I don’t normally watch much TV news, but I happened to catch it this morning since I was letting my son watch anime on the computer. The chimp was on almost every channel, so I decided to suck it up and watch. Looks like I wasn’t the only person who was disturbed by this, borrowed from dKos: Influenza pandemic? Let the military take care of it, says Bush.
Yet again, I find myself having visions of Nehemiah Scudder and thinking that Heinlein’s “Revolt in 2100” should be required reading in high school (as the mother of a very bright 8th grader, I don’t think most kids would be ready for it before then.)
What will it take to get people to wake up and keep that nightmare from happening? Damn it all, I don’t want to have to do the “resistance” thing this lifetime.
Poll
Votes: 27 (results no longer available)
Not sure (4.00 / 2)
I hope we’ve hit bottom, but no telling until years from now. This announcement today to use the military to combat the flu could become an excuse to impose martial law in a few months. Or we could start seeing perp walks by neocons every few days for the rest of the year.
What is most chilling about that book, and a lot of RAH’s “Future History” is how close it is to how things have unfolded. Maybe he did have a time machine…
by MagentaMN on Tue Oct 4th, 2005 at 20:58:44 PDT
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Hope and worry (none / 1)
I hope that, finally, we’re seeing the beginning of the end of this bout of GOP hubris. When their own talking heads are jumping ship and complaining that they’ve only taken 5-10 years to get as bad as the Dems were after 40 years of control, you know it’s bad.
I worry what they might do on the way out. Animals are at their most dangerous when they’re wounded and desperate, and they still have a sizable chunk of the populace (and media) on the kool-aid IV drip. If they tried imposing martial law with less than crystal clear reason, how many of the “troops” (i.e NG and LEOs) would support it and how many would rebel? Hard to say. They talked about “postponing” elections in 2004 — I don’t think for a minute that they wouldn’t try it in 2006 or 2008 if they thought they could get away with it.
It depends, I guess, on how “scorched earth” they’re willing to go.
My, but I’m feeling cynical this morning :-). Must be the Santa Anas.
by Morgan on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 09:09:33 PDT
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Or… (none / 0)
It’ll inspire so much rage among the populace that they’ll finally kick out these powermongering, America-hating idiots. Give em a dose of the Reality Based community, perhaps?
Fear’s a powerful thing/
It can turn your heart black you can trust/
It’ll take your God filled soul/
And fill it with devils and dust — Bruce Springsteenby ChicagoDem on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 12:12:22 PDT
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We can only hope (none / 0)
by Morgan on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 12:37:35 PDT
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running up the down escalator (3.83 / 6)
William Carlos Williams in his poem “The Descent,” wrote:
“No defeat is made up entirely of defeat–since
the world it opens is always a place
formerly
unsuspected . . . .”
Sometimes the getting better is hidden inside the getting worse, & already happening.
“Wherever we are broken
there survives a possibility
of replacement & growth”
by Asbury Park on Tue Oct 4th, 2005 at 22:11:40 PDT
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my most optimistic assessment (none / 1)
of the George Bush Failed Experiment is that his diaster presidency will crack open a lot of complacency about the way Americans live in the world, and the result of the enormity of the coming crises will force a major realignment of our practical and spiritual priorities.
gee, is that optimistic? sounds pretty painful. But I’m thinking the only way this country/world will change in any real, honest way is (unfortunately) the path of suffering.
jeez, now I’ve depressed myself….
barn’s burnt down…now i can see the moon. -masahide
by marjo on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 09:14:01 PDT
I think it’s going to get worse, (none / 1)
but I have no idea how much worse (and certainly hope not very – I have a grandchild on the way). I am entirely certain, though, that whatever happens is going to happen over the next few years – five at the outside.
I am equally certain that the cleanup will take at least 20 years, and very likely the rest of my life. And I plan to be around for the Tricentennial.
by loggersbrat on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 09:18:29 PDT
I guess I’m going to say it’s somewhere (none / 0)
between a lot and a little worse. We can’t know yet. History shows us change can be lengthy in coming and change can be sudden. Not to wax too philosophical but I have a number of quotes near my desk. One that always shifts me to a broader perspective of thinking is by Zora Neala Hurston:
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.”
We just need to take breaths when we need to and continue to fight the good fight.
by one bite at a time on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 15:42:11 PDT
The_Blogmother
Morgan (aka Lorena), site designer for Silver Gateways, is happily married to Roland/Rowan/Robin. While she was a frequent blogger in the 00's, nowadays she mostly leaves that to her other half and concentrates on managing their web presence. She was also the "web goddess" for the EVDC.
Not much more (4.00 / 3)
The Republican party is falling to pieces. The voters are getting fed up, liberal blogs rule the Internet, and even the MSM are beginning to bash Bush and his administration in earnest! People may think I’m weird but I’m actually glad in many ways that Bush “won” in 2004 because the emporer’s nakedness is being exposed. Every month Bush and his greedy, immoral administration, and his K Street lobbyists, and his whacky Fundy supporters look worse and worse. Every month their incompetence pushes America to the left a bit more. Wow, even poverty is being discussed again.
Don’t dispair. We’ve won. The Republicans just don’t know it yet! Much of the damage Bush has done can be undone. The only things that can’t are the Supreme Court judges that Bush appointed, and those would have been a lot worse if we hadn’t fought so hard since 2000.
by Trakker on Tue Oct 4th, 2005 at 19:14:43 PDT
Being an eternal optimist… (none / 1)
I tend to agree with your assessment. Things are falling apart for the bad guys, and it’s just going to accelerate. It certainly could get worse, but I don’t think it will. The next election isn’t far off. I really do think that the Republicans will be crushed in a landslide. But then, I’ve been wrong before…
by Diamondrock on Tue Oct 4th, 2005 at 22:40:15 PDT
I am amazed (none / 0)
at the number of people who are feeling sorry for Bush. He did not, and will not feel sorry for you….unless you are very wealthy and contributing to his campaign. We must stay on top of this. The beat us over and over because we resort to being polite. Read Hunter’s Rant. And keep the pressure on.
by bloomer 1 on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 00:31:29 PDT
Er… (none / 1)
I’m a bit puzzled that anyone reading my post thinks I feel sorry for George W. Bush; or that we can now sit back and enjoy his plight. My point is that we’ve now been joined by more and more former Bush supporters and the MSM. We knew he was a disaster right from the start, the rest of the country is now beginning to come around too.
That being said, I do feel sorry for George Bush (in the same way I feel sorry for schoolyard bullies and all the other people who hurt others because they are hurting deep inside). It’s obvious that Bush desperately seeks approval. The whole Bush family is just one big disfunctional family IMO. I have yet to see a single act of genuine love or compassion between any member of that family. How can anyone not feel a little bit sorry for little Georgy who probably never got enough hugs or discipline or support from his father and mother?
by Trakker on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 05:31:40 PDT
there is (none / 0)
nothing about optimism that inheriently precludes keeping the pressure on.
i think that the worst has in fact occured, and that we are now at a place where we need to act on the frustration the nation is now feeling with the current administration. we’ve been in crisis mode a long time, and it can be hard to switch gears…but 40% approval ratings seem to be the clearest signal i’ve gotten to do so in a long time.
We are being saved for hope.
Romans 8:24a
by martinguerre on Wed Oct 5th, 2005 at 08:26:08 PDT