I just can't listen to it

I did not listen to the State of the Union address as the sight and sound of George W. Bush makes me start to feel physically ill. Thus I do not know what he actually said. I would be willing to bet, however, that his speech was an incredible web of lies, distortions, and arrogant pronouncements of U.S. noble intentions vis-à-vis the rest of the world. He probably spent a lot of time on Social Security and how it is that it must be fixed right now, even though it seems to be okay until 2042 at least. Personally, I believe he fixates on Social Security to take our attention away from all the rest of the problems that we are facing: the soon to be failure of medicare and medicaid, the obscene national debt which just gets worse and worse, the faltering dollar, the loss of civil rights, the illegal detention of prisoners, economic disaster, and etc. At the moment it seems unlikely he will get anywhere with Social Security reform. But at least it gives us something to occupy our time while he manages to turn Iraq into an American colony pumping oil for Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, and whomever. It will take a little while before the full implications of his plan for the next four years becomes clear. Don’t hold your breath for the environment, Iran, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and other areas of neocon interest.

I observe with interest that an Administration shill has managed to be added to the White House Press Corp. Some fellow named Jeff Dannon, with no credentials as a newsman, now sits in to ask only questions that shed a positive light on the Administration. Whenever anyone asks what might be an embarrassing question Dannon pipes in with some absolutely asinine question aimed at changing the subject and putting the Administration in a positive light. Wonderful. I guess it wasn't enough that the Administration has been illegally bribing newspersons to tout their various programs, now they have infiltrated the Press Corps with a shill. Leave no dirty trick behind.

If that is not enough consider the issue of “minders.” Apparently if reporters want to wander around Republican meetings nowadays they cannot do so without being followed by one or more minders. That is, Republican operatives that keep an eye on what they are doing, who they are interviewing, and more importantly intimidating interviewees by making it clear they are being watched. Shades of the Soviet Union. Is anyone truly aware of just how sick our sick society has become?

It appears that Alberto Gonzales will be confirmed as Attorney General. Democrats have apparently decided not to filibuster, saving that option for when he gets nominated for the Supreme Court. At least I guess that is what they have in mind. If Democrats will not filibuster this appointment they should at least join ranks and vote unanimously against his confirmation, thus making it clear to the rest of the world that it is the present Administration that is declaring war on them and not the Democrats. The fact that the Senate of the United States could vote for someone who advocates not only torture but also dictatorship leads me to believe that we have lost our collective senses entirely. The fact that a known war criminal can deliver a speech and be repeatedly applauded by the Congress of the United States reinforces that belief. For the first time in my 75 years of life I am ashamed to be a citizen of the United States.