- Citizens in choosing or having leadership selected for
them, would like to think that the man (no woman yet on the horizon) would
be articulate, educated, well versed on the issues of the day (domestic
and foreign), have a sense of humor and be able to hold their own on the
world's stage.
-
- I had a shuddering feeling that something was amiss when
the tragedy of 9-11 hit. Our leader, (after the first plane hit), went
about his PR routine. He continued to read a story of a Pet Goat. Who
was this pet goat, and what was so enthralling about the tale that Mr.Bush
couldn't have had Laura read him the ending that night? Was it a super-goat,
a malcontent, who wished he was born a stallion or maybe a goat who wanted
to be President? These three years later we are left hanging.
-
- Mr.Cheney, wasn't wasting any time. As citizens jumped
from windows, buildings imploded, and ashen Pompeian clouds chased citizens
down concrete canyons, Dick was being shuffled off to a safe secure bunker.
One of numerous bunkers, outfitted with medical-food-water-and all the
amenities of a five star hotel. An afterthought had us out here, with planes
crashing across the country, advised to buy some duct tape and plastic
sheeting.
-
- Well at least we're aware of our civil defense plan.
It reminded me of H.G. Wells, and the 'Time Machine'. We are the Eloi,
waiting to be the Morlock's supper. There's just something bizarre and
frightening in those presented as today's leaders. Cheney and his vulgarities,
Rumsfeld arguing the semantics of torture vs. abuse, Ashcroft covering
the bronze breasts of statues, the Terminator, now the Governor of California,
and our Governor (NH) riding around in a Hummer, ripping up sand dunes
in front of his home, to build a beach, and then, kicking to the curb,
all those who dared do their jobs in fining him! Yikes-and we're called
the "Live Free or Die State". More like "Speak Up and You're
Fired". Political speeches are now mere sound bytes or Public Relations
jabberwocky.
-
- A distant memory has us recalling the words of George
Washington in his Farewell Address (I don't think they teach this anymore).
"The unity of Government, which constitutes you one people, is also
now dear to you. It is justly so, for it is a main pillar in the edifice
of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your
peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very Liberty,
which you so highly prize. Many artifices will be employed, to weaken your
minds the conviction of this truth, as this is the point in your political
fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will
be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously)
directed, it is of infinite moment, that you should properly estimate the
immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual
happiness.."
-
- When I lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I remember,
in the cool of the evening (after the tourists were gone), standing in
the exact place that Lincoln had stood and reciting the Gettysburg Address:"
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent,
a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing
whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long
endure."
-
- "We are met on a great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place
for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is
altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger
sense, we can not dedicate--we can not consecrate-we can not hallow--this
ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated
it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note,
nor long remember what they did here. It is for us the living, rather,
to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here
have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated
to the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we
take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full
measure of devotion-that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not
have died in vain-that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
freedom-and that government of the people, by the people, for the people,
shall NOT perish from the earth."
-
- The point here is not one's arguments of Washington or
Lincoln, but the language and respect they had for those whom they addressed.
They didn't read the words of speech writers or public relation's firms,
and maybe that's the big difference? The words were their own and from
their hearts. People visit waterslides and spend thousands on obscene
theme parks, and give no thought to teaching their children the history
of the land in which they live. As a child I dreamed of visiting the site
of the Old North Church. I wanted to walk in the footsteps of history.
A friend finally (a few years ago) took me to visit this place and the
cemetery beside the harbor.
-
- And what speeches or words will today's children recall?
What words will they have to remember of Vice President Cheney or our current
President? Mr.Cheney has no problem using vulgarities when speaking to
a Senator. From various speeches of President Bush, besides, "Wanted
Dead or Alive, Bring Them On, and Those Not With Us Are Against Us",
we have the following from various press conferences and speeches:
-
- "As you know, these are open forums, you're able
to come and listen to what I have to say. Look, our strategy is to create
chaos, to create a vacuum.We will export death and violence to the four
corners of the earth in defense of our great nation. But as a result of
evil, there are some amazing things that are taking place in America. You
can fool some of the people all of the time and those are the ones you
want to concentrate on. This is a regime that has something to hide from
the civilized world. I will seize the opportunity to achieve big goals
and we will export death and violence to the four corners of the earth
in defense of this great country and rid the world of evil."
-
- "GOD told me to strike at al Qaida and I struck
them and then he instructed me to strike at Saddam, which I did, and now
I am determined to solve the problem of the Middle East. I'm the commander;
I do not need to explain why I say things. That's the interesting thing
about being the President. Maybe somebody needs to explain to me why they
say something, but I don't feel like I own anybody an explanation. There
will be no more protests if body bags return home. You don't get everything
you want. A DICTATORSHIP would be a lot easier. If this were a DICTATORSHIP,
it would be a heck of a lot easier. A DICTARTORSHIP would be a heck of
a lot easier, just so long as I'm the DICTATOR."
-
- "What's all this whining about the environment?
They're always talking about "stop the clear cuts". I mean do
the math people. If we were out of trees then we wouldn't have any clear
cuts to be complaining about now would we? You f---ing son of a bitch.
I saw what you wrote. We're not going to forget this."
-
- It's simply a time for citizens to get a grip. This isn't
the good old days of "My daddy was a Republican and I'll die one too."
We've got problems. Uncle George has escaped from the attic. Through hook
and by crook he got selected President. Uncle George is leading us all
down the path to Armageddon with his imaginary conversations with God.
His keepers on the government tit aren't about to stop their slurping at
the public trough. They're as mad as he is.
-
- With the recent news of elections being suspended should
anything untoward happen (who knows what God's told Uncle George) we've
got problems. We've got a man with his finger on the button who wants to
be a Dictator. We've got a man whose hearing voices from somewhere telling
us to war forever. Now I don't care if one is a Republican, Democrat, Socialist,
Communist or Eskimo Pie, we're in trouble. That's trouble with a capital
T. A President in a wheelchair is one thing but one who gets his orders
from a disembodied voice of God is quite another. Yikes.
-
- Dictators don't relinquish such all sweeping powers once
they have them. Most especially, a dictator who gets his marching orders
from God. It's been said that "power corrupts and absolute power corrupts
absolutely". Lest we forget, President Bush has made it clear, "I'm
the commander. I do not need to explain why I say things. I don't feel
like I own anybody an explanation". Our Legislators need to get off
their duffs and get thing in hand. Once under a "Dictator" they're
out of luck.
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