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Re: The Truth can be ugly and painful, or Why America doesn't count for much anymore.
bowser — (archived)

You're right, of course. My current attitudes mirror those of my youth, when I believed the "jingoists and chauvinists and professional patriots". I'm not quite as absolutist now, but do believe the more glaring events should be prosecuted.

I also realize there is no chance in hell of 5% of the people agreeing with what I say and that 80% won't even understand it. Brainwashed all their lives, limited life experiences and less introspection, they will wonder how anyone could question that America could ever be wrong. And believe that anyone who believes otherwise has been brainwashed.

Even so, someone has to say it. Someone has to rub American noses in the piles they have dumped in the living room, rendering the place less livable for all.

You are correct, this country has been great. It has tried mightily to bring diverse groups under the wings of a republic, and through the accident of geography has been an economic engine for a lot of people. And I think in our lifetimes we've seen it rise to it's best and then start on the way down. We've abdicated Space, we've abdicated our moral leadership, we are being challenged economically, all the results of decisions made during the Bush Administration entangling us in endless losing wars.

When we start to reverse things such as environmental protection and care of our less fortunate because of tough economic times, those things are done. Economic times will only get worse. As more and more wealth gets transferred to the wealthy, the poorer are less and less able to work for health insurance or save for retirement. As more and more poor people are imprisoned, a larger and larger underclass is created, and the end gets closer. As long as jingoism appeals to adolescents elections can be purchased by the wealthy. And what is already gone is the US as a moral force for good.

Noble ambitions, great efforts, and some successes until hijacked - "when the laws can be used to plunder the plunderers will make the laws". I'm afraid that unless something can be done to redistribute the wealth this country the road downhill is as inevitable as was the road uphill. Economically it's downhill all the way, with no rescue in sight.

Just as Clinton didn't do anything morally that hadn't been done before, he just legitimized it, Bush hadn't done anything which hadn't been done before but did it on an enormous scale and legitimized war crimes and crimes against humanity as instruments of national policy. Which changed the nature of the country.

It's easier to say "Oh, well", and eventually one should, and withdraw. And it's equally true that one should point out who led the illegal, immoral charge downhill and pray the country redeem itself while it can.

Which won't happen. And I don't think that "everybody does it" or "it's always been done that way" is either particularly true or an excuse I should allow myself or my country.

Whew. Long rambling post. I do feel better, though. What the hell!

Arf

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