Billmon, blogger extraordinaire at The Next Whiskey Bar, today more or less threw in the towel:
"So here's my confession: At this point I really don't give a flying fuck whether the Democrats take the House or the Senate back. No, wait, that's not true. The truth is I hope they don't. It wouldn't save us from what's coming down the road, in the Middle East and elsewhere. It wouldn't force President Psychopath to change course or seek therapy.
But it would make sure that the "left" (ha ha ha) gets more than its fair share of blame for the approaching debacle.
That may well be the natural role of the Democratic Party in our one-and-a-half party system, but I don't want any part of it any more. Which means that when I say it's a bad sign (consensus opinion always being wrong)
that Charlie Cook now thinks the Republicans are likely to lose their House and/or Senate majorities in November, I just mean that it's a bad sign for theDemocratic Party and its professional hangers on.
For the rest of us, and for whatever is left of this country's soul, it
doesn't really matter. We've already lost."
Funny, I was ahead of the curve again...
Not that that's a good thing...
He's right, of course:
The country was effectively lost when nobody arose to protest the judicial coup that ended the 2000 'electile dsyfunction.' The key date was (oh hideous irony) Nov. 22, 2000, when GOP operatives flown into Florida for the purpose, rioted in the offices of the Miami-Dade Elections Office and, by intimidating the officials there, caused the recount to be suspended. Then, when not a single Democratic Senator endorsed or sponsored the challenge levied by the Black Caucus at the installation of the Electors, in January, 2001, the coup was complete and the Junta was inaugurated.
The loss was cemented, and the outcome assured for all time, when nobody rose up to protest the irregularities of the federal elections in 2002 which saw, among other egregious insults to the intelligence of the polis and the memory of the Founding Fathers, Shelby Chambliss, a strident, effeminate chickenhawk, turn out Max Cleland, triple-amputee war veteran IN GEORGIA, for the love of fucking Christ.
The last nail was driven into the coffin of our late, lamented, democratic republic when nobody clamored to raise a public protest, nobody raged, nobody cursed, nobody threatened, and even the candidates failed to complain against the out-right, bald-faced, blatant theft of the 2004 'contest.' The 2004 embarrassment was marked by the most obvious kinds of malfeasance: Ballot rigging, votes lost or left uncounted in states all across the nation, rampant voter disenfranchisement, bureaucratic shenanigans (when did it become permissible for the Secretary of ANY State--the official in charge of the administration of the Franchise--to be also the Chairman of one Party's Election Committee?), machine 'malfunction', fixed--but unrecountable--ballots, declarations of Homeland Security emergencies to forestall the monitoring of vote counting.
But no one wanted to hear it, wanted to beleive it, wanted to challenge it. "It can't happen here," or so the implicit refrain ran, throughout the winter.
And now, it's done. Half-hearted reforms instituted or called for by the Less-Far-Right Wing of the Party of Property won't accomplish anything more then to put a fresh coat of lipstick on the pig.
We had our chances, and we did not sieze them.
As of course, the cheats, and the thugs, and the gunsels KNEW we wouldn't: Nobody wants to risk the destruction of their $2500, 55-inch plasma screen when there's a new installment of American Idol scheduled, and there's a 36'er of Bud in the fridge, and the pizza guy's at the door.
This used to be a pretty great country. But now it's "Rest in pieces, olde United States of America: Done, Ruined, Fucked...in just 6 short years."
4 comments:
In my darker moments, I'm afraid that you may be right, WGG. I'm afraid that you might be right.
It's too painful to talk about. We've been tied to the traintracks, watching the freight train getting closer and closer.
- mena
The Blues Need To Be More Red
The other day I saw a bumper sticker that said" Gays,
Lesbians, Traitors, Liberals! The democratic Party needs you!" I sat there, transfixed. I wondered what this old bastard would do if I went up to him and questioned his right to be as insulting as he was. I wondered what he'd do if I should him my bumpersticker(hypothetical, of course)
that said, "Bigots. Fascists, Necrophiliacs, and sheep-humping asshole-suckers! The GOP needs you. What would he do? I know very well what he'd do. He'd go "Red State" on me. He'd go NASCAR on me, he'd shoot me, more than likely. AND THAT, is the difference between the GOP and TOG( The Other Guys) . What the democrats need, what all of us who are NOT GOP need to do is to develop a SPINE! TOG are a party of politeness. We need a party of attitude, just like the GOP. We need to stand up to the fat son of a bitch with the obnoxious bumper sticker and say " HOW DARE YOU" and follow it with " AND WHAT DO YOU WANT TO MAKE OF IT?" Next time that's just what I'll do. Look for my obit in the Daily Independent.
Hmmm...that image reminds me of this one for JFK. I do not want to contemplate the omen, lest I get a visit from men with suits and earpieces.
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