Rushing Toward the Rubble of History
Here in the United States, a strange phenomenon is taking place. On
one hand, the blatant falsehoods and philosophical idiocy of the Bush
Administration are beginning to unravel. On the other hand, support
amongst the American people for the Bushites is growing stronger.

This phenomenon confirms the general loss of soul in the American
people. When darkness rules a country, the erosion of character and
fear in the people that made its ascendancy possible, are the very
things that make it almost impossible for people to rid themselves of
tyranny.

The exploitive power of America has heretofore been directed much more
outside rather than inside these borders. But whereas Kissinger-era
domination was epitomized by the dictum 'ignorance is bliss,' willful
ignorance characterizes our present zeitgeist. Chomsky's faith that
Americans would throw the bums out if they only knew has been broken.
They know.

It is a cosmic irony that George Bush, who says he follows the
teaching and example of Jesus, wages war without a pang of conscience,
as fully convinced that he is God's messenger as is Osama bin Laden.
"The terrorists are people who kill without conscience," he intones ad
nauseam, without a trace of irony, after killing thousands of Iraqi
civilians rid the world of one evil only to replace it with greater
evil.

The most evil men in history are those who have had no doubt about the
rightness and righteousness of their actions. For them, doubt is
weakness, and unyielding will is strength. "They will not break our
will," Bush says over and over, "we are resolute." Hitler too spoke
continuously of his iron will, and of the unbreakable will of the
German people.

Mr. President, as Nelson Mandela said, you do not know how to think
properly. You continuously bamboozle the American people with this
wrongheaded notion that "the terrorists declared war on the United
States of America." But even if a stateless network could declare war,
which it cannot, that did not give you the right to declare war on
Iraq.

When Bob Woodward asked you how history would judge your actions, you
gave that disgustingly insouciant shrug and said, "We'll all be dead."
That is a very strange reaction for one who believes in God and hell,
don't you think?

Can the American people do the world a favor and get rid of our own
"evil one's," while effectively dealing with the stateless "evil
one's" (and at the same time get out of Iraq)? It doesn't look
promising. After a few weeks of American-induced carnage in Iraq, and
revelations about the disgusting dealings of the Bushites, Bush's
approval ratings have actually gone up!

The problem is that the vast majority of adults in America are either
inwardly dead, or completely numb. The numb can wake up, but not even
Jesus could bring the inwardly dead back to life. ("Let the dead bury
their dead.")

Certainly John Kerry would be a much better president, but he has
played the 'nuanced' game of politics for so long he conforms to any
convenient shape. As far as another center of genuine leadership
emerging in the world, Europe is torn between Blair's big bark and
little bite in service of his master, and the rest of the EU's disgust
and desperate hope the nightmare will simply vanish. Meanwhile, China
continues to act like it lives on its own planet, disconnected from
the rest of the world, except economically.

No people are more enslaved than those who believe without question
that they are free. But even though they have millions of walking dead
marching behind them, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld are teetering on
the edge of a precipice of their own making.

Despite the best-laid plans by the powers and principalities, perhaps
all it will take now is a strong gust of truth from a small percentage
of good men and women to push the Bushites onto the rubble of history.


************
- Martin LeFevre is a contemplative, and non-academic religious and
political philosopher. He has been publishing in North America, Latin
America, Africa, and Europe (and now New Zealand) for 20 years. Email:
martinlefevre@sbcglobal.net. The author welcomes comments.

Rushing Toward the Rubble of History
Here in the United States, a strange phenomenon is taking place. On
one hand, the blatant falsehoods and philosophical idiocy of the Bush
Administration are beginning to unravel. On the other hand, support
amongst the American people for the Bushites is growing stronger.

This phenomenon confirms the general loss of soul in the American
people. When darkness rules a country, the erosion of character and
fear in the people that made its ascendancy possible, are the very
things that make it almost impossible for people to rid themselves of
tyranny.

The exploitive power of America has heretofore been directed much more
outside rather than inside these borders. But whereas Kissinger-era
domination was epitomized by the dictum ‘ignorance is bliss,’ willful
ignorance characterizes our present zeitgeist. Chomsky’s faith that
Americans would throw the bums out if they only knew has been broken.
They know.

It is a cosmic irony that George Bush, who says he follows the
teaching and example of Jesus, wages war without a pang of conscience,
as fully convinced that he is God’s messenger as is Osama bin Laden.
“The terrorists are people who kill without conscience,” he intones ad
nauseam, without a trace of irony, after killing thousands of Iraqi
civilians rid the world of one evil only to replace it with greater
evil.

The most evil men in history are those who have had no doubt about the
rightness and righteousness of their actions. For them, doubt is
weakness, and unyielding will is strength. “They will not break our
will,” Bush says over and over, “we are resolute.” Hitler too spoke
continuously of his iron will, and of the unbreakable will of the
German people.

Mr. President, as Nelson Mandela said, you do not know how to think
properly. You continuously bamboozle the American people with this
wrongheaded notion that “the terrorists declared war on the United
States of America.” But even if a stateless network could declare war,
which it cannot, that did not give you the right to declare war on
Iraq.

When Bob Woodward asked you how history would judge your actions, you
gave that disgustingly insouciant shrug and said, “We’ll all be dead.”
That is a very strange reaction for one who believes in God and hell,
don’t you think?

Can the American people do the world a favor and get rid of our own
“evil one’s,” while effectively dealing with the stateless “evil
one’s” (and at the same time get out of Iraq)? It doesn’t look
promising. After a few weeks of American-induced carnage in Iraq, and
revelations about the disgusting dealings of the Bushites, Bush’s
approval ratings have actually gone up!

The problem is that the vast majority of adults in America are either
inwardly dead, or completely numb. The numb can wake up, but not even
Jesus could bring the inwardly dead back to life. (“Let the dead bury
their dead.”)

Certainly John Kerry would be a much better president, but he has
played the ‘nuanced’ game of politics for so long he conforms to any
convenient shape. As far as another center of genuine leadership
emerging in the world, Europe is torn between Blair’s big bark and
little bite in service of his master, and the rest of the EU’s disgust
and desperate hope the nightmare will simply vanish. Meanwhile, China
continues to act like it lives on its own planet, disconnected from
the rest of the world, except economically.

No people are more enslaved than those who believe without question
that they are free. But even though they have millions of walking dead
marching behind them, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Rumsfeld are teetering on
the edge of a precipice of their own making.

Despite the best-laid plans by the powers and principalities, perhaps
all it will take now is a strong gust of truth from a small percentage
of good men and women to push the Bushites onto the rubble of history.

************
- Martin LeFevre is a contemplative, and non-academic religious and
political philosopher. He has been publishing in North America, Latin
America, Africa, and Europe (and now New Zealand) for 20 years. Email:
martinlefevre@sbcglobal.net. The author welcomes comments.