We started losing our country to the anger of extremism in the late nineties, when ugly partisan politics drew energy away from national defense. The Republicans used a lurid blue dress to prosecute a case against immorality, galvanizing those who believe in the absolute righteousness of God and country. Did impeaching Clinton make us safer? Did the new president grab the reigns of national security? Not a chance.
Lust may be bad, but pride is worse. Hubris permitted both the attacks of September 11 and the subsequent failure to bring the terrorists to justice. Distracted by greed for oil and power, George Bush armed himself with outright deception and the bludgeon of fear, and prosecuted an unjust war. In his pursuits, Bush has squandered our wealth, our reputation, and our security.
John McCain supported Bush's war and aims to further it, indulging himself at the expense of true honor. "Country First" is his rallying cry, and narrowly interprets this as the righteousness of American dominance. He is selling this to his supporters as moral clarity, and using nostalgia to promote intellectual sloth.
There's a difference between self-sacrifice and being suckered. John McCain is asking people to sacrifice the future of the country for his antiquated ideas of American leadership. Money is power, and our national profligacy has ensured that using wealth to secure power is a losing proposition. Terrorists will only gain more power as we doggedly pursue success in Iraq, and we will only become less powerful as we plunge deeper in debt. Only through sacrificing the dubious notion of wining an unjust war can we reclaim respect and security. Only through sacrificing the extremes of material wealth can we hope for a strong and moral future.
Why is this so obvious to those who will already vote blue?
Posted by: colleen | 27 October 2008 at 11:28
unrelated but... are you going to rhinebeck?
Posted by: airing | 12 October 2008 at 20:17
Of course I agree with you, but now Ariel has got me crying out: Shake it, George!
Posted by: Lucia | 30 September 2008 at 13:04
Oh Snap!
Posted by: Jamie E. | 17 September 2008 at 11:02
I absolutely agree with you, but now I keep picturing George Bush squandering our nation's wealth, reputation and security while wearing a slutty blue dress. Um, an actual slutty blue dress. Not a metaphorical one.
Posted by: Ariel | 15 September 2008 at 13:35
Yep, debt always works well in the long run. Makes people think well of a country. I know how much we as Canadians respect your moron/president right now.
Fortunately we are pulling out by 2011. Not soon enough, but an end is better than nothing.
Posted by: Dorothy | 14 September 2008 at 23:05
I am so baffled by the other side - truly dumbfounded. It's been a terrible 8 years for this country, and our friends abroad just look on in helpless, baffled horror.
Posted by: Liz (the crazed weasel) | 14 September 2008 at 14:19
i had someone attack me for a post on facebook. i mean, really. it's facebook. are mccain and palin followers (sleestak and the ditz) so touchy that they can't leave a silly youtube post alone. rabid. feral.
infarkinsane.
anyway, i'm already to go to war with russia if they go after georgia. i mean, what could go wrong there? attack from alaska! get those siberians. loot the woolly mammoth archeology sites. and while there, preach abstinence, because that's working wonders in the u.s.
Posted by: ihatetoast | 14 September 2008 at 02:44
You're preaching to the choir, but I say amen!
Posted by: mishka | 13 September 2008 at 09:21
Bravo! I only hope that the other half of the country wakes up to this...and soon.
Posted by: Liz | 13 September 2008 at 00:17
You say it well.
Posted by: Claudia Dunitz | 12 September 2008 at 23:24