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I wrote this last year;
This is OUR fault America.
That’s right, this is America’s fault, plain and simple. The rise of the Bush Administration and the Neo-Conservative agenda is, for the most part, our fault.
Americans, simply put, are arrogant, ignorant, and selfish. We have therefore given rise to those who emulate the true nature and character of America. I have heard this said many times before and in many ways.
"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." – H.L. Mencken
Now it has truly happened… but not for such simple reasons.
Here’s the one point many who have studied this administration and their incompetence have failed to grasp; (brace yourself)
The Bush Administration is trying to SAVE us.
No, not from terrorists. They’ve proven far too incompetent and unwilling to protect us from terrorists. In fact, they NEED the threat of terrorism looming over us, somewhere, out there, just waiting for us to display a moment of weakness to pounce on us in our living rooms. They NEED us to feel insecure in order to garner our unquestioning loyalty and support. Without that, they will not be able to save us from our REAL enemy…
ourselves.
How could I say that? How could I say that WE are the problem? Maybe you already know the answer – we love to be comfortable. Comfort is oxygen to Americans and it takes many forms in our culture. Fiscal comfort is an illusion we go to great lengths to maintain. We like to be comfortable and we will do nearly anything to stay that way… even if it means war.
We are not ready to turn this country into the lean, mean, economic dynamo of yester-decade… that would take discipline, and discipline is ‘uncomfortable’.
If you’ve ever used a credit card to buy what you cannot afford and don’t need, you are guilty of seeking comfort.
If you’ve ever bought a car that gets less than 15 miles per gallon of gas – you’re guilty.
Nice secure SUV? – Guilty
Have you ever been in a union? Guilty.
Have you held a public office and received a raise? Guilty.
Big screen TV from Rent-a-Center?
Guilty.
2nd Mortgage?
Guilty.
Bankruptcy?
Guilty.
Shop at Wal-Mart?
Guilty.
Tax credits for your kids?
Guilty.
Did I just make you mad? Not yet?
Used a tax shelter? Guilty. Sued anyone for ‘pain and suffering’? Guilty. Collected unemployment insurance? Guilty. Welfare? Guilty. Medicaid? Guilty. Laid off employees? Guilty.
Think I’m just being silly? Guilty.
If didn’t piss you off… Guilty…
Anything to be comfortable – whether it’s necessary or not, we all seek comfort.
…And therein lies the problem.
Obviously I’m not telling anyone they’re a criminal for any of these things, I don’t feel like getting lynched right here in front of my computer. I’m also not saying that spending is bad… it’s HOW we spend that is killing us.
For the record I am pro-union, have shopped at Wal-mart, and taken advantage of rentals. I do think SUVs are a menace because people buy them to show everyone how much more comfortable and secure they are – regardless of whether or not they can even DRIVE one or park one in less than two parking spots. (gee… I guess they make me uncomfortable). I’ve used Medicaid, Food stamps, maxed out credit cards… you get the idea – I like comfort… I like security.
So here’s the problem - if I were in public office, especially high public office – and I tried to tell the American people what they could drive, how they could shop, where they could shop, whether they could join a union, how many children they could have, or where they had to go to school… you could imagine my political life expectancy;
It would be that of a bound, muzzled, and catnip-basted hog in a pit of Bengal tigers that have been fed nothing but cucumbers for a week.
Not long indeed.
The Bush Administration knows this.
Every politician knows this.
You can’t tell the American people they can’t have everything they want, if Americans don’t get what they want, if they become ‘uncomfortable’ – they get rid of their leaders. And our leaders are poignantly aware of this fact.
So here’s why they’re trying to save us;
In the interest of pursuing comfort, this country has gone nearly 14 Trillion dollars into debt.
No, that little $7 Trillion number you’ve heard about? Wrong. Where do you think state and municipal debt comes from?
Our combined Federal, State, and Municipal debt amounts to nearly 14 TRILLION dollars.
We’re in trouble – we’re going into debt JUST paying down the INTEREST on these debts… and we’re still borrowing… to stay comfortable. Soon we will have to borrow JUST to pay the interest.
But to tell the American people we have to reduce our standard of living? Tell big corporate donors they can’t have tax shelters? Never happen… at least not in time to save us.
Now this is HUGE;
Anyone notice how the value of the US dollar is falling?
That would be because of our debt. The value of the dollar has everything to do with America’s ability to generate income. That ability is in decline both because of the terrible debt we have to pay off AND the increasing trade deficit. As we send more money and jobs out of this country – our net national value declines. As our ability to pay off our debt appears to diminish, our currency becomes much less attractive. Fewer countries will be willing to buy our debt as the returns seem neither secure nor of value even if paid.
