red onion

The stink of death that is Iraq right now is heavy and fouling the already polluted atmosphere of American politics. 100,000 Iraqi civilians dead and counting. Republicans are belching their defenses...defense of actions in Iraq that allowed the looting of sites like Al Qaa Qa. Democrats are circling like hyenas, drawn to the smell of frightened exposure. The democrats sense victory and are hyper/nervously celebrating before all the eggs are hatched, and taking spirited jabs into the republican body on forums such as Eschaton and Daily Kos. Dissent, criticism of Kerry policies is not, ironically enough, to be tolerated there, while republicans are berated for their daily violation of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I wonder though, where was Kerry and most of our other illustrious congress people when the war was being planned, and then conducted in such a disastrous manner? And I'm sitting here post-red moon eclipse wondering what exactly will be won, election day.

I have stated that I do believe a certain degree of reason will return to the political dialogue. A reasoned people do not measure arguement by its pro or anti American tone. A reasoned people do not casually and carelessly throw about the word "treason", to silence those who would criticize the actions of our government. Kerry appears intelligent and possessing of the ability to reason; however, as I said earlier, that trait does not insure that all of his decisions will be reasonable. I suspect some Americans may turn the treason accusations on their head, and come to view some of the actions of the Bush administration, particularly regarding the war, as possibly treasonous. Would it be no less treasonous then to expand this war, though it be the "wrong war", and ask more Americans and more Iraqis to die...for what?

Will religion as influence, and the danger of war for the sake of scripture, recede...for now? Israel will always be the wild card in this global theater.

Kerry is becoming the new man of the hour to idolize and for a while at least, he will do no wrong. Interesting that the process of American idol also contained the specter of the disenfranchisement of minority voters.

As voters, are we reasonably discussing the immense problems of environment, war and poverty, and just how, as a species capable of reasoning, we are going to deal with these problems?

To a great degree, I feel we have forfeited the national dialogue to sensationalism that masks just how the capitalist system is stacked in the favor of the monied elite. It is the mindset of criticism=treason that has infested our dialogue, and it is the cynicism of "what's the use, might as well eat the bread and watch the circus" that fuels our apathy. The election of Kerry is just the tip of the iceberg to recovery, or it may not have any relation. And going after Halliburton is one thing, but to dismantle the system that has allowed Halliburtons throughout our history, is quite another. I think it will take nothing short of dismantling, and rebuilding.