AMEN!

Depression, the result of living in such a horrid, inhumane nation and world, has become my constant companion. Watching the Shrubbie stump speech last night only added to the misery.

You wrote: "I look and I see that not one damn person [in government] actually represents me, and my interests. Everyone one is a career liar (Politician), mass produced plastic, carbon copies of blandness. To me, everyone's eyes looked dead. No soul."

Yep. Except that is how I feel about just about every mainstream American I meet on the street or whose words I read online -- be they in the expediency-first wing of the left, in the mushy middle that leaves me aghast, or on the rabid, reactionary, control-freakish right. What they find good or acceptable just sickens me -- and they frighten and sadden me to my core. I carry so much anguish and guilt for bringing children into this maddeningly violent, greed-filled, kindness-deficient place. And Terrorist-in-Chief Shrub seems to be the face of what is so wrong with the US and the planet and governments and societies in general.

As Jerry Garcia sang, this darkness got to give... but I doubt that it will.

Oh well, ever on. "Let mine be a voice for peace" and justice and equality.

The United States has been destroyed as a democracy. I'd leave in a minute if I could. Take the Constitution and try to implement it somewhere where people actually care about it, instead of in the U.S., where it is no longer respected.

Those who claim to be spreading democracy abroad are destroying it at home. They are the real unpatriotic Americans. Since they can't be expelled, people who care about the country have no choice but to leave. I'd invite anyone who has the opportunity to do so.

I am sorry you are so sad. I disagree that "liberty and democracy also mean the right to not be free." Why? Because to choose a theocratic or other autocratic form of government is to force all people within the system to adhere to that specific way of life and belief system. 51% could impose an Islamist government, sharia, the whole pice of shit, on the 49% who want nothing to do with it. That's why there needs to be a transitional period of weighted republicanism to give people a chance to learn how to live freely, before they are given the open-ended right to be free. No political body on earth has the right to force their religion on anyone - church and state MUST be separated or there is no freedom, and people with no history or experience with this concept need time to adjust to it. That is what must happen in Iraq and throughout the Arab/Islamic world. This is a critical and worthwhile pusuit, and one we cannot afford to let take its own course.

Sorry if you see that as playing God - I'd call it taking God out of the equation, where he doesn't belong.

I think that is the real symptom of the disease. Americans seem to really not be aware or care, or even understand what the Constitution means, what it stands for, and what responsibilities we as citizens have in order to protect its ideals.

I get the impression that people just want everything to come easy. This is the US! Everything is great here! It always has been... it always will be. We are Americans and therefore can do no wrong. Its a very lazy way of thinking, is it not?

This is why I feel so torn. I too, feel like people don't care anymore. Its really bad when the interviews done with people about who they want elected next fall run into "Who can beat Bush" as opposed to "Who represents my ideals best". I admit, I do will vote for who can beat Bush instead of who is closest to my ideals because at the end of the day, the people who really have a chance of running this country all come from the same pile of bland porridge. I see no real innovators, no real thinkers.

"No political body on earth has the right to force their religion on anyone - church and state MUST be separated or there is no freedom, and people with no history or experience with this concept need time to adjust to it."

Again, this arguement has no credibility since the White House is undermining the separation of church and state at home, among other atrocities. This is why so many people abroad despise the U.S. The hypocricy and double standards are sickening. Even Thomas Friedman of the New York Times finally figured it out in his column last Sunday.

Eric wrote: "No political body on earth has the right to force their religion on anyone - church and state MUST be separated or there is no freedom.."

Tell that to your "president." Tell that to your lawmakers. Tell that to the Demublican candidates. Tell that to your fellow citizens.

I'm with you, Mike. Run for your very lives! Run for your very souls! Run for your very sanity! And don't look back!

Goddess knows, if I could go, I would be gone.

But Eric,

Isn't that the same problem here? Where everyone is not being represented in government? I understand why they want the caucuses- they want everyone to have some sort of representation... except this time they are worried about Sunnis, Shiites, ethnic Kurds... etc...

I then have to look back at the United States and say, "If this is the case, why is not the same here?"

I am an independent. I don't see enough independents represented in congress. Moreover, the ones that are there are not from my district. They do not represent me. I know there are enough people in this country that think the way I do but with the way the system is set up, we have no chance of ever really being heard.