We will have massive debt and no one will be willing to help us out. Our ability to pay for that debt will continue to decline. Our domestic programs will go bankrupt. Government cuts will add new unemployment in record numbers. Unemployment will go bankrupt. Factories will close resulting in more unemployment. The dollar will continue to fall… in short – total economic collapse.
And that’s not the worst of it.
The reasons for the decline of the dollar are compounded by one-another. One of those reasons is also the decline of the US Dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
To make this brief; Reserve Currency is what different countries use for purposes of international trade.
Until recently, the entire world, with very few impoverished exceptions, has only used ONE nation’s currency for reserve purposes.
Bet you can guess which nation that is…
Yep – Us, the United States Dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for most of the last century… but that has been changing.
As the world’s Reserve Currency, the dollar has enjoyed a value fixed to the world market, the honor of being invited into every treasury of nearly every country in the world, and the privilege of being the only currency that could purchase the world’s number one commodity…
Oil.
With the dollar as the world’s reserve, the United States has never had to worry about little things like trade deficits, paying back loans, or the cost of energy outstripping our economy. The dollar was gold – and we could make it out of lead.
The US dollar has recently had to endure a bright new competitor – the Euro.
Now the two currencies are at war for the adoration of the world, but the Dollar has a remarkable disadvantage – it represents a huge, gigantic, gargantuan debt.
The point is pretty simple – Our administration knew the Dollar could not compete in the world market against the Euro. They knew that the nations we imported oil from might begin to trade in Euros. They knew ‘we’ had to do something… something drastic.
Iraq was about to punish our economy the moment sanctions were lifted.
The choices this administration had were simple; they could tell the American people that we had to exercise economic discipline and hopefully explore new energy alternatives while becoming a very frugal nation… OR they could preserve their political lives and tell us we were being attacked so we would HAVE to invade oil-producing nations to conquer the oil market and ensure the US dollar remained the world’s reserve currency.
Hmmm…. Level with Americans and be voted out of office, or go to war and turn a profit in the meanwhile…hmmm.
Iraq had very lucrative contracts with France, Germany, and Russia just waiting for sanctions to lapse.(Remember those countries being opposed to the invasion?)
Wanna guess what currency those trades would depend on?
Yep – the Euro.
Saddam was never a military threat to us. Even Israel had him out-gunned… but as an economic threat – he was about to crush us. The administration knew that once sanctions were lifted, America’s economy would be crushed. Did they want to tell us this? To tell us that would have been to tell Americans they needed discipline… and discipline is uncomfortable. So they invaded… and they ain’t done yet.
We also MUST control the world oil market. If we do not, as the country responsible for consuming 25% of the world’s energy – we will be price gouged into economic submission no matter how strong the dollar is.
This Administration did not have the brass to tell the American people that we had to take drastic domestic measures to pay down our debt, make American manufacturing more competitive, and strengthen our economy.
That would have made us ‘uncomfortable’… ensuring political extinction for the offending bureaucrats.
So, knowing this, and being generally contemptuous of the American people, they committed to a course of action; war. Hell… It’s what I would have done.
War was something Americans could wrap their limited imagination around… in war there were good guys and bad guys… just like on the television.
Once they committed to the invasion of the Middle East; they could not waver… no matter how bad a stench they created.
They must continue to press into the oil-rich land or face telling the American people the ‘uncomfortable’ truth. In order to continue on this course, they HAD to win the election at any cost.
They think they are saving America, despite their bald ineptitude.
Can you blame them?
I can.
But I blame Americans too. If Americans had the attention span and willingness to understand concepts more complex than Monday night football, we might have supported an Administration that would have taken the critical and immediate measures necessary to heal our economy.
But instead we must illegally invade sovereign nations, kill the inhabitants, and plant governments there that are bent to execute our will.
You don’t think we’re killing civilians? If you saw the pictures and could still say, “It’s worth it to amputate the limbs of those children so Americans can have what they want.” Then you still don’t get it… and I’ll be happy to educate you.
Vegas odds say Iran is next… there’s even a pool for the excuses or, more terrifying, the ‘event’ that will spur our forces farther East.
Frankly, I can’t wait for that event – I pray to God I’m wrong… but we MUST invade Iran to complete the Trifecta and control the two-fold market. It will take a serious ‘event’ to convince Americans to invade Iran.
It WILL happen.
As far as what this all means;
It would be too easy just to say that ‘Red Staters’ would not have understood, but I live in a ‘Blue State’ and have found that less than 50% of people I speak with have the patience to care about the real reason for our invasion. Hell – 4 years ago I might not have cared either.
We are on an invasion course that cannot be deflected, the United States is vying for the grand stature of holding world reserve currency status coupled with control of the world oil market… and we will kill many thousands more before we’re done.
As an American first and a Republican second, I’m rather disturbed by this trend.
This is your fault America… and I’m right here with you.
Quite comfortable in my massage chair,
-Dr. Eldritch
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