Yuletide Newspeak

The President observed that American troops, many of whom were among the at least 24 dead at an attack on a mess tent at an American encampment in Mosul, Iraq were on “a mission of peace.”
Well, that’s the first time the already Orwellian named “Operation Iraqi Freedom” has been called “a mission of peace.” I’m reminded of the former New York Jet receiver, Abdul Salam (Soldier of Peace).
I mean, say what you will, but our little adventure of aggression against the Iraqi people was (1) a misguided attempt at American self-defense, (2) a misguided effort at altering the strategic balance in the Middle East, (3) a cynical move for domestic political reasons to remove a longstanding Bush family irritant, (4) a land grab for American basing and oil rights, (5) a Saudi sponsored plot to keep Iraqi oil off-line… or any number of other plausible things… but a mission of peace?
The speechwriters have outdone themselves this time. Calling Winston Smith. My God: 56% of Americans now think the war was a bad thing. And yet, even with that poll, why do I think John “Only a War Hero Can Beat Bush” Kerry would STILL tell us about how his vote to authorize war wasn’t a mistake (he, like the President, is and was incapable of them, you see…)
Well, no matter. In e-mail exchanges with the Unseen Editor, he implores me to blog more about myself and my own life, and less about standard issue Democratic the sky is falling kind of gripes. He’s probably right. Unfortunately, those in positions of influence in my party are more interested in feathering their own nests than in anything constructive; and my bitching will just fall on deaf ears.
So I’m just about ready to stop. Honestly. I do feel we’re heading off an economic cliff (household debt at a record 85% of household income, record national current account trade deficits, budget deficits appear to be worsening, President hell-bent on borrowing MORE, etc., etc.) but, hey– the American people would rather not listen to such talk.
So, you know what? I have a pretty nice life– nice house, nice wife, nice daughter, nice government job…. what am I bitching about? Maybe I’ll just pretend to go back to sleep with everyone else, and quietly prepare myself and my own family for what I see as an inevitable disaster… quietly. You all can do what you like… party on, right? That seems to be what win elections and all…
And worse than that: I’ll enumerate it further, but I fear that our newest immigrants– the essence of the American spirit– probably feel that it is Bush and the Republicans that more reflect their hopes and dreams than do the Democrats. (I observed numerous pictures of George and Laura Bush in the office of such an immigrant, from West Africa, no less, a middle manager I encounter in the course of my nice government job…) My late grandparents worshipped at the altar of FDR, even as his actions arguably cost some of their relatives their lives in Eastern Europe. But it didn’t matter: he saved this country from its own excesses. Or so they felt.
But it seems that FDR may be fading rapidly… and so what he wrought seems eminently disposable, and disposing of it seems more popular than keeping it.
So what can I say? Maybe, as the song from Cabaret goes, Bush can rightly say “The Future Belongs to Me”. It just seems such a grim and empty future… but no one seems to want to hear me say it.
So maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll just tell you’all about my day, and not bother with the liberal agitprop, which no one really wants anyway. BTW, any entrants in the “Guess the Electoral College”`contest who think you won, just direct me to the link with your winning guess, and we’ll tote them up…
And then… on with the opera… in some form or other…