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Edited on Mon Feb-20-06 08:12 PM by Plaid Adder
I just want to say one thing about the port sale, and I'd like to send this out to the lurking "conservatives" amongst us.
Since 2000 it has become obvious that the Bush revolution is powered by three major interest groups: the worshippers of power, the worshippers of capitalism, and the worshippers of God the Smiter. There is certainly plenty of overlap between the three groups, as God the Smiter seems to have a very differnet attitude toward the moneychangers in the temple than what you might glean from the New Testament, and as much has lately been done to blur the line between temporal and spiritual power. Nevertheless, there are also inevitable tensions. Occasionally, the desire to make a buck will run up against one of the priorities of God the Smiter, or the worship of power will produce policies that are economically disastrous or interfere with the American capacity to smite.
Well, we are finding out which master Bush really serves, and surprise surprise, it's Mammon.
You could actually tell this just from Bush's second-term appointments. In virtually every other area, Bush has loaded the Cabinet with cronies who were selected more for their personal loyalty and ideological purity than for experience or demonstrated competence. Yet, when it came time to replace Alan Greenspan, Bush appointed Ben Bernanke, someone who was--gasp--eminently qualified for the job and ideologically ambiguous. Paul Krugman expressed shock about this radical departure from what was a well-established pattern, wondering aloud, "Has President Bush been so damaged by scandals and public disapproval that he has no choice but to appoint qualified, principled people to important positions?"
No, not really. It's just that the people really running the show consider the Fed too important to risk fucking up. Everything else they're willing to sacrifice to political expediency, but not the Fed. Cause no matter how much they all steal, they know that if we enter another great depression, they will be hurt. Not hurt like we're gonna be, of course, but still. Best to avoid a major crash if you can do it. Their money is not in their mattresses, after all.
Every time you see Bush supporters scratching their heads and going, "But how can this be?" it's because Bush has sold out some other part of his base in order to gratify the worshippers of capitalism. His attempt to change immigration policy was an early indicator. "But why would he want to make it easier for immigrants to cross the border and take jobs away from Real Americans?" Well, because he's got friends who need cheap labor, and they're more important to him than you are, that's why.
Same thing with the ports deal. "But how can Bush sell control over our ports to a company based in a state that has much stronger ties to Al Qaeda, 9/11, and international terrorism than Iraq ever did?" Because he's got friends who are going to make a killing off this, and their killing is more important to them than any killing of American citizens that might get done as a result of compromising American national security.
Learn it now, cause it's never going to change: for this crowd, profit will always trump EVERYTHING. Everything. National security, freedom, patriotism, respect for the sacrifices of our soldiers overseas, a balanced federal budget, small government, Christ's kingdom on earth, white supremacism, xenophobia, homophobia, compulsory motherhood, no matter what you thought you were voting for when you voted for him, if this crowd decides it's going to cost them more than it brings in, it's toast.
They do not care about endangering us any more than they care about endangering the people they sent off to fight an unnecessary war in Iraq. Jesus. I mean, look at that mess and ask yourself, who benefits? Not Iraq, certainly, and not America, which is at this point so mortgaged to pay for that goddamn mess that we may end up being owned lock, stock, and barrel by China, never mind the United Arab Emirates. Who benefits is Halliburton. They are getting paid millions upon millions of dollars for this and they can't account for major chunks of it.
It is not about you, my friends. Bush and Cheney take care of themselves first and the Golden Calf second. The rest of us aren't even on his radar screen.
And isn't it nice to know that with the system of checks and balances now fundamentally broken, the opposition party neutered, and the majority party being kept in line through a combination of bribery and threats, when Bush decides to sell out you, me, and the country for the benefit of his rich friends, there is no one to stop him.
At this moment, it'd be nice if someone could, wouldn't it? But of course no one can, because the Bush crowd and their loyal fans have now basically established de facto one-party rule. Well, this is what one party rule is all about: a gang of thieves pushing through a policy that is clearly going to screw everyone in the country except for them. Yeah, we might realize it's insane and dangerous; but they don't have to care, because we now have no mechanism for stopping them. The Congressional Democrats are going to give it a try; but let's face it, if they can't get Republican cooperation, it'll never amount to anything.
Well, give it a shot, guys. Write your Republican congressional representatives. Tell them how you feel about Bush selling the keys to the country. See whether they do anything for you. I don't personally have a lot of hope, but you give it a shot and let us know what happens. I'll be real interested to see if any of them are willing to risk the wrath of Bush, Cheney, and Rove in order to honor their obligation to you.
Welcome to our world,
The Plaid Adder
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