Was He Out Of Line?

So you want a revolution. Well, let’s start one. Our current “president” is letting us down very quickly. He’s trying to throw us into a war that no one really wants. He is now completely ignored what was once the all-important need for retribution that our entire country has felt for the past year. Instead of going after who we have all thought were the bad guys, he has retrained his “mind’s” eye on someone who may or may not pose a threat. He has found ways to link him to our current enemy, but no one really believes him. He has found ways to show that maybe he has amassed huge amounts of weapons of mass destruction, but no one really believes him (except for Tony Blair, of course). He has used our grief and pain in order to try to take away our Civil Liberties and send more of our people to certain death all in the name of oil and daddy.

Refute me. Please. I’m waiting for it.

Now, for his latest trick, he has whined and cried in front of the Senate telling them that they obviously have NO regard for our safety because they won’t pass the Homeland Security Act that he drew up himself. The problem is that the act enables him to do all of the hiring and firing within the Homeland Security Office. A government job is a government job. You can’t be fired by one guy. Not even the President. And, in fact, the President has NO control over who is under the employ of any government agency beyond the heads. If I worked in a government office the President could not call up my boss and say “Fire this asshole!” just because I wrote a inflammatory essay about him. THAT is what the Senate was trying to stop.

I completely commend Senator Daschle for saying what he said. I, too, am saddened and appalled by how Bush admonished our Senators. Let’s discuss what Bush said:

“I asked Congress to give me the flexibility necessary to be able to deal with the true threats of the 21st century by being able to move the right people to the right place at the right time, so we can better assure America we’re doing everything possible. The House responded. But the Senate is more interested in special interests in Washington, and not interested in the security of the American people.”

“…give me the flexibility necessary to be able to deal with the true threats of the 21st century…” This, of course, means “do whatever the fuck I want to whoever the fuck I want to and there’s no stopping me. Even if it means ripping up the Constitution of the United States of America.”

“…by being able to move the right people to the right place at the right time…” So now he wants to move people around? Hmmm. What are we? Chess pieces? I know, I know: War is basically a big, bloody, awful game of chess. But that’s a pretty crass way of putting it, don’t you think? And, besides, shouldn’t there be other people involved in the moving around of people? Like, generals? Or maybe people who didn’t disappear when it came time to serve out their time?

“…so we can better assure America we’re doing everything possible.” Too late, Dumbya. And, besides, you’ve given up on the so-called “real enemy,” which is to say, Osama.

“The House responded.” Yeah. They gave him the only answer he’ll respect. “Ho-yes, sir!”

“But the Senate is more interested in special interests in Washington…” Fuck you! You’re the one who is more interested in special interests! You’re the one who allowed cigarette lighters on airplanes after one was actually used to try to kill people. Why? Because Big Tobacco asked you to. You’re the one who wants to oust Saddam Hussein? Why? Not because he tortures people. Not because he may have big, bad weapons. Fuck, no. Because he’s got lots and lots of oil, and you can make lots and lots of money off of it if Iraq is suddenly a friendly. So, Mr. Bush, you’re not ever allowed to bring up special interests again.

“…and not interested in the security of the American people.” Once again, FUCK YOU!! The Senate wants fucking debate! This is a very important issue and needs to not be decided in a split second. It needs to be decided quickly, sure, but not rashly, as the House decided it. Did they even read it? Probably not. They probably just said, “Oh! Mr. Bush says it’s ok, so it must be good!”

Our “president” has completely shifted his focus to Hussein. (Yes, he does need to be dethroned, or whatever you do to the asshole, but we need to do it smarter than just rushing in there with a bunch of tanks and saying, “Surprise! We’re here to kill you!”) No longer are we after Osama and his men. No longer are we worried about the fact that our poverty level has risen to 11.7%, the first rise in 8 years. (Hmmm. What does that coincide with? Could it be the Clinton years?) No longer are we concerned that the middle class is slipping away. (I’m closer to poverty than I ever have been, and I’m making more money than ever. I’m fucking scared!) No longer do we seem to be paying any fucking attention to our own country!

Who’s politicizing the war now, Shrub?

Dubya’s antics have won him all kinds of support all over the world. Justice Minister Herta Däubler-Gmelin of our former friends, Germany, likened Bush’s tactics to Hitler’s. That may be a little rough and most of the German government has apologized, but I commend the Minister’s guts. And now, even though Ms. Däubler-Gmelin is no longer in the government (oops!) and new Chancellor, Gerhard Schröder, is completely aghast at what his ex-minister said, they still are a little leery of Bush and his war. When asked what should happen if Saddam doesn’t comply with UN demands, German foreign minister Joschka Fischer said, “Is that the debate in Washington?”

Everyone knew exactly what he meant.

That’s NOT the debate in Washington. The debate seems to be over whether or not to finish what Poppa Bush couldn’t.

And that, my friends, is why we need to speak up and tell our elected (or chosen) officials exactly what we think of this impending war. Bush The Younger is trying to get us hurtled into World War III and, with the help of Tony Blair, it looks like he might just do it. Unfortunately, we may not really be the good guys this time. I don’t think that Saddam and Co. will be the good guys, either, but we certainly won’t be untarnished.