Off BB:

Had Enough?

Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, "Stay the course."

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned Titanic. I'll give you a sound bite: Throw the bums out!

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize this country anymore. The President of the United States is given a free pass to ignore the Constitution, tap our phones, and lead us to war on a pack of lies. Congress responds to record deficits by passing a huge tax cut for the wealthy (thanks, but I don't need it). The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving pom-poms instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of America my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have.

My friends tell me to calm down. They say, "Lee, you're eighty-two years old. Leave the rage to the young people." I'd love to—as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds and get them to pay attention. I'm going to speak up because it's my patriotic duty. I think people will listen to me. They say I have a reputation as a straight shooter. So I'll tell you how I see it, and it's not pretty, but at least it's real. I'm hoping to strike a nerve in those young folks who say they don't vote because they don't trust politicians to represent their interests. Hey, America, wake up. These guys work for us.

Who Are These Guys, Anyway?

Why are we in this mess? How did we end up with this crowd in Washington? Well, we voted for them—or at least some of us did. But I'll tell you what we didn't do. We didn't agree to suspend the Constitution. We didn't agree to stop asking questions or demanding answers. Some of us are sick and tired of people who call free speech treason. Where I come from that's a dictatorship, not a democracy.

And don't tell me it's all the fault of right-wing Republicans or liberal Democrats. That's an intellectually lazy argument, and it's part of the reason we're in this stew. We're not just a nation of factions. We're a people. We share common principles and ideals. And we rise and fall together.

Link to the rest of the excerpt from Lee Iacocca's new book Where Have All the Leaders Gone?.

Proud to be/blog from Ecotopia, land of "Environmental Freaks and Quiche Eaters".

I keep hearing all about the terrible socialist governments in Latin America. But all the rhetoric I hear from those actual governments like Venezuela and Brazil sounds pretty progressive. Cheap oil from Citgo (Venezualen oil) for poor Americans? Trying to help out lots of other poor countries in the western hemi... What's up? These guys sound cool to me. Anyway, found this interesting map showing the American governments and where they fall in terms of political ideologies. Pretty neat I think.

This former nuclear fuel inspector (editorial) explains what I have felt in my gut since 2002. In 1994, Jimmy Carter formed an agreement with North Korea to cease enrichment activities and allow inspectors to monitor the existing fuel they had. The agreement lasted for 8 years and kept North Korea from getting their weapons program going.

However in 2002, rather than negotiate with North Korea in order to keep inspectors on the ground, George Bush gave them the finger!?!

Then he added insult to injury with these lovely words he said about the guy in charge over there:

Recall Bush's diplomatic interview with Bob Woodward, when he said, "I loathe Kim Jong-Il!" Waving his finger, he added, "I've got a visceral reaction to this guy because he is starving his people." Bush also said he wanted to "topple him" and called him a "pygmy." How old were you when you learned not to antagonize and infuriate the local crazy bully? ( Molly Ivins editorial)

Through his actions and words, Bush has made it obvious that the North Korean government is in grave danger. The Koreans have responded in the only way they know that could prevent the infamous American regime change. They built and tested their first nuclear bomb.

Way to go George my boy. Your "Wree ain't talkin' with tear-or-ishts" ways have truly made our country safer. NOT!

Bush should remember to eat his humble pie. What is that definition of insanity that people often quote? "Insanity is repeating the same actions over and over again expecting to get a different result." Well, perhaps instead of blustering about how evil everyone is and rattling the sabers all the time, we need to finally negotiate with some of these yahoos. Where are the diplomats I ask???


( cartoon source)

Darren had this on his del.icio.us account. That is hilarious. You would think people would be concerned when politicians are effin' with an 800 year old too!