General observation on today vs. the 1990s

[American liberal]

Maybe I wasn't as politically aware in the '90s as I am today, after all the Cold War was over, I felt relatively safe, I made a decent living, the economy was chugging along, I liked and respected my president (for the most part--NAFTA and dismantling welfare I was not too thrilled about), I felt like our country was doing just fine and heading in a good orderly direction. I really had no worries. Then came the shift of congressional power in '96, which spawned Whitewater, Kenneth Starr, and the most ridiculous impeachment proceedings I ever in my life have been witness to. I may have been young when Nixon made his "I am not a crook" speech, but at least he was being charged with an impeachable offense!

Fast forward a decade and look at what we got: A war that most people don't want that is costing taxpaying American citizens something like $50 billion EVERY MONTH!, a president with a criminal record who lies, obfuscates, and distorts at every turn and who has surrounded himself with lying, cheating, distorting, corrupt officials. Politicians and political hangers-on who are getting indicted right and left on REAL criminal charges, not just bullshit the opposing party tries to come up with to discredit the innocent.

What brings on this rant today? I scrolled through the "headlines" here at good ol' DU and they are chock full of stories on government corruption, coercion, underhanded business dealings, corporations buying the government, soldiers and civilians dying in an unjust war--the most heinous sorts of subterfuge and downright nastiness that resembles democracy but little.

For instance, the latest reports on the TX redistricting scandal just makes my blood boil! People here and in the progressive press have been calling foul all along and the motherfuckers just keep getting away with it!

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I hope and pray that this flimsy house of cards, the smoke and mirrors (sorry to mix metaphors but I couldn't choose just one) is about to give way to some sunlight and a reckoning to We the People. I got an e-mail from the DNC today reminding me that we need only 15 seats to take back the House next year. It's time to set aside our differences and take back our government from these money-grabbing, greedy, screw-the-consequences-of-our-actions motherfuckers.

Although I felt for what President Clinton was subjected to during his terms of office (I mean the worst they could pin on him was lying about getting a blow job from an intern--give me an f-ing break!), I'd take that sort of BS over what's going on in our nation's capital today any time! People are dying over the decisions this admin. is making, civil rights are being treaded upon--no, more like stomped into the dirt and ground into little pieces--and these greedy, unconscionable bastards are creating debt that my niece and nephews' GRANDCHILDREN will still be paying for (if Asia doesn't own us by then).

I know I'm preaching to the choir here and there are many more who post here regularly who are much better informed and more eloquent than I could ever hope to be. Thank you for taking a moment to read my rant. Maybe if we all get mad at the same time and in the same way, we can really make a difference and turn the tide next year. (You hear me, Diebold? You're going DOWN!)

Peace,
AL

[LearnedHand]

1. I don't even recognize my own country

Good post, A.L. Every so often, the stark contrast of the last decade with this one hits me square between the eyes and I am astonished all over again. Every day I think I've exhausted the well of outrage, but then something new and even MORE outrageous happens and I have to find yet another supply of outrage.

It's not even the massive looting of our national treasury and goodwill that most bowls me over. It's the stare-them-in-the-face-and-lie-through-your-teeth way this administration tells us black is white, up is down, war is peace, and defeat is victory. As if I'm fucking stupid.

I think about how mean and rude people are in public, to each other, to retail people, to everyone, and I know it's because of how thoroughly successfully we've been divided and set at each others' throats through hate radio/TV and hateful political "discourse." We are no different from the Hutus and the Tutsis, and these vipers have used hate radio to turn us against each other. For 10 fucking years, it's been one "crisis" after another from the hatemongers about how we godless liberals are stealing their god, destroying their morals, trying to eliminate marriage through the homosexual agenda, murdering millions of little babies, etc.

I'm sick of it. :puke:

[omega minimo]

2. Shoulda used Freepchek