The monster years by Paul Krugman

[Demeter]

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/the-monster-years/


Last night wasn’t just a victory for tolerance; it wasn’t just a mandate for progressive change; it was also, I hope, the end of the monster years.

What I mean by that is that for the past 14 years America’s political life has been largely dominated by, well, monsters. Monsters like Tom DeLay, who suggested that the shootings at Columbine happened because schools teach students the theory of evolution. Monsters like Karl Rove, who declared that liberals wanted to offer “therapy and understanding” to terrorists. Monsters like Dick Cheney, who saw 9/11 as an opportunity to start torturing people.

And in our national discourse, we pretended that these monsters were reasonable, respectable people. To point out that the monsters were, in fact, monsters, was “shrill.”

Four years ago it seemed as if the monsters would dominate American politics for a long time to come. But for now, at least, they’ve been banished to the wilderness.

[LaurenG]

1. Yay Paul!

:bounce:

[movonne]

2. This is one great article...

[formercia]

3. A sane voice.

It's good to be right all along.

[kath]

4. "And in our national discourse, we pretended that these monsters were reasonable, respectable people

To point out that the monsters were, in fact, monsters, was 'shrill.'”


One of the worst parts of the whole freakin' nightmare...

[PinkoDonkey]

5. Reality is reality again

Not sure if I know how to handle a political environment in which reality is reality again. Don't think I've ever experienced it!

[UpInArms]

6. this column made me go and look up what I had written in 2002

Friday, June 21, 2002

"There Ought to be Limits to Freedom!"~George W Bush
(at a Press conference at the Texas State House, May 21, 1999)

America's Dark Heart

by Bridget Gibson

There's no excuse anymore. It is apparent that the elected representatives in the Senate and the House of Representatives are doing their constituents bidding. Within a majority of the citizens of this nation lies a murderous heart.

You have silently or vocally called upon your representatives to destroy our future. You have wantonly allowed the warmonger attitudes to take control of the agenda of this country. You have supported the killing and the destruction of anything that is ‘different' from you.

A letter or a phone call has proved too great a task. Your voices of dissent have remained tucked in some closet. The rule of law means nothing to you. You allow a fascist regime to ram the United States Constitution into the trash can of history. You should be ashamed. You do not deserve to be a free people and you are getting your desire.

Jose Padilla will have lots of company. On May 8, 2002, he was apprehended in the Chicago O'Hare Airport and held ‘under suspicion'. No charges have been filed against him and the Justice Department does not plan to file any. He has not had a hearing. He cannot be contacted by his court appointed attorney. He has been named an ‘enemy combatant' and will be held until our undeclared permanent ‘war' is over. If he ever has a trial, it will be one of George's ‘military tribunals' where no one will hear the evidence presented against him and he may be executed upon the whim of a man that was not elected by the majority of the American people.

What a sad state of affairs.

June 13, 2002, marked the six-month anniversary of George's nullification of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. That very night missile tests by the government were begun. Now Russia has stated that since the ABM no longer exists, they are not bound by the Start II agreement of 1993 and they have begun their nuclear build-up. China has also decided that nuclear is the future (what an oxymoron!) and George's cabinet has shown their support of that decision.

The CIA has been given the go-ahead to assassinate Saddam Hussein and the Congress has shown great support for that decision.

I guess that we should start making that short list of things that we want to accomplish in our lifetimes and get cracking. Because time is running out. Global warming has been melting the permafrost of Alaska, but if George and his thugs have their way, that should not be anyone's greatest fear.

You should fear yourselves. You have, from the moment that George ascended his dictator's throne, supported his wet dream of world domination. Just remember that we won't survive it.

[Hugin]

8. Here's hoping we're done with 'Mean' for awhile...

I'm not good at 'mean'.

[kath]

7. kick, because Krugman rocks - a fantastic column.