There are times that I just want to scream at the top of my lungs. Why? What is the matter with us as a nation, a people who talk about peace, but have the largest empire ever? In order to sustain this adventure we must keep somewhere between 1,000 to 1,500 bases around the world; nobody knows the true number for sure. We are the arms dealer of the world. USA! Number One! We interfere with nations like mothers-in-law try to interfere with family matters. One year you may be our best bud, the next we are calling for your head -- literally.
Terrible dictators have found favor in DC. When they keep the status quo, all is good. But, when they start to think nationally, all is bad -- very bad.
This psychotic behavior is having a terrible effect on our way of life. We are now at the brink of an economic disaster and we go about like nothing important is happening -- nothing to see here, move on please. The Republicans are truly insane. They talk about the Constitution and often you can see tea-baggers waving it around and, if you listen, you might hear me yelling, "Read the damn little book, stop just waving it around."
Ralph Nader, I am so sorry you did not get elected. We need people like you and Bernie Sanders. Will you try one more time? I'll understand if you say NO. We do not deserve to be led by good people, we are all idiots. There are millions of us who still think President Bush was a good leader, there are more millions of us who think that President Obama is a good leader. Yes -- we don't deserve you or Sen. Sanders.
I write this after coming from a protest about Tim DeChristopher, a college student who just got two years in the big house for stopping a sale of forest land to an oil company. He knew that they would destroy it, so he went in and acted as a bidder and outbid the oil company. He was found guilty of financial fraud and lying on an official form -- two felonies. The federal judge, (apparently a giant in the legal system) decided since DeChristopher would not keep his mouth shut to his (the judge's) liking, he should spend two years in a federal penitentiary. The judge even said something to that effect during the sentencing phase.
I am going insane!
We, as a people, are putting in prison people of faith; nuns and priests, ministers and rabbis are now inside because they wanted to stop some ugly violent act. Yet, Karl Rove makes more money. Rupert the Murdoch buys another TV station.
I am going mad!
There is a point where we could go back and see a country that stood for freedom, "Send me your poor" and all that sort of stuff. Where did it go? Maybe if you are Native American you would laugh at me and say it never was! I am going mad! I know my parents were good and noble people; worked hard all their lives and died thinking that they did the best they could during difficult times. They loved America, and now their son is learning drip-by-drip to hate America. Have I mentioned that I am going mad?
Where are my heroes? Are they all in prison, are they all gone? No, there goes one -- Hey, Michael Moore -- will we survive the next few weeks? There goes another -- Sen. Sanders, will you finally succeed in stopping the assault on the middle class?
I don't see any more heroes. Time to rest. Tomorrow I will be back out in the streets, telling all who will listen that wars and occupations are not good for our long-term health; they cause people to hate us around the world. Wars and occupations cost lots of money. You cannot have a good educational system and kill people around the world. You must choose between hiring more generals and firing more teachers. You can't have both.
I am surely mad. I think that good leaders would allow us to hire teachers, firefighters, train operators, doctors, scientists and all those who help others before we hire generals to go and kill, destroy things around the world.
I think I need to be locked up, my mind is gone -- poof! They are coming for me now. I hear voices of the dead in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Yemen, and now Somalia. I can hear Matthew, "Blessed are the peacemakers"...They are here.
