My one thin ray of hope.

[Mechatanketra]

Generally, it's hard for me to be optimistic about political issues, because (1) it's harder to repair damage than to do damage, (2) you can't score points on defense (hence, we're going to rally around a candidate based more on what we hope he won't do -- appoint Opus Dei justices, start new wars, sign "Patriot II" legislation, etc. -- then his potential for any major movement forward), and most of all, (3) crime pays. If anything, the recent Reagan-blast underscores the last point -- this is a man who was forced to admit he oversaw the sale of weapons to the al-Qaeda of his time (Iran being Public Enemy #1 in the press), and instead of being burned in effigy nationwide he's hailed now as a man who "even his opponents must admire". Even Richard Nixon largely got away with his crimes, and we're still piecing together the real enormity of his administration.

So the chance that everyone in this batch of crooks will get away scot free seem very real to me. But there is one thing that keeps me crossing my fingers instead of crawling into a bottle to hide.

In The Simpsons episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns", the police give Moe (the bartender) a lie detector test. (This being a cartoon, of course, lie detectors actually work.) This leads to the following exchange.

Cop: Do you hold a grudge against Mr. Montgomery Burns?
Moe: No!
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: I didn't shoot him
(Lie detector dings.)
Interrogator: Checks out, sir. You're ok sir, you're free to go.
Moe: Good, cause I got a hot date tonight.
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: A date.
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: Dinner with friends.
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: Dinner alone.
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: Watching TV alone.
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: All right! I'm gonna sit at home and ogle the ladies in the Victoria Secret catalog!
(Lie detector buzzes.)
Moe: Sears catalog.
(Lie detector dings.)
Moe: Would you unhook this already, please?! I don't deserve this kind of shabby treatment!
(Lie detector buzzes.)

This is basically what's been happening over Abu Ghraib (and the increasingly related issue of Guantanamo). Nobody in the administration is smart enough to just shut up and ignore charges -- they always have to lie about the charges, in a lazy obvious way that inevitably leads not only to getting caught in those lies, but opening up a new tier of scandal to investigate. It wasn't happening at all. We didn't know it was happening. It wasn't that bad. We didn't know it was that bad. It was a "few bad apples", not official orders. We didn't know they were issuing those orders. We didn't mean to issue orders that bad. Well, it was just the one prison. We didn't know it wasn't just the one prison ...

As my brother points out, it's getting to the point where they're going to practically be directing the press investigation against themselves. Rumsfeld: "And I can assure you, in no way was the Vice President embezzling from the Social Security fund to feed a drug habit." Reporter: "Uh, that's reassuring, but my question was about the 4th of July festivities."

[Nadienne]

1. D'oh!

I would like to have hope, myself, but there are at least two possible futures that I dread...

Martial law, before November.
Another stolen election; and with fabricated polls before the election, who would know?

And while half of me thinks, y'know, "There's no way things could get that bad" the other half says in a calm, grim voice: "Brace yourself. Things can get that bad."

[TrogL]

3. I should point out

that's exactly what the Freepers were saying before the 2000 elections.

[tom_paine]

4. So? Nazis ALWAYS project their Evil onto the Jews.

No matter WHICH "Nazis" (even "kinder and genlter" ones) and no matter WHICH group or groups they have singled out to be their Jews...

[Eloriel]

5. Oh, man, I keep seeing posts that echo my constant worry this week

I've ALWAYS been aware that they could plan an October surprise (or Sept or July or whatever), but for a week now I've been worrying about it pretty consistently. Things are going VERY badly for Bush. These thugs and criminals and fascists are NOT going to let go of power easily -- esp. when they have so much to hide with all their criminal doings the past 3-1/2 years.

Ugh. My only hope is that enough people are already cynical enough (and therefore prepared) that they won't be able to totally get away with it. Big if, that.

[Justice]

2. Thanks for This Post

Clever, in the sense that I can share this with non-DUers who after reading the script will get it instantly.