Why I Am A Bitter Man

[babylonsister]

http://atlanticfreepress.com/content/view/3728/81/

Why I Am A Bitter Man
Thursday, 17 April 2008
by Stephen P. Pizzo


"Bitter: angry, hurt, resentful, because of one's bad experiences or sense of unjust treatment."
Webster's Dictionary.

I am a bitter man. I admit it. I'm neither proud nor happy about it. But it's not my fault, either.

Eight years ago I was annoyed, but I wasn't bitter. Being annoyed with government is the natural state of the governed. It's the catalyst that keeps politicians paranoid about what we're up to out here while they, hopefully, try to do enough things right to get our vote next time around, even if resentfully.

But bitter is a different kind of catalyst. It's the emotion that freed these former colonies from Britain. It's the emotion that motivated American blacks to come together in the 1960s and demand an end to segregation, once and for all. At the turn of the century in Russia bitterness caused the Russian people to put an end to careless, self-indulgent, wasteful monarchy. Before that, in France, bitterness among the peasantry caused a whole lot folks to loose their heads — literally.

In short, bitterness is a motivator — maybe the motivator when it comes to the forcing of social tipping points.

So, while I'm bitter that this administration has turned me bitter, I am crystal clear on the reasons why I'm bitter:

I am bitter because this administration led my country into a completely unnecessary war. A war they justified on flawed, and what history will surely eventually prove, entirely fabricated intelligence.

I am bitter that this administration has soiled, not just America's image, but it's very soul by resorting to the kind of brutal treatment of prisoners for which we once tried, convicted and executed enemy commanders.

I am bitter that after the hard lessons of Vietnam, a war that took the lives of over 50,000 of my generation, that this administration repeated those mistakes, costing the lives of over 4000 of this generation's best and brightest — so far — and counting.

snip//

Those are the reasons I'm bitter. And if you're one of those folks Hillary and McCain keep assuring me are "not bitter," I have only one question for you:

What the hell's wrong with you?

[hobbit709]

1. Damn right I'm bitter

[gateley]

2. GREAT editorial, babylonsister -- thanks for posting! nt

[UpInArms]

3. another great post! thanks so very much!

:yourock:

[livvy]

4. It could be a new bumper sticker...

If you're not bitter, you're not paying attention.

[eilen]

7. Bitter is the new black

Bitch is so two months ago.

[Beam Me Up]

5. Bitter doesn't come anywhere near close.

Just plane sick: :puke:

[aquart]

6. Nice disconnect.

The problem was with what he said our bitterness made us do. And that was incredibly condescending.

By the way, the bitterness caused by believing government would do nothing? That had to have occurred during prosperous Democratic administrations because that was when Americans decided to vote in the Republicans totally against their own interests.

See, he knew he was safe as soon as he said BITTER. Seems nobody paid attention to another word.

[Uncle Joe]

8. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, babylonsister.