The political conversation in America is censored.
Censored by a form of consensual reality in which the really bad things this country does aren’t spoken of, aren’t asked about. Censored by “politeness” and “appropriateness.” The ultimate in political correctness. The acme in not addressing what is really going on in this country and in this world. The zenith of denial. The peak of allowing the illusion to continue that there can be “business as usual” In America while we are staging an illegal occupation and engaging in torture….all while the world reels ever closer to catastrophic Climate Change.
Diamonds or pearls indeed.
We don’t want to make anyone “uncomfortable.”
Especially by asking them questions whose answers might make voters “political consumers” uncomfortable. If we face the truth and talk about it honestly the consumers might buy another brand.
There are two different realities in play, apparently. (not that this is a surprise) The reality where these things are discussed openly and honestly. The reality where Bush is a regarded as a War Criminal, A Torturer and the agent that has allowed the destruction of our Constitutional Rights, and the other reality…..where he is merely a “bad President.” Not criminally bad, you understand….just not very good at his job. A reality where things like Iraq and torture ARE regarded….or at least the attempt is made to regard them as, business as usual.
The story of the Emperors new clothes was MADE for these times.
And it has gotten to the point where the worst aspects of this have gotten truly surreal:
Brian Kilmead shared his ever-so-evolved views on crowd control Monday morning in a Fox & Friends discussion of a Code Pink-disrupted Hillary Clinton speech. His answer to annoying anti-war types? Tasers or Billy clubs.
“They should Tase this guy,” Kilmead says. “At one point with security so high and tensions on edge, don’t you think they’re going to get at the very least Tased or beaten to a pulp by somebody? These people look threatening.”
Kilmead’s Taser-lust came one day after a 20-year-old Maryland man died after being shocked by police.
In other words, anyone who makes a candidate or politician “uncomfortable, should be Tased. This is the product of a consensual reality that has been created where we are required to believe that there is nothing REALLY wrong. A reality where if you tell the truth or ask a question ….RUDELY….about matters of life and death and torture and criminality. A reality where merely “looking threatening” or being angry at what is occurring is punishable.
Yeah sure, we say, the nuts at Fox News, big deal. But it is.
After 9/11 America was plunged into what can only be described as an altered state. We all know the details of course, but the symbol of that altered state has to be the Patriot Act, which as Kucinich has pointed out recently, many of our “representatives” didn’t even read before passing.
We are now struggling to pull America out of this altered state and return it to reality. To return it to sanity, to rebuild it after the Republican Reign Of Terror into a country we can be proud of again. A country for instance, where you can confront one of the people who have led us into this mess and ask them questions without fear. Where our leaders are held accountable and must face the fact that this is NOT business as usual. A HUGE part of that will be contingent on how much we face up to what America has done…..face up to the crimes that have been committed in our name. We all know that America and the world are at a crossroads where we can plot a new course. Will we continue down the road to a Fox News America out of inertia? Or will we go down a different, more honest road? A road where we stop pretending that everything will be ok if we just never talk about the things that are really wrong where we stop thinking that if we tase the child pointing at the Emperor to shut him up, the Emperor is actually….all facts to the contrary….fully clothed.
Armando recently and justifiably asked our candidates to lead on ending the Iraq Occupation. Being slightly less of a realist than he, I am asking them to lead on investigating and prosecuting The Bush Crime Cartel as well.
Kucinich and Dodd are leading the way, what about you, ‘big three?’
My question to those who are seeking to lead America: Senators, if you are elected President will you bring the full weight of your office to bear to investigate and prosecute the many and varied crimes of The Bush Administration?
Or when you take office, will we hear the same old refrain we have heard so often.
“It is time to bring the country together and move forward, not to divide it by dwelling on the past and opening old wounds?”
We heard this after Nixon and after Iran/Contra. And I can tell you Senators, that leaving these injustices and crimes to fester in our national consciousness is one of the reasons our country IS divided.
