Afraid of the Truth
Here's a liberal blogger writing about Obama and his fake change:
http://liberalpro.blogspot.com/2008/11/afraid-of-truth.html
I think that people in this country are so afraid of realizing the truth about what is happening to this country that citizens are choosing to continue to believe in the rhetoric of the incoming administration rather than see it for exactly what it is, another chapter in America’s slide toward fascism. I do not agree with the people that claim Obama is not getting a fair chance to prove he is any different than the man he is replacing. I understand the fear and frustration that drives these people to continue to hope against hope that he will deliver the change he promised in his campaign. The very idea of admitting that we are facing another four years of corporate socialism, of ignoring the plight of the Middle Class, of unchecked power in the Executive Branch and the prospect of more military adventures by a nation that has squandered its resources on the concept of an open-ended “War on Global Terror” is too much to contemplate for most of us.
Still, hiding from reality will not change the situation we find ourselves in. Denial will not stop this nation from continuing on this path of self destruction. Some may believe that I am exaggerating the problem, I don’t believe I am. There is just no way that we can continue to fund the military at the present rate.
Aside from the loss of freedom that continual war engenders, the economy in its present fragile condition simply can’t continue to fund this warfare. Middle Class Americans have seen their income shrink while the top 10% of American families have increased their wealth. The top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/business/29tax.html). This does not bode well for the political well-being of our nation. As the disparity of wealth between the rich and poor increases, so does the resentment of the people that cannot afford to enjoy the benefits of living in one the richest economies on the planet. It seems that we are being prepared for civil unrest with reports that are circulating on the web about the closed session of Congress this year that threatened martial law and the rounding up of dissidents The attachment of a brigade of the Army’s 3rd Infantry to NORTHCOM had also raised concerns by Naomi Wolfe and others that see this as a prelude to martial law (Link). The threat of martial law if Congress did not support the bailout was voiced by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Ca) and can be seen on UTUBE (Link).
Are all of these concerns justified? In a word, Yes. This could be the reason why so many otherwise intelligent Americans could be hoping against hope that Obama will change direction and bring the change he has promised. My primary concern is that most people don’t realize that while Obama promised change, he never specifically revealed what that change would consist of.
We really need to draw a collective breath and figure out what it is that we expect of Obama. We also need to understand that the President is not the only agent for change in this country. The President is a servant of the people. It’s only common sense that unless we speak with a unified voice, the corporations, with their political and economic clout will drown the voices of the people. The Congress needs to understand that this country is not only facing a grave economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression, but a political upheaval that has not been seen since the Civil War.
Our priorities are being revaluated like never before in recent history and I don’t believe that anyone in this nation wants a confrontation between the people, the military and the government. We need to stop believing in hyperbole and conjecture and start dealing in reality. The choices that Obama has made so far for his cabinet don’t bode well for any type of real change and we must take it for what it is worth. On the other hand, we must not overreact either. We are all walking a thin line in America. We are in crises and the only way we are going to stop a collapse is by dealing in reality and making wise decisions. The people must speak out and the government must understand that it will ignore the people at its own peril. These wars must be revaluated as should the corporate bailouts. We can’t do everything for everyone, we just cannot afford it. We must choose our priorities and make our choices known. We can’t operate as if we have a fire hose and start spraying water on thousands of fires individually without a plan to control the source of the fires. Is this simplistic? Yes, but its one analogy that accurately portrays the situation. We need leaders that are not afraid to speak the truth and accurately access our limitations instead of blindly stating that we can continue to operate in the same irresponsible manner while expecting different results.
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Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
http://liberalpro.blogspot.com/2008/11/afraid-of-truth.html
I think that people in this country are so afraid of realizing the truth about what is happening to this country that citizens are choosing to continue to believe in the rhetoric of the incoming administration rather than see it for exactly what it is, another chapter in America’s slide toward fascism. I do not agree with the people that claim Obama is not getting a fair chance to prove he is any different than the man he is replacing. I understand the fear and frustration that drives these people to continue to hope against hope that he will deliver the change he promised in his campaign. The very idea of admitting that we are facing another four years of corporate socialism, of ignoring the plight of the Middle Class, of unchecked power in the Executive Branch and the prospect of more military adventures by a nation that has squandered its resources on the concept of an open-ended “War on Global Terror” is too much to contemplate for most of us.
Still, hiding from reality will not change the situation we find ourselves in. Denial will not stop this nation from continuing on this path of self destruction. Some may believe that I am exaggerating the problem, I don’t believe I am. There is just no way that we can continue to fund the military at the present rate.
“Of all the enemies to public liberty… war is, perhaps, the most to be dreaded because it comprises and develops the germ of every other. War is the parent of armies; from these proceed debts and taxes … known instruments for bringing the many under the domination of the few.… No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare”.
— James Madison, Political Observations, 1795
Aside from the loss of freedom that continual war engenders, the economy in its present fragile condition simply can’t continue to fund this warfare. Middle Class Americans have seen their income shrink while the top 10% of American families have increased their wealth. The top 300,000 Americans collectively enjoyed almost as much income as the bottom 150 million Americans. Per person, the top group received 440 times as much as the average person in the bottom half earned, nearly doubling the gap from 1980. (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/29/business/29tax.html). This does not bode well for the political well-being of our nation. As the disparity of wealth between the rich and poor increases, so does the resentment of the people that cannot afford to enjoy the benefits of living in one the richest economies on the planet. It seems that we are being prepared for civil unrest with reports that are circulating on the web about the closed session of Congress this year that threatened martial law and the rounding up of dissidents The attachment of a brigade of the Army’s 3rd Infantry to NORTHCOM had also raised concerns by Naomi Wolfe and others that see this as a prelude to martial law (Link). The threat of martial law if Congress did not support the bailout was voiced by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Ca) and can be seen on UTUBE (Link).
Are all of these concerns justified? In a word, Yes. This could be the reason why so many otherwise intelligent Americans could be hoping against hope that Obama will change direction and bring the change he has promised. My primary concern is that most people don’t realize that while Obama promised change, he never specifically revealed what that change would consist of.
We really need to draw a collective breath and figure out what it is that we expect of Obama. We also need to understand that the President is not the only agent for change in this country. The President is a servant of the people. It’s only common sense that unless we speak with a unified voice, the corporations, with their political and economic clout will drown the voices of the people. The Congress needs to understand that this country is not only facing a grave economic crisis not seen since the Great Depression, but a political upheaval that has not been seen since the Civil War.
Our priorities are being revaluated like never before in recent history and I don’t believe that anyone in this nation wants a confrontation between the people, the military and the government. We need to stop believing in hyperbole and conjecture and start dealing in reality. The choices that Obama has made so far for his cabinet don’t bode well for any type of real change and we must take it for what it is worth. On the other hand, we must not overreact either. We are all walking a thin line in America. We are in crises and the only way we are going to stop a collapse is by dealing in reality and making wise decisions. The people must speak out and the government must understand that it will ignore the people at its own peril. These wars must be revaluated as should the corporate bailouts. We can’t do everything for everyone, we just cannot afford it. We must choose our priorities and make our choices known. We can’t operate as if we have a fire hose and start spraying water on thousands of fires individually without a plan to control the source of the fires. Is this simplistic? Yes, but its one analogy that accurately portrays the situation. We need leaders that are not afraid to speak the truth and accurately access our limitations instead of blindly stating that we can continue to operate in the same irresponsible manner while expecting different results.
-----
Got comments? Email me, dammit!
Permanent link for this article which can be used on any website:
posted by Aaron Turpen @ 7:39 AM
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