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…
tdog
Well, given your chosen nom de blog, I suppose it’s too much to hope that we’d see catblogging, huh?
TD,
I go to the rabid -I mean talking – dog every day to get my “don’t go to sleep” message.
It needs to be said as often as possible even if only the choir is listening. We need to share information and emotion if we’re going to survive (and who knows maybe even ameliorate) that grim and empty future.
Don’t stop now.
And then TD’s uncle goes into Potter’s bank and loses all the TD Bailey’s money, before the bank auditor gets there.
And TD says “Do you know what this means? Bankruptcy! Scandal!
Well I’m not going to jail for this.”
So TD goes to a bridge. And jumps in to save Clarence. Or Clarence was sent to save him. (No, not Clarence Thomas). And TD says “maybe it would have been better if I was never born.”
So Clarence shows TD all the wonderful liberal blog things that never would have happened if TD was never born. They all sing Auld Lang Syne, and say “Get me, I’m giving out wings.”
Buck up, Dog.
If Patton was alive, he’d slap your face.
I hate to be rude but I don’t really care about your day and you know what happened post-Cabaret because everyone kept their mouths shut.
Here a q for you TD: If we are heading for economic disaster, which I can certainly see how we might be, what are the consequences? I think most people don’t care because most people don’t know what will happen.
Then, you have something like the Dow surging and it gets really easy to pretend the Kids are Alright.
So, let’s not go worse case senario, but something a bit smaller. How bad, TD, do you think it could get? And, what does it mean for all the Joe Twelvepacks out there? I’d be interested to hear your take.
No, please, no dissertations on yourself and your life.
However, I don’t know that we need “standard” Dem gripes, either. Personally, I don’t think the Dems are making enough of a fuss about economic issues and our imminent status as Chinese vassal state.
Just keep on truckin, TD.
Season’s Greetings to my favorite blog that no one reads. Maybe it’s time for a change to theviciouspenguin.com. Weh weh weh. Oh that Crabcake. Time to start a file on him.
Tom–
I’ll just give you a few consequences, because we lived through a mini-version in the first Bush recession (which actually occupied most of Clinton’s first term).
Home values will collapse as interest rates rise (iron law). Banks will respond by not making loans (based on the lower values) which will drive values lower still (of course)… see “vicious cycle”.
Other loan default rates will go up. Banks will respond by not lending as much. That means less new plant and equipment or even maintanence, which means fewer jobs…
Fewer jobs means less economic demand, which means… still fewer jobs…
We have health costs spiraling out of control for employers, which is the number one reason they say they’re not hiring despite alleged economic improvement. Bush’s answer: attack the tort lawyers (medical malpractice representing around 1/200 of our national health care bill–but being a much higher percentage of Democratic party contributions).
Essentially, the mechanism will be interest rates, the results will be staggering loss of asset values (especially real estate and retirement assets– and really, anything valued in yankee dollars) and relatively severe, nasty and prolonged unemployment, at a time when the prevailing ethos is to spit on the poor as much as possible and NOT provide social assistance.
Got all that?
TD…this blog is one of the few things that lure me out of the cave I’ve called home since Nov. 2nd. Please, please, blog on.
Hassan…I can’t believe you don’t have a file on Mr. C !
Hassan has opened a file on me?
I feel like a red stater with my first gun.
Cue up Barry Manilow’s “Looks Like We Made It,” as I run gleefully through a field of heather, arm in arm with Janeane Garofalo.
P.S. Happy Holidays to Mr. & Mrs. TD, Alicia, Kim jong-illin, Hassan, and all who dwell here in the dog patch.
I feel pretty, oh so pretty, I feel pretty and witty and gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
Thank you Mr. C…same to you and yours.
Ya v serpe i neebet2. sdf4fdena!
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