The Inverted Pendulum
John Kerry said that dealing with terrorists was “primarily a police action rather than a military operation”. He was quite right you know.
We declared war on the government of Afghanistan, and of course we kicked butt. We’re no longer at war with Afghanistan. We attacked Iraq and toppled the government. If that was ever a “war”, it’s over - we won. We kicked ass.
We’re no longer at war. If we are, with what nation are we at war? The nation of Islam? The nation of a “free and independent Iraq”? binLadinstan? Who?
Mr. Gonzalez today said (I paraphrase here) that because we’re at war, the POTUS has extraordinary powers, that as Command In Chief, he can pretty much do as he damn well pleases, ignoring laws that HE signed. Current and former heads of the NSA are saying that a “whole lotta” lawyers looked at the situation and by-golly-gee, sure ‘nough the prez can do what he wants. Of course all those lawyers are “career” and not “political hacks” so that makes it all right.
The president can have his minions listen in to any conversation they choose (because to do it “legally” would take too long). He can send anyone he chooses to jail for as long as he wants - U.S. citizens included. He can even hold them indefinitely on U.S. soil.
He can torture people - extracting “valuable information” by using “techniques” (such a lovely euphemism) that are not only universally abhorred but banned in nearly all civilized societies - including our own.
How does he do this? The obvious answer is because we let him. And really, that is the short and long of it. 48% of the people in this country tried to throw the bastard out, but through whatever means he chose to use, he’s still there. He’s still lying to us. He’s still trying to turn our country into a oligarchy (not that it isn’t but that’s another tirade).
So, I’ve been asking myself, how does this happen? Why has it happened? Why are the Rethugs so effective at subverting any and all arguments the opposition throws at them? Why? How? What’s their gimmic?
It finally dawned on me. “We’re at war”. The entire basis for everything the Rethugs are using to grab power into the Presidency is based on the concept that “we’re at war”. Smash that concept and every single argument (or ‘excuse’ as you may be thinking) comes crashing down.
What a bunch of pussies we are. Some people die at the hands of some weirdo fanatics and we just freak: “Ohmigod! Save ME! SAVE ME!”. We let these vile and base people lower our standards, our beliefs, our expectations, ourselves, because we believed them. We believed that we needed to be at war - we needed to avenge “those poor people”. The Remorinicans used us. They’re using us still. We’ve bought the lie, hook, sinker, rod and reel. As a nation, we firmly believe that “we’re at war”, even though we don’t really have to do anything but “go shopping”. Jesus what a bunch o’ losers.
These Republicans are not stupid. They’re not floundering and they’re not gonna give up. Global domination is the target and they’re gonna keep after it like a hungry terrier stays on a rat.
No opportunity is lost to them: “We’re at war” - “It’s the war stupid”. “Because we’re at war”. War. WAr. WAR WAR WAR!!!! I half expect GW to collapse into a screaming heap sometimes, “We’re gonna KICK their FUCKING ASSES.. YYEEAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGG!!!”
There’s no way we can win any argument in the public forum with these mealy mouthed lying mother-thugs until their fundamental premise is attacked and shown to the sham that it is: “We are NOT at war, so how can you justify ‘extraordinary presidential powers’? Hmmmm? How?”
The debates surrounding civil liberties, detention, torture, military “adventures”, budgetary issues - all of them need to be countered with simple, strong and consistent set of questions.
- Who are we at war with?
- And why are we at “war” with them?
- If we’re at war, then why is there no draft? If we’re at war then why aren’t we kicking their asses all the way to the other side of Hell? Hmmm?? I ask you! We’re Americans after all, why aren’t being all John Wayne about this?
- Why are these insane fanatics deserving of being elevated to the status of ‘warriors’?
- When did we declare war on terrorists? Which bill was it? On what date was it signed into law?
- When did revenge become a national pass time?
- Justify this ”war on terrorism” for me in a way that does not include revenge.
The administration’s entire argument is predicated on the simple belief that “we’re at war”. As long as we accept this as the truth, we’ve very little ammunition with which to counter their attacks and (occasionally) their rebuttals. We must begin to attack this belief, to show it as it is - a lie.
It’s a very shaky thing they’ve built - and don’t think for an instant that they don’t know it - all we have to do is grab the base of it and shake the hell out of it. But be careful, shit’s gonna come falling down!