Are They Trying to Kill Us?

Young man Halloween-costumed
as breathalyzer test, arrested
for drunk driving, blows 0.158.

One often raised objection to a change in our dysfunctional health care rackets is that we can’t afford it. Got that? We can’t afford health care. We can afford a “war” in Iraq that costs billions upon billions, another “war” in Afghanistan that costs more billions, a dismally failed “war on drugs” that costs billions, tax breaks for the filthy rich who do not need them that costs more billions, an “empire” that stretches around the world and costs billions, a defense budget that costs even more billions year after year, and we can’t afford health care for our citizens? Words like “pathetic,” “insane,” “stupid,” “absurd,” “ridiculous,” “disgusting,” and even “obscene,” do not even begin to describe how unutterably awful this is. And when you realize that most of the above expenses are not even necessary to begin with it gets even worse. The war in Iraq was completely unnecessary (and even illegal and a war crime), what should have been a police action in Afghanistan somehow became a war, the war on drugs is, and has been a dismal failure for years, we do not need 1000 or so bases around the world, especially in places like Germany and Japan, the tax breaks for the obscenely rich were certainly unnecessary. What does this tell you about American priorities? It tells me we are a bunch of pitifully stupid people who have no understanding of right and wrong, no empathy for suffering humanity, and no genuine sense of community. Our society has been increasingly dysfunctional for years and we are now paying the price for our inexcusable stupidity and short-sightedness.

There is also, at the moment, a problem that seems to have not yet registered with most of us. Namely, the Republican party, not content to be the party of “no,” is now actively trying to kill us (and I guess everyone else on the planet as well). Global warming is known to be a serious (even more than serious) threat to our planet. This is not a joke. The vast majority of our scientists, and scientists from all around the world, recognize this is happening and threatens our very existence. Democrats, who are currently in power in Washington, D.C., have been holding meetings to discuss this crisis (and it is a genuine crisis) and pass legislation that might lessen this dire threat. They can do nothing, however, unless at least two Republicans attend the meetings. Republicans are deliberately sending only one representative at a time, thus blocking any conceivable action that might be taken. This is irresponsible beyond belief and is, in fact, a threat to our very existence. They might as well be holding guns to our heads and insisting we just go quietly to our deaths. Granted global warming is not going to kill us all tomorrow, or next month, or even next year, but if left unchecked it is going to kill us, or certainly a great many of us. So why are Republicans doing this? You might say some of them are doing it because they are ignorant and uninformed, and don’t believe it is happening. Some think it might be happening but human activity has nothing to do with it. Some might be informed but simply don’t believe in science. But you can safely bet that the most basic reason they are resisting action on global warming is because they are getting lots of money from corporations who stand to lose money if any restrictions are placed upon their profit-driven, greedy, destructive enterprises. It is, alas, the American way.

Ah, yes, the elections yesterday. The ones Republicans are claiming were a referendum on Obama and predict how the vote will go in 2010, and even 2012. Obama, they claim, was the big loser, because two governorships went to Republicans and blah, blah, blah. This is known as “spin” nowadays. Actually, these elections most likely had nothing to do with Obama. And if they did, Obama probably came out the winner. Corzine in New Jersey was an unpopular governor and was quite a way behind his opponent in the early polls. Obama campaigned a bit for him, the result being he lost, but not by the large margin that had been predicted. Bloomberg is widely regarded as perhaps the best mayor of New York ever. As he also spent more than 100 millions of his own fortune it is not at all surprising that he won. You simply cannot use these two examples to demonstrate that Obama lost anything. Furthermore the exit polls made it clear that most voters said Obama had nothing to do with their votes. In California democrats picked up a seat in Congress that was pretty much expected. What was not expected was that the 23rd district in New York would elect a democrat for the first time since the Civil War. How can it be spun that Obama lost anything? The one truly disappointing vote was in Maine, where they proved they were every bit as bigoted as people in California. Obama had nothing to do with this vote. This is my interpretation of the votes. You may not agree with it, but it is an interpretation and not simply spin. Genuine attempts at interpretation are seldom if ever attempted by Republicans and their media puppets, preferring instead just more and more spin (lies) with no foundation or explanation whatsoever. I do not believe the elections of yesterday had anything to do with President Obama, nothing at all, but if Republicans want to believe they have already won in 2010 and 2012, that’s fine with me. But I truly wish they weren’t trying to kill me in the meantime.

LKBIQ:
There are no facts, only interpretations.
Friedrich Nietzsche

TILT:
Leon Trotsky was born Lev Davidovich Bronstein.