If we are to accept then that the vote is how it is here... Therefore we get scary people like Bush and etc in charge when not everyone voted for him, and it was so damn close, how can we say the same for Iraq. Sure, it would suck if it is run by religion but if 51% want it, then that is how the vote goes.

It seems somewhat similar to what happened in 2000- The only problem is that we as Westerners have a loathing and fear of an Islamic goverment... some of it justified, some of it not...At the end of the day however, we don't have to live there and they do have a right to chose. If we are going to make the rules they can chose by, then we need to look back at the United States and set the same example. Perhaps then more people like myself could have a chance to represent people like myself and the two dominate ideas will not be the only ones that get a chance of representation.

Good for Gander, Good for Goose.

For what it's worth...

not taking any sides just providing something to think about. It was that, or break into a rousing a capella rendition of Turning Japanese.

I very strongly disagree with attempts to weaken the barrier between church and state, by Bush or anyone else. There was plenty he said I TOTALLY disagree with, such as the "sanctity of marriage" horseshit, which is a simple perpetuation of discrimination toward no postive positive purpose I can gather whatsoever.

That said, what happened to the concept of proportionality? The difference between Bush's school vouchers and federal aid to "faith-based institutions" is several quantums away from a bearded motherfucker with linen on his head running the country. Don't you think?

"a bearded motherfucker with linen on his head running the country. Don't you think?"

And there we have it. *scowl*

If they want that what gives the right for the US to intervene?

So, the UN cannot tell what the US to do when it comes to its government, its finances, and it's sovereignty. However, the US can tell Iraq what to do if "a bearded motherfucker with linen on his head" is what the majority, no matter how small the margin, wants.

The same then could have been said about having Bush in office, could it not? Most of the world groaned when they saw that.

You CANNOT play by a double standard then demand to be respected.

Would you want to play a game with someone who keeps changing the rules when it comes to themselves? Would you want to go into business with that person?

Wrong is wrong. Proportionality is fine, but in some instances it is meaningless. For example, the spiritual violence of using people's money to fund religious schools against their will -- IMO -- is just as wrong as "bearded motherfuckers" using physical violence against others. In my experience, spiritual and emotional violence can be worse than physical violence. And your "president," even sans beard and linen, is just as horrifying as the bearded motherfuckers you reference. YM likely V, but you must accept that there are those who would prefer death to living under the rule of Shrub or any other terrorist.

Joe,

I just read that article.

I wish I had it as good as it claims. My standard of living has decreased significantly. There is no way in hell I'll own my own home anytime soon and it looks like I am about to incur more debt (if they let me) so that I can go back to school to go into another field so that I can try to pay back all the debt and at least get my own apartment again.

And no, I am by no means lazy. I have a degree and I have been mass sending out emails for almost two years now. (That is as long as I have been unemployed for come June).

Worse thing is: I can name five other people like me that I know personally. None of us want to "live off the system". All of us feel like shit because we all want decent paying jobs and not to feel like we are forgotten or that it is "our fault" as many conservatives would like to say.

I don't want death.. I prefer to fight and be like the patriots back in 1776... the thing is that these days, to say such a thing might get you landed for treason when in fact, you are being more American than the person accusing you.

If I had my way, all of congress, all of the Supreme Court, all of the Executive branch of government, and every single career politician would go with a collective flush of the toilet. In would come real Americans. Common Americans. People who have to work for a living. Maybe even take the bus... People who have lived the more common American experience. Let the people who live it, rule it. That hardly happens anymore.

Tom Clancy wrote a book with a similar premise
...
Sorry to hear about your hard times. I went through half of 2000 unemployed with a family to support. I was less than impressed with the power of online job searching and did what three professional headhunters couldn't do, which was land me a job (although it was definitely more luck than any ability on my part.) If you'd like I'd be happy to proofread your resume. If nothing else, I'd suggest that you might not want to mention your website until a prospective employer has a chance to get to know you better. [insert smiley here for those who don't do smilies]

I appreciate your advice.

I don't make a habit of discussing my personal life or political views with prospective employers. It really isn't any of their business and has nothing to do with if I can perform the job function.

Thanks. =)

The problem here is that prowar liberals and moderates are not being honest with themselves about just how sinister the regime in Washington is.

