America
As I drove home from the Indianapolis Airport two nights ago I listened to the end of a broadcast from the Commonwealth Club of California on how the right stole the 2004 election. The speakers name is Mark Crispin Miller. I highly recommend it.
From what I can tell he basically is saying that the domocratic process is broken in America. Not only was the 2004 election stole (nearly all of the elecronic voting machines were manufactured by companies owned by highly partisan republicans, one of which is quoted as having said "I promise to deliver Ohio to President Bush."
I don't think the main point is actually the machines or even that the election was stolen but more that the whole system must be broken for this to have happened. But I don't want to talk about that. The most interesting point that despite many people knowing about it no one wants to talk about. Why? Because This Can't Happen In America.
This is an attitude that I have felt for some time but I haven't really been able to articulate. I have found that many of my beliefs on the character of our national leaders to be rather extream. I actually believe that they are evil. I actually believe that they are trying to subserviate the democratic process in America. I am sure they are not the Dr. Evil kind of evil who does things for the sake of being evil. They are evil in the same way that many other political leaders, Stalin, Musilini, even Hitler can be considered evil. And no, I do not believe that is hyperbole. Ah, ok I am rambling.
Why are we so unwilling to believe that something that has happened countless times before in countless other countries can not happen here? Is it not a sign that the framers of our constitution took so many pains to prevent the consolidation of power? Even then Thomas Jefferson recognized that the only true prevention of Tyrany is the vigilance of the people. This is why he is quoted so aften as saying that public education is the foundation of a healthy democracy.
This complacency and arrogance is pervasive in our society. Attempt to compare America to some other country in an argument and prepare to be riddiculed for even considering the fact that we are not the best. The signs as to the decline of our educational system have been passed off with excuses of a "Biased Test" and how other countries do not have truely universal education. The war in Iraq and many other actions have been justified under the crusade of spreading democracy and the American Way.
Once the lie starts it grows. Think of the last time you were caught in a lie. Did you own up to it right away? I don't know how many times I have said a little white lie to save face when caught. Time after time I have seen it grow and grow untill the stakes are so high that owning up and admitting your mistakes is impossible now. The same thing has happened here. We have believed with our eyes closed that we are super awesome for so long that settleing for anything else would be admitting the whole thing is false.
This is the tragedy of a revolution, it needs a scape goat. Granted, it could be an evil goat, but it is never the actual problem.
I have no doubt that Bush will go down in flames but it is bringing me less and less joy. We need to address the state of mind and beliefs that have allowed such a thing to happen. In the spirit of such an inquisition I end with the opening the the Constitution of the United States and a challange. Read carefully the purpose of our constitution. Look up words in the dictionary if you have to.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The question is not "How are we doing?". The question is why do we not eat, sleep, and breath this sentance. The United States of America is not set on a piece of paper, it lives in the spirit of those words and the spirit of those words depends on us. I say one must now earn the right to call oneself an American. It is no longer enough to sing
From what I can tell he basically is saying that the domocratic process is broken in America. Not only was the 2004 election stole (nearly all of the elecronic voting machines were manufactured by companies owned by highly partisan republicans, one of which is quoted as having said "I promise to deliver Ohio to President Bush."
I don't think the main point is actually the machines or even that the election was stolen but more that the whole system must be broken for this to have happened. But I don't want to talk about that. The most interesting point that despite many people knowing about it no one wants to talk about. Why? Because This Can't Happen In America.
This is an attitude that I have felt for some time but I haven't really been able to articulate. I have found that many of my beliefs on the character of our national leaders to be rather extream. I actually believe that they are evil. I actually believe that they are trying to subserviate the democratic process in America. I am sure they are not the Dr. Evil kind of evil who does things for the sake of being evil. They are evil in the same way that many other political leaders, Stalin, Musilini, even Hitler can be considered evil. And no, I do not believe that is hyperbole. Ah, ok I am rambling.
Why are we so unwilling to believe that something that has happened countless times before in countless other countries can not happen here? Is it not a sign that the framers of our constitution took so many pains to prevent the consolidation of power? Even then Thomas Jefferson recognized that the only true prevention of Tyrany is the vigilance of the people. This is why he is quoted so aften as saying that public education is the foundation of a healthy democracy.
This complacency and arrogance is pervasive in our society. Attempt to compare America to some other country in an argument and prepare to be riddiculed for even considering the fact that we are not the best. The signs as to the decline of our educational system have been passed off with excuses of a "Biased Test" and how other countries do not have truely universal education. The war in Iraq and many other actions have been justified under the crusade of spreading democracy and the American Way.
Once the lie starts it grows. Think of the last time you were caught in a lie. Did you own up to it right away? I don't know how many times I have said a little white lie to save face when caught. Time after time I have seen it grow and grow untill the stakes are so high that owning up and admitting your mistakes is impossible now. The same thing has happened here. We have believed with our eyes closed that we are super awesome for so long that settleing for anything else would be admitting the whole thing is false.
This is the tragedy of a revolution, it needs a scape goat. Granted, it could be an evil goat, but it is never the actual problem.
I have no doubt that Bush will go down in flames but it is bringing me less and less joy. We need to address the state of mind and beliefs that have allowed such a thing to happen. In the spirit of such an inquisition I end with the opening the the Constitution of the United States and a challange. Read carefully the purpose of our constitution. Look up words in the dictionary if you have to.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
The question is not "How are we doing?". The question is why do we not eat, sleep, and breath this sentance. The United States of America is not set on a piece of paper, it lives in the spirit of those words and the spirit of those words depends on us. I say one must now earn the right to call oneself an American. It is no longer enough to sing
"And I'm proud to be an American, 'cause at least I know I'm free..."
you have to secure that freedom. Being an American is not a birth right, it is a state of mind with the aim to uphold those virtues that this country was founded upon.
I hate to end on such a definitive note but I have pretty much convinced myself of this.
I hate to end on such a definitive note but I have pretty much convinced myself of this.
posted by Craig Snoeyink at 2:37 PM
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