#3 - This is OUR fault!

[The Doctor.]

That’s right, this is America’s fault, plain and simple. The rise of the Bush Administration and the Neo-Conservative agenda is, for the most part, our fault.

Americans, simply put, are arrogant, ignorant, and selfish. We have therefore given rise to those who emulate the true nature and character of America. I have heard this said many times before and in many ways.

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." – H.L. Mencken

Now it has truly happened… but not for such simple reasons.

Here’s the one point many who have studied this administration and its incompetence have failed to grasp; (brace yourself)

The Bush Administration is trying to SAVE us.

No, not from terrorists. They’ve proven far too incompetent and unwilling to protect us from terrorists. In fact, they NEED the threat of terrorism looming over us, somewhere, out there, just waiting for us to display a moment of weakness to pounce on us in our living rooms. They NEED us to feel insecure in order to garner our unquestioning loyalty and support. Without that, they will not be able to save us from our REAL enemy…
ourselves.
How could I say that? Maybe you already know the answer – we love to be comfortable. Comfort is oxygen to Americans and it takes many forms in our culture. Fiscal comfort is an illusion we go to great lengths to maintain. We like to be comfortable and we will do nearly anything to stay that way… even if it means war.
We are not ready to turn this country into the lean, mean, economic dynamo of yester-decade… that would take discipline, and discipline is ‘uncomfortable’.

If you’ve ever used a credit card to buy what you cannot afford and don’t need, you are guilty of seeking comfort.
If you’ve ever bought a car that gets less than 15 miles per gallon of gas – you’re guilty.
Nice secure SUV? – Guilty
Have you ever been in a union? Guilty.
Have you held a public office and received a raise? Guilty.
Big screen TV from Rent-a-Center?
Guilty.
2nd Mortgage?
Guilty.
Bankruptcy?
Guilty.
Shop at Wal-Mart?
Guilty.
Tax credits for your kids?
Guilty.
Attended public school?
Guilty.

Did I just make you mad? Not yet?

Used a tax shelter? Guilty. Sued anyone for ‘pain and suffering’? Guilty. Collected unemployment insurance? Guilty. Welfare? Guilty. Medicaid? Guilty. Laid off employees? Guilty.
Think I’m just being silly? Guilty.
If didn’t piss you off… Guilty…

Anything to be comfortable – whether it’s necessary or not, we all seek comfort.
…And therein lies the problem.

Obviously I’m not telling anyone they’re a criminal for any of these things, I don’t feel like getting lynched right here in front of my computer. I’m also not saying that spending is bad… it’s HOW we spend that is killing us.

For the record I am pro-union, have shopped at Wal-mart, and taken advantage of rentals. I do think SUVs are a menace because people buy them to show everyone how much more comfortable and secure they are – regardless of whether or not they can even DRIVE one, or park one in less than two parking spots. (gee… I guess they make me uncomfortable). I’ve used Medicaid, Food stamps, maxed out credit cards… you get the idea – I like comfort… I like security.

So here’s the problem - if I were in public office, especially high public office – and I tried to tell the American people what they could drive, how they could shop, where they could shop, whether they could join a union, how many children they could have, or where they had to go to school… you could imagine my political life expectancy;

It would be that of a bound, muzzled, and catnip-basted hog in a pit of Bengal tigers that have been fed nothing but cucumbers for a week.

Not long indeed.

The Bush Administration knows this.
Every politician knows this.

You can’t tell the American people they can’t have everything they want, if Americans don’t get what they want, if they become ‘uncomfortable’ – they get rid of their leaders. Ahhh… the beauty of democracy.

So here’s why they’re trying to save us;

In the interest of pursuing comfort, this country has gone nearly 14 Trillion dollars into debt.
No, that little $7 Trillion number you’ve heard about? Wrong. You think state and municipal governments borrow from the federal coffers? No.
Our combined Federal, State, and Municipal debt amounts to nearly 14 TRILLION dollars.
We’re in trouble – we’re going into debt JUST paying down the INTEREST on these debts… and we’re still borrowing… to stay comfortable. Soon we will have to borrow JUST to pay the interest.
But to tell the American people we have to reduce our standard of living? Tell big corporate donors they can’t have tax shelters? Never happen… at least not in time to save us.

Now this is HUGE;
Anyone notice how the value of the US dollar is falling?
That would be because of our debt. The value of the dollar has everything to do with America’s ability to generate income. That ability is in decline both because of the terrible debt we have to pay off AND the increasing trade deficit. As we send more money and jobs out of this country – our net national value declines. As our ability to pay off our debt appears to diminish, our currency becomes much less attractive. Fewer countries will be willing to buy our debt as the returns seem neither secure or of value even if paid off.
We will have massive debt and no one will be willing to help us out. Our ability to pay for that debt will continue to decline. Our domestic programs will go bankrupt. Government cuts will add new unemployment in record numbers. Unemployment will go bankrupt. Factories will close resulting in more unemployment. The dollar will continue to fall… in short – total economic collapse.

