57 Days
It’s 57 days until November 4th.
57 days until we get the chance to make a choice about our future, but more importantly, its 57 days until we get to make a statement about the last seven years. And that statement must be decisive, clear, and voiced with a wide enough margin that it gives no solace to the defeated- they must be crushed.
September 11, 2001 was a day that changed the world- if you were someone who had previously paid no attention to the world. Regardless of your belief about the governments involvement in the events of that day, it was our reckless disregard for the rights of others that led to the attack, and it was in no way unexpected.
But America certainly changed, or rather, refined itself post-9/11. Prior to the attacks our media wasn’t completely the public face of government propaganda, today it is impossible to hear issues framed in anything but the crudest, most simplistic voicing of government policy- either you’re with us, or against us. It has become the line in the sand on everything from the war in Iraq to the sex life of the daughter of the governor of Alaska- either you agree with the choices of your rulers, or you hate America, and want the terrorists to win. This has been accomplished largely because we as a society have decided that it is more important to defend a position than to defend the truth. Large segments of our population debate issues that are not debatable- evolution, WMDs in Iraq, separation of church and state, and a dozen others just as contentious, and just as settled. Intelligent design is a lie, everyone knew Iraq had no WMDs, and you can’t hang the Ten Commandments in a courthouse. These are facts. If you don’t like the facts, fine. If you don’t like the laws, change them. That’s what normal, well-functioning societies do, they evolve.
But not America. No, America elevates its ignorance to a pedestal, 24 hours a day, for all the world to scoff at, each day on Faux, CNN, the lot of them. “Serious” people debate flag pins and preachers while we hang people by their wrists because they have a different skin tone and unfortunate geography. We are a nation of people who can barely make change yet debate economic issues, branding one side or the other as socialists when they don’t know what the term means. We stopped having a free market the day the first tariff was passed, and its all been a rigged game ever since. When they game the playing field and it works, its not you and I who reap the benefits, but once the strings start to unravel- such as with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac- we watch as executives float by on their golden parachutes while taxpayers pay twice for their mortgage. A catalog of our national myopia would stretch on for pages- and this nation of frogs hasn’t noticed the heat of the water.
But in 57 days we get to make a statement.
You have the choice to vote for Obama or McCain, but there is really only one choice. You either vote for this guy:
“obama”
Or this guy:
“cheney”
Because John McCain is nothing more than the addle-brained continuation of everything rotten and fraudulent about this nation. A man who would trade the scars earned by torture for a shot at the Oval Office is a very dangerous man indeed- and we’ve lived long enough, and suffered enough, at the hands of such men. Men with a callous indifference to those not fortunate enough to be born on third base. Men to whom the rule of law is just some “goddamned piece of paper”.
Evil men.
Now this is not to say that Barack Obama will necessarily be a good President. He may, or he may not. The tasks facing him are mighty- we must leave Iraq (and that will require us making nice with Iran, who will be able to slaughter retreating American troops by severing our supply line – leaving us open to a turkey shoot, which will look hauntingly familiar to the Iraqi people), he must somehow right the American economy, and he must make those who broke our laws and trashed our reputation swallow their justice in the public forum. Weighty matters, and he will do so in an incredibly divisive atmosphere- he’ll be lucky if he lasts one term.
No, Obama was not our best chance at returning sanity to the White House, that was Ron Paul, the only candidate who has actually has read and understood our Constitution. But he was deemed too radical for our tender ears, and thus became the white Jesse Jackson- always good for a quote, and not much more. So Obama is the only choice we have left.
He must win- no, he must crush McCain. America has to send a clear message that we are done with the politics of theft, dishonesty and rule by stupid. This nation has to say that we are not the ignorant, intolerant image that Bush and Cheney painted us to be. Now is not the time to cast a symbolic vote for a third party candidate simply because Barack gives lip service to Israel, or you think he wants to take your guns.
America has to vote to end the reign of rich white guys who game the system with no regards to those who pay the bills. America has to elect someone who will investigate the lawlessness that has infected our nation. We must elect someone who will force us to be honest about ourselves.
57 days. Or the game’s over.