How the hell did we end up back in the dark ages?

[Cyrano]

The only explanation I can come up with is George W. Bush and the Republican Party.

Pat Robertson, James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, and their ilk are riding high and having a dandy time.

King George has launched his Crusade against the Muslim infidels, Darth Cheney is attacking anyone and everyone of us who doesn't buy into this crap, and the Thug Party is making believe they never heard the I(mpeachment) word.

It's amazing how quickly we went from the 21st century to the 12th. It seems like just yesterday that the entire world envied us. Today they all hate us.

I have no confidence we can take our country back next year. Their guys own the voting machines. Our guys are still trying to figure out what happened back in the 2000 election.

Well, so much for this particular rant. I'm angry, frustrated, and clueless as to how we fight off the barbarians who "rule" us. Sigh. Maybe it's time to start thinking about going to Canada, Sweden or Mars.

[Tesha]

1. One vote at a time.

When people vote for their very narrow self interests, religious
fantasies, and bigotry over common sense, things like this happen.

Tesha

[bryant69]

2. I think their support is a lot more hollow than they realize

We'll have to see what happens; but the truth is the song doesn't have the same power it used to.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[Ron Green]

3. Democracy, enlightenment, things like that .... they're temporary.

The Jungle is permanent.

(at least until it's totally deforested.)

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. Ignorance of the masses equals power for the educated ruling elite. It

started well before **. We can thank many Republicans over the last few decades for helping to weaken public education and the media so that people cannot think for themselves anymore. We can thank the Moral Majority for swooping in on these uncritical thinkers and schlepping all kinds of bogus theology on them because they can't reason whether or not it's worthy of worship.

But hey, it's all good if you're part of the ruling class. The barons have all the money and power.. who cares what the heck happens to the servants.

There is some solace to be found here, however, in that history shows us that we will not put up with this forever. The pendulum will swing back the other way. The hardest question there is, will it there be violence when it does?

[mopinko]

5. your timeline is too short

probably, so is mine. after all, eisenhower predicted a lot of what has happened, including the power of texas oilmen.
but, many of us get to say i told you so. the rise of the christian right dates at least to raygun's time. the takeover of the texas school textbook commission, which slanted much of the education in this country (especially american history), was noticed and decried by many who saw the longterm implications. then, add the bogus argument about standards, which basically meant that nothing would be taught BUT the textbooks, and you see the decline pick up speed. we are barreling downhill now.

[Warpy]

6. One barbarian at a time

We all know sanctimonious Bush voters who say they voted for him because of the "Christian agenda."

Call them on how unchristian it all is.

It packs a punch.

[Deja Q]

7. WE let it happen. The people. ALL of us.

If Rob Reiner (as Michael Stivic in "All in the Family"), 32 years ago, could say that ALL OF US are to blame for society's problems, why is it any different now?

We've lost.

And who is going to want us?

And change and loss are a part of life.

[sojourner]

8. if you check, probably for reasons similar to those for first time 'round.

history is cyclical...humans swing from one end of the socio-political spectrum to the other and have done for as long as they've existed...where the hell you think the ruins of ancient civilizations originate?

[whatever4]

9. Yes they do hate us

http://www.watchingamerica.com/index.shtml

Top stories:
Der Spiegel, Germany Syria Commits Torture, So Washington Doesn't Have to
Azzaman, Iraq The Things That Iraqis 'Cannot Understand'
The Nation, Pakistan America's Irrational Aversion to 'Jihadis'
Le Figaro, France Beijing Outmaneuvers Bush on Human Rights
Al-Majd TV, Saudi Arabia , Via MEMRI VIDEO: Americans 'Believe in Armageddon,' and Want to Hasten It
Vietnam News, Vietnam Bush's Bullets Miss Terror and Strike the Innocent
Taipei Times, Taiwan Taiwan Official Calms Nerves After Bush Visit to China
The Economist, U.K. The Dragon and the Eagle Try to Get Along
NRC Handelsblad, The Netherlands Iraq has Become the 'Reason for Terrorism'

I know it's just a smattering of stories, but it seems like we're widely disliked now more than ever, at a time when it's not a good idea.

Leaving? Leave now, beat the wave. Once too many of us want to leave, the leaving will be that much more difficult. Who's going to want us, what resources will we bring, and can Americans even be trusted? Leave now, before it's the popular thing to do, if leaving is really an option.

[leftofthedial]

10. the Reagan coalition between fascists, corporatists, the aristocracy

and the religiously insane has held together remarkably well, despite the mostly contrary aims of the various consituencies.

This coalition, which includes much of the wealth of this and other countries, has diligently pursued a collaborative (and evil) agenda for over 30 years. These are single-minded fanatics and we've allowed them to seize control of much of the media, most of the mainstream "religions," the entire Murkan federal poitical apparatus, school boards, the judiciary, local and state governments, unprecedentedly huge corporations and a huge swath of the educational system.

[Cyrano]

13. Yep. Maybe it's time to just start ignoring a world we can't change.

Then again, too many Germans tried to ignore a world they couldn't change during the 1930s.

And our country sucks so much today under this fascist regime, that I'd really like to go back to my home planet. The damn thing is, I lost the phone number.

[applegrove]

11. Corporations decided that competition with the world is too hard and

so they are making themselves into the only large corporations and monopolies - recreating a world where all the information or access to information is in their hands.

Now why would a tragedy like the aids epidemic not go immediately into the coffers of the the public good and all drugs and programs be monitored and controlled by bodies separate than corporations? Brazil turned the tide on Aids. Looks like if African nations follow the Bush plan - they not stop or turn the crisis (teaching and giving access to safe sex is the only way that really works).

The dark ages have returned in the way Utopian neocons try and get a country to sell water rights to corporations when the local people don't have two cents to rub together and trust in rain-water and streams to survive. They booted out the neocon thinkers and the corporation in Bolivia.

Dark ages is agribusiness trying to force basmati rice on the India agriculturalists - by owning the patent for something thousands of years old. Or in another case, trying to force India farmers to use only the corporate rice - that has been genetically reprogramed not to reproduce itself... a wonder of nature to be sure and a way to get poor farmers to have to buy from a corporation every year - when they never had to before. Now that knowledge of how to reproduce cross and harvest seed for the next plant - that is old information.

Indeed - even access to intelligence on political economy or reasons for war, the future and reasons for changing Social Security - a state secret too. "The public too stupid to know". And lest that is what the neocons tried for.

[Kazak]

12. The regressives are in control...

and this is what they have in mind for us... :scared:

[Cleita]

14. I dunno.

I was thinking of high-tailing it out of here myself. I no longer have any family reasons to stay. However, the places I like aren't crazy about letting in new residents, even those with independent incomes. Some will take you as a political refugee, but other than that the gate seems to be closed on the progressive social democracies.

I guess it's better for us to stay here and fight this.

[Cyrano]

15. Hi Cleita: Yeah, sometimes I feel it's better to stay and fight. However,

these swine hold all the power and I wouldn't know where to start.

I wasn't aware that progressive social democracies had slammed the door on us. Nor am I surprised. After all, who would welcome someone who might very well have cast a vote for a mentally deficient leader such as Bush II (or Reagan).

[RepublicanElephant]

16. no one expects... the CHENEY INQUISITION!!!

:evilgrin: