Lately, the people that talk about how the US can not "cut and run" from Iraq have been telling a lot of people that they should "move along." For instance, today it has become official, Calderon gets to keep the election that he stole fair and square, so say election officials in Mexico. This has prompted at least one newspaper in the US to tell Mexico that "For the good of Mexico and for its fledgling democracy," it is "Time to Move On."
http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/news/opinion/15450270.htm Meanwhile, even as the reporters for the Washington Post continue to write about the story, the newspapers editorial board has declared the "End of an Affair", dubbed "a costly and prolonged investigation."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/31/AR2006083101460.html Back in 1998, the same people were telling someone else to cut and run. Republicans--and more than a few Democrats---tried to talk Bill Clinton into resigning rather than enduring the so called shame of being impeached by a GOP House for having an affair with an intern. Had they known that one of Bill Clinton's favorite movies is "High Noon" maybe they would have saved their breaths. Had Bill Clinton moved along as directed, there is no guarantee that the 2000 election would not have been stolen from Al Gore. And think of what we would not have now---no Senator Hillary Clinton, no elder statesman Bill Clinton, no President Bill Clinton's tour to highlight US Poverty, no successful two term Democratic presidency to juxtapose against the failed two term presidency of George W. Bush, no legacy of one man battling an enormous political machine and winning, no Newt Gingrich languishing in political exile.
The irony of the Washington Post "End of the Affair" editorial is that it is supposed to trigger memories of Whitewater and Ken Starr's abuses and the Clinton impeachment. It is intended to soften up the American public for a nice, simple, easy presidential pardon, one that will spare Dick Cheney the embarassment of having to testify. But wait, why shouldn't Dick Cheney have to testify? How is an affair with an intern in any way similar to a conspiracy to blow the cover of a CIA agent investigating WMDs so that you can discredit someone who objects to lies that you told to trick Congress into voting for a war?
In the same way, the editorial which calls passivity in the face of a stolen election good for a democracy is supposed to warn Americans from looking too hard at the mounting evidence of serious flaws in our own election system. If we allow ourselves to pay attention to RFK Jr's lawsuit against E-Vote manufacturers or to court rulings against state laws to disenfranchise voters, we may find ourselves feeling compelled to act to defend our democracy. Since the press has been unwilling to report on election abuses and the DOJ will not uphold the law, we might--gasp--have to take our concerns to court or even to the streets. And we would not want to do that, now, would we?
Or maybe we would. Gary Cooper from "High Noon" is an American icon. He is Robert Heinlein's "Brave Little Tailor", one of three archetypal stories. We all have some Gary Cooper within us. Karl Rove, the RNC and the WaPo editorial board would prefer that we play the townsfolk from "High Noon", but at the right time, in the right circimstances, each one of us will pin on a badge and step outdoors to do what is right to defend something that is more important than comfort or ease. Some people do it more readily than others. Keith Olbermann practically jumps at the opportunity.
http://bobgeiger.blogspot.com/2006/08/olbermanns-poetic-smackdown-on-rumsfeld.html Cindy Sheehan was forced into to role by a family tragedy. Robert Wilson, RFK Jr, Dan Rather, Neil Young, the ACLU...these are all people fighting the good fight. Some of them have been more bruised and battered than the others, but they are still doing their part. And we sit at home and cheer for them.
High Noon is approaching for every adult citizen in the United States in November with the Congressional elections. After one presidential election that was clearly stolen and another that 60% plus Americans believe was stolen, the anger of the American electorate is high, and that anger is going to translate into high turn out which will not favor incumbants. In a situation like this, the only winning strategy for the RNC and Karl Rove is going to be to make the American people too afraid to vote. People speculate about the so called October Surprise. There is only one October Surprise that could effect the outcome of this election---phoney terror threats planned to coincide with the election which target major urban centers across the nation.
If you are told "Terrorists are going to blow up suicide bombs in polling places in one of these cities" (yours is one of them) will you go to the polls, standing in the long, lomg lines as govt security screens everyone, pulling minorities aside, preventing them from voting because they look "brown" or muslim? Or will you quietly opt out of the election and hope that someone else votes? Remember that absentee voting wont take the place of election day voting since your demographics will not be noted by exit pollsters and therefore, those counting the vote will be free to change your vote to whatever they want it to be.
This is the problem with the Gary Cooper model of Democracy. One man can not defeat the forces that would try to steal an election. Everyone has to be Gary Cooper for it to work, or we have to present a unified opposition.
Do not mourn the loss of election integrity and the ideals of democracy. Organize. If poll lines are too long on election day because of phoney baloney threats then keep the polls open longer or let people call, mail or email in votes. Start making arrangments NOW for the contingency plans that will be used when the White House tries to employ this tactic and maybe they will not bother using it.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