And that’s not the worst of it.

The reasons for the decline of the dollar are compounded by one-another. One of those reasons is also the decline of the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
To make this brief; Reserve Currency is what different countries use for purposes of international trade.
Until recently, the entire world, with very few impoverished exceptions, has only used ONE nation’s currency for reserve purposes.
Bet you can guess which nation that is…
Yep – Us, the United States Dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for most of the last century… but that has been changing.
As the world’s Reserve Currency, the dollar has enjoyed a value fixed to the world market, the honor of being invited into every treasury of nearly every country in the world, and the privilege of being the only currency that could purchase the world’s number one commodity…

Oil.

With the dollar as the world’s reserve, the United States has never had to worry about little things like trade deficits, paying back loans, or the cost of energy outstripping our economy. The dollar was gold – and we could make it out of lead.

The US dollar has recently had to endure a bright new competitor – the Euro.
Now the two currencies are at war for the adoration of the world, but the Dollar has a remarkable disadvantage – it represents a huge, gigantic, gargantuan debt.

The point is pretty simple – Our administration knew the Dollar could not compete in the world market against the Euro. They knew that the nations we imported oil from might begin to trade in Euros. They knew ‘we’ had to do something… something drastic.
Iraq was about to punish our economy the moment sanctions were lifted.
The choices this administration had were simple; they could tell the American people that we had to exercise economic discipline and hopefully explore new energy alternatives while becoming a very frugal nation… OR they could preserve their political lives and tell us we were being attacked so we would HAVE to invade oil producing nations to conquer the oil market and ensure the US dollar remained the world’s reserve currency.
Hmmm…. Level with Americans and be voted out of office, or go to war and turn a profit in the meanwhile…hmmm.

Iraq had very lucrative contracts with France, Germany, and Russia just waiting for sanctions to lapse.(Remember those countries being opposed to the invasion?)
Wanna guess what currency those trades would depend on?
Yep – the Euro.
Saddam was never a military threat to us. Even Israel had him out-gunned… but as an economic threat – he was about to crush us. The administration knew that once sanctions were lifted, America’s economy would be crushed. Did they want to tell us this? To tell us that would have been to tell Americans they needed discipline… and discipline is uncomfortable. So they invaded… and they ain’t done yet.
We also MUST control the world oil market. If we do not, as the country responsible for consuming 25% of the world’s energy – we will be price gouged into economic submission no matter how strong the dollar is.

This Administration did not have the brass to tell the American people that we had to take drastic domestic measures to pay down our debt, make American manufacturing more competitive, and strengthen our economy.
That would have made us ‘uncomfortable’… ensuring political extinction for the offending bureaucrats.
So, knowing this, and being generally contemptuous of the American people, they committed to a course of action; war. Hell… It’s what I would have done.
War was something Americans could wrap their limited imagination around… in war there were good guys and bad guys… just like on the television.
Once they committed to the invasion of the Middle East; they could not waver… no matter how bad a stench they created.
They must continue to press into the oil-rich land or face telling the American people the ‘uncomfortable’ truth. In order to do so they HAD to win the election at any cost.
They think they are saving America, despite their bald ineptitude.
Can you blame them?
I can.
But I blame Americans too. If Americans had the attention span and willingness to understand concepts more complex than Monday night football, we might have supported an Administration that would have taken the critical and immediate measures necessary to heal our economy.
But instead we must illegally invade sovereign nations, kill the inhabitants, and plant governments there that are bent to execute our will.
You don’t think we’re killing civilians? If you saw the pictures and could still say, “It’s worth it to amputate the limbs of those children so Americans can have what they want.” Then you still don’t get it… and I’ll be happy to educate you. (anytime)
Vegas odds say Iran is next… there’s even a pool for the excuses or, more terrifying, the ‘event’ that will spur our forces farther East.
Frankly, I can’t wait for that event – I pray to God I’m wrong… but we MUST invade Iran to complete the Trifecta and control the two-fold market. It will take a serious ‘event’ to convince Americans to invade Iran.

It WILL happen.

As far as what this all means;
It would be too easy just to say that ‘Red Staters’ would not have understood, but I live in a ‘Blue State’ and have found that less than 50% of people I speak with have the patience to care about the real reason for our invasion. Hell – 4 years ago I might not have cared either.

