D. Parvaz: Why Stephen Colbert is my hero (Seattle P-I)

[regnaD kciN]

America is content to sit back while an unjust war roars. It has watched its poor float by on logs while their homes sink and oil companies post record profits while charging consumers historically high prices. The oil companies tell us the commodities markets set the prices -- so it's out of their hands, see? Wonder what would happen if the market stopped supporting such prices, you know, if we drastically cut back our oil consumption. Marches and demonstrations are great, but they don't work when the government we support -- if only by virtue of paying taxes and voting in small numbers -- is designed to ignore them. Money is the only language this administration understands.

It's like the country with a proud history of revolution doesn't exist anymore. What did Bush call the millions of protesters who marched against the war in Iraq? A "focus group," and he was damned if he was going to let it shape policy. The world watches as we fail to bring about real change here while at the same time we insist we know what's best in the Middle East.

Given that this is the state of things, you could look at Colbert's address as just a monologue that didn't deliver the belly laughs you were hoping for.

Or you could look at it as a battle cry from the court jester, who chose action over complacency.

More here.

[katinmn]

1. Nice! Like how Parvaz directed people to the site, too

P-I has some great writers!