Each step away from investigating and prosecuting the crimes and outrages of this administration is a step towards denial…a step AWAY from national healing…a step towards continuing the fall of America as a great country and a world leader that we see it in today.
Only through admitting that there is a problem can that problem be solved, and Senators you may not see it from your lofty perches…but there IS a deep and damaging problem. We cannot continue with business as usual in these times. If you want to lead our nation, you MUST lead it in a new direction. To lead us in a new direction, we MUST face up to what America has become and deal with it honestly.
Are you willing to do that Senators?
If not, you do not deserve to lead this nation, in this critical time.
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(that would include me) are doing something about it: we are the ones leading here buhdy. not the senators.
it’s the manifesto project, even to RiaD urging everyone KEEP rjones2818 diary at dKos high up on the rec list for its call to investigate bush
what we are doing, all over the blogs, is telling people they are the ones who need to take the lead here. it’s up to us to get the senators to do their jobs. or find others who will.
2010.
and a thoughtful exposition to boot. I don’t want no stinkin “truth and reconciliation.” I want prosecutions and VERDICTS.
Then, we can carry on a conversation about REHABILITATING the motherfuckers and the mess they’ve left in IRAQ and in state and federal government.
Must be worn whenever any DC politician mentions ‘Bush’ and ‘crimes’ in the same sentence.
Didn’t get the NSA memo, Buhdy?
This is key to so many things. 1) No executive privilege allowed during impeachment proceedings means that the illegality of this mal-administration will be open to public view with no parsing, no court battles, and no immunity. 2) The results of open inquiry will show the depth of Bush’s depravity and illegal acts, hopefully allowing for sentiment to build for his impeachment. 3) Hopefully it will keep the White House occupied enough to deflate the insane push to go to war with Iran. 4) And last, but not least by any means, it will force Americans to revisit Civics 101, perhaps to learn of the concept of checks and balances.
Not to be a pimp, but please, all of you congress critters of all descriptions, and your aides, read Naomi Wolf’s book “The END of AMERICA” This is a seminal work on the descent of Democracy into Fascism. and should be read and understood by everyone, most particularly those who would govern.
BTW Great graphic BD, do I actually see a peace sign with the right hand and the finger with the left? Probably just wishful thinking.
They will not advocate for justice (impeachment) now, why in the hell would they fight for justice after getting elected?
I just can’t see it happening.
I’ll settle for progress on our issues.
To cut and paste myself:
Heh, I am reminded of my ‘666’ status on this here blerg when searching for that comment. Just a kindly reminder, always tip your resident Evil Overlord…
Cheers.
Well, I’m sure Patrick Fitzgerald’s happy as a clam about all the B.S. that he was fed by these assholes.
And if Nancy Pelosi says impeachment’s still off the table knowing what we know now, then all I can say is…
That is the question.
It is the same question as “to be free, or not to be free.” With Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty, or give me death,” it is identical as “to be, or not to be.”
Be.
is that the Democrats could win and win big if they used the obvious truths and went after the criminals. I believe they like this ‘reality’ they helped build it. They fricken’ turned it into the law. They do not condemn it and prefer for reasons nefarious to even campaign on the necessities of a police state and national security, whatever the hell that is. Law and order what a joke, the oldest in the book. The front runners all, when asked in Vegas, said that security was more important then civil rights.
Some responsibility lies with the Democratic rank and file even their ‘talking points’ come from the fictions of political reality. Sometimes when speaking to my fellow party members i think I’ve accidentally gotten on a Republican site or that they truly have been drinking mind altering kool aide. When the people who do publicly stand up like Code Pink or Cindy they are vilified by by the base or netroots.
I saw on TV last night a great piece of protest theater. At a Gonzo speech, a man came on stage dressed in orange jump suit with Civil Liberties written on the front, the police led him off quietly, another came on stage and unfurled a banner which read Habeas Corpus, he too was walked off stage. Gonzo stood silently. The crowd loved it they cheered. The audience is ready for the truth and would welcome it. The other reality only works for the already tazed and those who worship blindly authoritarian order.