We are on an invasion course that cannot be deflected, the United States is vying for the grand stature of holding world reserve currency status coupled with control of the world oil market… and we will kill many thousands more before we’re done.
As a Republican, I am both proud and disturbed by this.

This is your fault America… and I’m right here with you... quite comfortable in my massage chair,

-Dr. Eldritch

[RoyGBiv]

1. I don't agree with all that ...

But I definitely agree with much of it.

And I would like to add that this line:

" would be that of a bound, muzzled, and catnip-basted hog in a pit of Bengal tigers that have been fed nothing but cucumbers for a week"

is bloody, freakin' brilliant.

Seriously, we are to blame, for a great lot of what is happening, and I do mean all of us, in some causes "us," in the sense of the progressive community, in particular. I fear you'll be flamed for what you say here, and I may be flamed along with you. Such is life.

[The Doctor.]

2. Nah....

Most people scroll down, see it's too long, and ignore it.

We won't be flamed.


:evilgrin:

[The Doctor.]

3. Oh, and Thank You, BTW.

LOL! - If you want Flamage; kick it!

That'd be a riot.

(with utmost discretion, of course...)

[OneBlueSky]

4. In the interest of pursuing comfort, this country has gone . . .

nearly 14 Trillion dollars into debt" . . .

umm . . . that's not quite accurate . . . yes, we're a comfort-seeking, junk-buying consumerist lot . . . but a huge hunk of that debt is attributable to weaponry, militarism, and imperialism . . . not only in this administration, to be sure, although BushCo has raised the practice to new heights . . . this country's military budget (often erroneously referred to as the "defense" budget) is bigger than all other countries combined . . . and we're using our unmatched power to do just as we (or, more accurately, BushCo) please, including invading sovereign nations, ousting leaders we don't like, undermining governments we don't agree with, and generally acting the international bully . . . all in pursuit of the almighty dollar, primarily for multi-national corporations based here (although many of them maintain their "legal" status elsewhere to avoid taxes and not even contribute to the imperialism that's making them filthy rich) . . .

I think this country's blatant militarism and imperialism has at least as much to do with the deficit as does our pursuit of comfort . . . probably a whole lot more, in fact . . .

[SnoopDog]

5. My perspective…I did read this long post…

First, you are right – it is our fault. We are complacent in our lives. And some of us are indeed arrogant, ignorant, and selfish.

But many of us are just trying to survive. How many of us work are tails off to simply put food on our table, care for the children, and to pay the rent/mortgage? Home many of us have time to protest and write letters to the editor and our representatives, to voice out in opposition to this ‘over-throw’ of our democracy?

The idiot they call pResident is *not* out to save us. The main goal of this barbarian is to 1) loot the US Treasury, 2) plunge us into the abyss of dept, 3) be hated throughout the world, 4) purposely ruin our environment and actually make it toxic, 5) purposefully make our children less educated (by the way, education is the foundation of a true democracy), 6) migrate our jobs and economy offshore, 7) insure that Americas have no health care, and 8) generally reduce America to ashes.

This amongst other things is George W. Bush’s (and family) agenda for the United States of America.

You have pointed out some interesting ideas about euros, oil, foreign leaders and their motives, and that, yes, some Americans are more interested in the next play of Monday night football.

But hear me out now. I believe Americans are indeed up to the task of securing America no matter what it takes. We are capable of digging in and weathering any storm that hits us. And, we are intelligent to see the forest through the trees. (Sorry for the clichés – I guess I need to read more myself).

My main point is this: there are *always* better ways to accomplish a goal. This administration, and, it seems, most Republicans, fail to think through the problems and, instead, resort to the violent, less educated, and less elegant solutions.

At some point in time – true Americans, true patriots of the United States of America, will kick the living bull shit out of *anybody* fucking with our country. It is only a matter of time…

Side note: a prediction – if America survives the ‘worst president’ America has ever had, the entire Bush family will be living in Saudi Arabia.

[The Doctor.]

6. Well Said!

And beautifully as well...

However, there is one point that you made;

"This administration, and, it seems, most Republicans, fail to think through the problems and, instead, resort to the violent, less educated, and less elegant solutions."

Which, juxtaposed with this;

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." – H.L. Mencken

Gives us the crux of the matter.

This is more than a setback... it will require sacrifices which could have been well avoided.

I also wrote this earlier;

"Sorry kids - but it's the Frat-Boy mentality that got 'em there, it's the Frat-boy mentality that'll rule.

Once you win the prize - it's yours to do with as you please.

Some Frat-boys keep their prize polished and regard it with reverence.

Other Frat-boys, knowing someone besides them is gonna get it one day, do there best to profit from it, despoil it, and make it dirty while they got it.
Get it?"

(Let's just say I agree with you.)