrong" always is the latter.
Steven Mizrach
Academic, Pop Culture Junkie, Grail Recycler
>>I haven't seen any evidence to suggest that most of the military >>wants to purposely shoot at innocent civilians.
Well, here's something for you, taken from William Gibson's blog (http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/blog/2...):
***************
"The October 12 New York Times offered this interesting quote from 'one Pentagon official':
"'If there are civilians dying in connection with these attacks, and with the destruction, the local as some point have to make a decision…Do hey want to harbor the insurgents and suffer the consequences that come with that, or do they want to get rid of the insurgents and have the benefit of not having them there?'
"As the article goes on to make clear, American officials believe such terror bombing will split the resistance. In fact, the whole history of air warfare says it will have the opposite effect.
"The point here is not merely that in using terrorism ourselves, we are doing something bad. The point is that, by using the word 'terrorism' as a synonym for anything our enemies do, while defining anything we do as legitimate acts of war, we undermine ourselves at the moral level – which, again, is the decisive level in Fourth Generation war.
"Imagine Mr. al-Zarqawi himself said the following about the suicide car bombs his group uses, bombs that have killed many Iraqi civilians:
"'If there are civilians dying in connection with these attacks, and with the destruction, the locals at some point have to make a decision. Do they want to harbor the Americans and suffer the consequences that come with that, or do they want to get rid of the Americans and have the benefits of not having them there?'
"Would we denounce that as 'justifying terrorism?' Of course we would – and rightly so.
7 September 2004
5 years 4 days
I love my country. I do my best to be active in the Libertarian Party, I support my candidates. Why? Because I want this to be a BETTER place to live. I, more or less, have been run out of a website just for having these--and other different--views. Just because you dissent--you now hate America.
Is that the sort of culture you want to promote?
Hi Number 6,
They play that game here too; our Prime Monster John Howard calls anything he disagrees with "un-Australian", and you should see the reaction he always gets.
There are people jumping up all over the place averring that they are not un-Australian and they wave the flag and sing the national anthem.
The most vomitous thing is when the Olympics is on and we have these kids in every ad break singing that awful song by Peter Allen "I Still Call Australia Home".
And according to our sportspeople, and I use the term loosely,there is only ever one competitor in any of the events and he/she is Australian.
....."and its Australia in the 4th lane bringing home the gold,Ausrtalia all the way...AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA YEH YEH YEH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!....Australia coming second for the bronze,yeh Australia, didn't we do well!!!!!!!!!!!!......and oh yes, some little country, America I think winning gold".
So I stopped watching the Olympics.
The world is a motley mob and at its most interesting when we see all the colours and cultures together where we can enjoy them.
If someone threw you off a website for saying what you believe in, you are safe here on TDG.
This site welcomes people with all ideas and beliefs as long as no one shoves them down someone else's throat.
shadows
find 2 friends who agree with you. that's called a cell. have them each find 2 more friends. never tell new members the names of people in the next higher level. read the literature. it's available online. organize. discuss your options (but only with members of your own cells). arm.
What a pathetically stupid article above about not "proud of being American!" And so you ARE then 'proud' of advocating that the USA should run away from what you also seem to acknowledge the US now must owe to the Iraqi people for quite so many years of 'nominal' (compared to your buddies France, Germany and Russia) cooperation with Saddam (or do we owe them nothing, ...to your own very shallow, selfish brain, of course,... and you call the American people "stupid?" Well aren't we just too precious about ourselves then?!)?? What sort of selfish, anti-mystic logic is it of yours which uses the excuse of the USA once being allied to Saddam (somewhat more nominally than you want to ever believe, brother,...and so ask yourself WHY you want so much then to believe it quite so strongly as you obviously do, along with the rest of the PEST control,.. eh!)?? Your own very 'stupid' politics obviously demonstrates your own true agenda, while mucking up your also too obviously just "New Agey" false mysticism (despite ignorantly stumbling upon dear ole Manly P. Hall, ...just as there is always some half-educated hipster 'cat' just a little out there out there ---in la/la land--just a little too obviously so when considering your foolish and morally bankrupt politics above--I obviously love the word 'obviously,' isn't that also obvious then!). SOo TOO bad,...you obviously spent such a lot of time in crafting your too precious site which you are also so obviously too proud of as with using it to wear your shallow politcs on your sleeve, fella, your morally moribind politics. But, in the end, you have demonstrated the ALL TOO commonplace, ...such as with your mis-interpretative emphasis on some very liberal-lefty foolishness of New Agey, fad-ridden "progressivity" by misquoting (extra-contextually) Hall's quoted statment which you've not so very curiously isolated for your own --and not HIS!-- propaganda purposes, way to go fella for showing us the mirror of your rather empty true self: "...Traditionalism is the curse of modern philosophy, particularly that of the European schools...," OH good, some more western-bashing (or should I say EURO-bashing, or do you think your beloved BUSHY, those who hate are bound to their beloved object, has the soul corner on that sort of thing then, you 'libs' are always the pot calling the kettle black, ya know!). Soo, KEEP the stupid, insipid politcs out of it fella, or be condemned forvever to the mundane world of the shallow and the truly ignorant (if you want "stupid,"...not to say the blatantly unoriginal which knows nothing of the actual secret history of the USA!)... DROP the shallow garbage politics from your site, Mr. Psuedo Progressive (when are you guys ever going to grow-up from your own fascist, utopian delusions resulting in PEST?!!)...???
7 September 2004
5 years 4 days
Fascist? Take a long hard look at tge USA-Patriot Act. Consider the fact that the Government now has the complete census data on Arab-Americans--the last time they did something like that was when they threw Japanese-Americans into prison camps during WW2.
Our government's foreign policies have caused us a lot of the problems that we're having now.
Anonymous,
I don't understand what you're talking about. I can see you're upset, something about fascists and being stupid... after that you lost me.
Joff