They've made a devil's bargain with a rightist Revolutionary Power that is destroying this country. Thomas Friedman is only the first to admit publicly that he was played for a fool. There will be others.

Joe maybe you and the Wall Street Journal could tell Caroline Payne to not worry, be happy.

Caroline Payne embraces the ethics of America. She works
hard and has no patience with those who don't. She has
owned a house, pursued an education and deferred to the
needs of her child. Yet she can barely pay her bills. Her
earnings have hovered in a twilight between poverty and
minimal comfort, usually between $8,000 and $12,000 a year.

Jim, my nutwarming, Canadian bruvvah, there are worse things than being optimistic. I guess I just must be one of them oligarchs or something.

Joe, there's optimism (read the Carolyne Payne article, she's optimistic) and then there's delusional (like Michael Jackson is optimistic). Remember, "it doesn't get better than this" can be interpreted two ways. I was looking at the new ferry service between Toronto and Rochester, and the flap in Rochester when a Canadian reporter asked "why would anybody want to go to Rochester?".

These people looked into the issue:

Today, the city is home to Douglas' grave, a shrinking population of 220,000 and a downtown bustling with empty streets, teeming with deserted sidewalks and pulsating with vacant storefronts. The age when mills roared seems as distant as the exit door to The Lion the Witch And The Wardrobe, i.e. the Narnia jump-off. For the past two decades, residents have piggybacked on the shoulders of the city's fleeing companies, settling outside city limits to establish white and wealthy suburbs. Still, on our visit, George Eastman's Kodak building serenely loomed above the city and churned out those billowing columns of smoke and ash that seem to skywrite "we employ 23,000 local people". Proportionately, it is fair to say, the city is a rich melting pot and/or pungent tapestry that draws inspiration from Gary, Indiana, Flint, Michigan and the Southern Wedge of New Delhi.

"Wrong is wrong. Proportionality is fine, but in some instances it is meaningless. For example, the spiritual violence of using people's money to fund religious schools against their will -- IMO -- is just as wrong as "bearded motherfuckers" using physical violence against others."

They use my money to fund other stuff that I don't like, against my will. What's the difference?

They use my money to fund other stuff that I don't like, against my will. What's the difference?

uh...there isn't something in the constitution that specifically prohibits it?

Yup, that is it exactly. And believe me, if I could stop the motherfuckers in DC from using my money to fund their godforsaken Death Brigade, state-sanctioned killings, etc., there would be dancing in the streets, I'll tell you what.

This is an important and fundamental discussion. Being out of work is extremely frustrating and the economy has been very bad now for over three years, although it really does seem to be picking up. Actual people I know who have been unemployed for some time are getting work in their field again, and though this is purely anecdotal evidence, the numbers seem to back it up.

Areas like Rochester are part of the old economy - most of those manufacturing jobs are never coming back. Either the area responds to the new conditions, as Pittsburgh and Cleveland have - at least to a reasonable extent - of the area withers and dies, like Youngstown for example. That is why mobility is so important: sometimes you just have to get up and move.

None of this is new: there have been business cycles and whole industries disappearing since the woolly mammoth fur trade went in the dumpster. Government can and should help, but ultimately we are all on our own.

Vic - it is trite and old as the spice route, but personal networking seems to be the best way to get a job, and nepotism is best of all. Don't be afraid to talk to everyone you know about it - maybe someone has something. But I truly know and have experienced (and to a certain extent still do) your frustration.

"Government can and should help, but ultimately we are all on our own"

But, again, the people who peddle this line most aggressively--i.e., those running the country and Corporate America-- conveniently exempt themselves from the same rule. The other 99% who accept this line are acquiescing in their own oppression.

Which is now the American way. Too bad, really. It used to be a nice country.

"uh...there isn't something in the constitution that specifically prohibits it?"

No, it says that the state can't establish a religion. Providing school vouchers to schools that actually teach reading, writing and math but also is religious based is not the same thing as saying that our religion is now USAism and you MUST participate in it or face the consequences.

I see quite a striking difference in the two, they are not even comparable.

fine, so can these school vouchers be applied to, say, an islamic school...one that happens to spout some nasty anti-usa stuff?

how about a buddhist school?

satanist?