As I sat in my cubicle today watching the C-Span 2 streaming feed of the Cloture vote, I couldn't help but feel that this country, my country, is on the eve of something truly catastrophic. After tomorrow's confirmation vote approves the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, the Republicans and George Bush will control all three branches of government, Most big business, the major lobbying firms in Washington, and the corporate "retro" media. And while most polls show that the majority of Americans disagree with the conservative agenda - there is little or nothing that this majority can do about it.Tomorrow night George Bush will give his State of the Union Speech - laying out his vision for the last two years of his Presidency. But it is not at all necessary. You see, George doesn't need to sway public opinion in support of his message or even tell us what it is. Because this administration can now just ram its right wing, Jesus loving, gay hating, corporate aiding, bullshit right down our throats. Today's lack of vision by many Senate Democrats lead us directly to this point.
For those Democrats who voted for Cloture - you missed your big chance and the outcome of your refusal to stand up for democracy will be a heavy burden for generations to come. For those who say that this is just a small setback, I can't help but remember the famous quote:
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Pastor Martin Niemöller
I wish everyone would read this. Get it to the Sac Bee and see if they print it.
ReplyDeleteSend to your Congressmen.
It isn't over yet. It really did look like Nixon was going to get away with Watergate, but he did not.
I just don't think I can listen to his address to the nation though. Blah, blah, blah, blah.
The fact that you would read Niemoller's verse about Hitler in discussing the confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee is a validation of every Bill O'Reilly epithet that's ever been uttered. You are a caricature of everything you claim to despise, and once the Democrats retain power you will undoubtedly call for the newfound majority to be a tyrannical one.
ReplyDeleteWow. Looks like somebody likee da name callin!
ReplyDeleteUndoubtedly, it is quite wonderful to be an anonymous conservative looking to repeatedly butt in on the onanism of others!
To validate another O'Reilly phrase, Get a loofah!
Yes I will. Tyrannical when it comes to preserving the Constitution, civil liberties, and the rights of privacy. I will also call on any new Democratic majority leadership to help the less fortunate, protect the middle class and not send our brave young soldiers off to fight a war so Exxon can reap billions in profits.
ReplyDeleteYou see that is the difference between the Right and the Left. When it is our turn to Govern we try to make life better for everyone - not just the imperial priviledged few.
Take a step back and look at what you're saying. You're saying that you would interpret 55 seats in the Senate and two million votes more than your competitor as a mandate to govern as you see fit. Despite the Republicans having won handily at the polls you do not believe they have the right to govern as they see fit. The nomination of a judicial conservative who is anything but extreme is probably the most notable thing that the otherwise timid Republicans have done.
ReplyDeleteThis president was not elected by the people. He was placed in office by the supreme court first and by questionable balloting in Ohio. There is nothing that says we should have an imperial president under our constitution. We have every right as citizens in this country to speak out, and vote what we believe. Richard Nixon was elected by a landslide and then was impeached. This president deserves to be
ReplyDeleteremoved from office for crimes he has committed against this nation. That is justice.
Al Gore would have been appointed by the Supreme Court of Florida by an egregious miscarriage of justice had not the SCOTUS stepped in. As per this election, this Ohio nonsense is based on the belief that the vote would be closer than it was. They descended upon the state expecting a fight and then they weren't rewarded with one. Once you take off your tin foil hat and respect the vote of the people you will be the better for it.
ReplyDeleteOnce you have read enough of this blog, you might begin to understand more about the extreme corruption that you are so irritatingly supporting. Tossing words to make yourself sound more knowledgeable than you really are.
ReplyDeleteIf the damned SCROTUM hadn't stepped in we would not be at war now and thousands of young men and women would not be dead. Tell me one thing that George Bush has done to help the majority of people in this country. Tell me one thing!
George Bush has done an awful lot to help me. My particular vocation rakes in $18,500 a year under Bush. Under Clinton it was $13,000. NCLB has been a mixed blessing, but it has paid some dividends. The tax cuts have made a big difference to me, despite my paltry salary. Alito and Roberts advance my own judicial philosophy. An aside about the troops...I am sick of hearing people invoke their names while turning every misdeed they commit into front page news and demeaning the cause for which they fight. That is anything but support.
ReplyDeleteWhat is that judicial philosophy you hold so dear?
ReplyDeleteNCLB has been very destructive to schools, because it does not speak to the needs of true learning. It is based on accountability and testing. Many children are getting lost in that scheme. "Testing is not Teaching" Education involves inspiration not just facts poured into ones head to spit out on cue. NCLB was the brain child of Ross Perot, and whatever happened to him?
As for the war, it never should have happened. It was based on a lie.
American's have every right to correct a lie that is killing innocent people. KILLING INNOCENT PEOPLE and you want to excuse every misdeed they commit. Who are you anyway? Do you think if you don't know about it, it never happened?
If accountability is not the solution to our education problems, what is? More money? Some of the highest per-pupil spending goes to districts that are failing children. Vouchers had promise but they ran afoul of the unions for the same reason that NCLB does; they punish bad results. Of course there are problems with testing as the sole measure of educational success, but the Democrats don't seem to have a better answer.
ReplyDeleteThe war was not based on a lie. Every major intelligence service in the world concluded that Iraq had a WMD capacity greater than what it proved to be. Additionally, the media argues that democratization was never part of the administration's 'advertising package' but major administration figures spoke about it many times in the weeks and months leading up to war. The media chose not to focus on that aspect of the administration's rationale.
As per the deaths of innocents, liberal organizations were claiming 100,000 people a month were dying from sanctions. While this was untrue, clearly the Iraqi people were suffering. Innocent people. This war resulted in elections that have placed an accountable government in charge of its people. No doubt innocent Iraqis have died, but the majority of those who perished did so at the hands of militants, not our troops. With a handful of exceptions our troops have behaved exceptionally well and they deserve our respect for this. Those in the Armed Forces who have broken the law have been punished. Yet people on your side of the aisle insist that every misdeed, perceived or real, is front page news while revelations about mass graves warrant a paragraph in the international section. Is this fair?
The Democrats are not in power here. Remember. Glad you realize NCLB isn't working.
ReplyDeleteGreed is keeping this war going and if you can't see that you're blind.
"If you can't see that you're blind" is not a tactic for winning a debate, its a tactic for putting an end to one. Would you feel better if you could spout your clichees and truisms without someone pointing out that the blogosphere mentality essentially amounts to a circle jerk (the same can be said of rightist bloggers too)?
ReplyDeleteWould you feel better if you could spout your clichees and truisms without someone pointing out that the blogosphere mentality essentially amounts to a circle jerk?
ReplyDeleteUm, yes!