From Stupid To Desperate

As much as I distrust and loathe the slogans, talking points, and other simplistic tools of the lowest common denominator type of public and media discourse, I have to admit that I am at the point where I can sum up our nation’s political situation with a single statement.

Any country stupid enough to allow George W. Bush two terms in the White House will find itself desperate enough to give the presidency to Hillary Clinton.

This observation is not intended to portray the Clinton with the lower testosterone level as the key to the salvation of our democracy. She will not restore lost rights and freedoms. She will not relinquish Bush’s ill-gotten gains of presidential power. She will not “protect America” any differently than the stooges in charge on September 11, 2001 did. On the contrary, America is in the process of restoring the rule of aristocracy.

The Military Industrial Complex breeds its own benefactors and nurtures them through the political system. No person can move into the aristocratic residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue without proving themselves competent and loyal company players.

I can already hear some voices from both the right and left ask, “But, what about Bill Clinton?”

Yes, what about him? Didn’t he kiss corporate ass with his push for NAFTA? Didn’t he shunt aside free speech and diversity by giving Big Corporate Media the gift of more power and monopolization with the Telecommunications Act of 1996?

It was during the Clinton years that the likes of Halliburton and Blackwater began insinuating themselves into the cancerous privatization of the public’s business.

The big issue that raised the hackles of the Right was Willie’s little bone he tossed to the Left. His token effort at gun control is now passed its sunset and no longer exists.

Yes, Bill Clinton was extremely slick at nullifying all his liberal talk with conservative actions.

So this is what passed as the big liberal threat of the Clinton administration. No wonder the late great Hunter S. Thompson once said Clinton was the best Republican we ever had in the White House.

You can bet the farm, or whatever thing of value you may have left, that Hillary would be more of the same.

The shrieking we hear from the Radical Right about the threat of “Hillary Care” and their tired old “tax and spend” crap only indicates their desperation to change the subject from what their beloved George Bush has done. Conservatism’s unchecked rule for the last seven, or rather, twenty-seven years has only proven to be its own utter failure for the public good. The Radical Right would rather not talk about the lost manufacturing jobs, the shrinking middle class, and rampant poverty. They want us to ignore the soaring costs of food, education, energy, and medical care.

The Republican presidential candidates are all about pretending to be like Reagan and assuming their “more-conservative-than-thou” posture.

All too soon we are about to be subjected again to the scare-mongering from the Right. Yes, it will include all the Republican’s favorite monsters to frighten the naïve public. We will hear about the scary socialism that the Democrats will impose and how only tough authoritarianism can keep us safe. We will hear about Osama’s love for Hillary, when ironically it was Bush’s blundering that allowed bin-Laden the freedom to become a hero to millions.

Those of us who are unfortunate enough to pay attention remind us that Hillary continues to be unrepentant about her vote to give Bush his permanent war in Iraq. She proved herself again with her support of the Kyl-Lieberman Amendment, giving Bush permission to attack Iran’s newly labeled “terrorist organization” within their military.

Hillary said that “labeling them a terrorist organization gives us the authority to impose sanctions on their leadership. ...I consider that part of a very robust diplomatic effort.”

How authoritarian of her, and how comforting for us to know she has a truly Bush style approach to diplomacy.

Remember when terrorists were the ones NOT in uniform? Who needs the Geneva Convention? It’s all in the label.

And let us not forget Hillary’s shining act of domestic liberalism when she co-sponsored a bill that Hitler and Stalin would have liked. She wanted to make it illegal to burn the flag. She bravely proved her support for a symbol over the actual freedom it represented.

Yes, I’m afraid the nation’s reward for its disastrous courtship of neo-con proto-fascism will be the continuation of the Military Industrial Complex’s permanent aristocracy.