On despair, microsecond attention spans, and the pea brained masses...

[NRaleighLiberal]

I've not posted here in months. My attemps to withdraw a bit, enjoy my family and hobbies, and trust that the Libby indictments, Iraq mess, and falling dimwit approval ratings would finally wake people up and things would finally start moving in the right direction. Alas, it has not happened. Instead all I see are continuing indications that the decline of our society continues. Whether it is examples of naked greed (stories of Black Friday, stampedes to purchase gobs of stuff to be given as gifts that will undoubtedly end up in people's attics, in landfills, in the curbside garbage bin within a few months), ignorance (all of this nonsense about holiday vs Christmas, the ability of the Rove machine to spin, spin, spin shit into gold - read Iraq), or just plain criminal activity (the feast of scandals presented to the public by primarily the trash on the right) - nothing gets in, nothing sticks. The big, bell curve - that statistical reality, the gob of people that are alarmingly average, despite, in many cases, far greater potential - seem to have the attention span of the blink of an eye. But it is selective, isn't it?? They remember the lies that the right so effectively proliferate - the Swift Boating of Kerry, the false connections between Saddam and 911...they gravitate toward the garbage spewed by the incredibly stupid, incredibly rotten right wing shills that overpopulate the news shows - they believe it all. Something much greater, I feel, is at play here. Are we seeing the absolute worst of what happens when religion mixes with politics - stirred and shaken with the constant barrage of fear? Are we seeing how great a proportion of our country is driven by, controlled by, fear - thus we are under the control of a rather expertly run propaganda strategy - Mussolini or Hitler had nothing at all on these folk!

I can't say that I am giving up - but it is incredible that one generation's hero can become just another administration's tool in this one (Woodward); that fear causes us to shoot people who are mentally unstable (yesterday's air marshall nugget) - how can one maintain any sense of optimism for our future when a man who has failed at everything he has ever touched (he who shall not be named) is constantly propped up by media and pundits, this Emperor who truly is naked and has never had a shred of clothing....when naked spin, rather than truth, not only rules the day but so transparently manipulates its victims? There is no conceivable reason to expect him to do anything but fail - why don't people realize this? There is so much more I could say - I am so angry, so hurt, so disillusioned. So disappointed in the lack of any desire amongst even the pols on our side to fix anything.

[BOSSHOG]

1. Let us gaze at your Avatar for guidance Grasshopper

I will assume you are a Boston Red Sox fan. An incredibly miserable existence for many. What was it, 400 years between world series for beantown? And yet the Trophy came back to the Sox. I tend to (try to) be optimistic when contemplating the havoc wrought on our wonderful country by conservatives and get some solace in the knowledge that what they have done has required a great deal of effort, time, financial resources and evil planning. In other words, it just didn't happen spontaneously and it won't last forever. They must work incredibly hard to do the evil they do (except of course for the nameless one in your post. Failure and doom and gloom follow him around like the dustcloud around pigpen.) While conservatives have set up a media machine to obfuscate, liberals have been feeding and clothing the poor. While conservatives were seeking out military deferments, liberals were fighting in the jungles of Vietnam. I'd much rather be on our side. Comparisons have been made between our conservatives and Nazis. I think it is a fair comparison. The Nazis overreached. Conservatives are in that phase now. Just one more thing they have in common. Let us not mope about their doings, let us prod them to overreach somemore. Best wishes from a rabid Phillie Fan (talk about a miserable existence.)

[Arkansas Granny]

2. I can certainly understand your feelings. The deceit and hypocrisy

of the last 5 years is really hard to take and it's pretty demoralizing to realize that we have 3 more years to endure (unless Congress decides that lying to take a country to war is as immoral as lying about a sexual act between consenting adults). By all appearances, the right is trying to create a theocracy in our country, at the same time that they criticize other countries for the same. They have created a climate of fear that encourages people to accept practices that directly threaten our personal freedoms and liberties. It just seems like such a downhill slide.

People are beginning to wake up, however, and my hope is that the change will be made in the voting booth and not in the streets. The people who still support this administration are very vocal, but the numbers show that support is waning. Politicians in Bush's own party now see his support as being detrimental. With all the publicity surrounding the corruption within the party their house of cards is going to fall.

Hang in there and know that you are not alone. Change is coming and I believe it's heading in our direction.

[Armstead]

3. I bounce from your feelings to optimism

I'm feeling very Politically BiPolar these days.

Some days it seems like the tide is finally turning, and the truth is finally breaking through the clouds. And I see an opposition -- call it liberal/progressive/moderation reassrting itself and coalescing in ways that didn;t exist in the 80's and 90's.

But otehr days it seems like we're still Waist Deep in the Big Muddy, and nothing fundamentally changes. Despite the energy at the grass roots, the democratic Establishment seems as timid and ineffectual as ever. The Teflon is getting reapplied to this administration and the GOP. And the media are the same Presstitudes who keep the lid on any real debate and information.

But ultimately, IMO, in the Big Picture things are gradually moving in a better direction. Rome wasn't built in a day, and it won't be deconstructed in a day either.

[BJW]

4. truth and justice will prevail--eventually