time marches on... as it ought

Okay, so here it is, the two year anniversary since my first real post*. In that time I've done a lot of ranting and raving, and I've simultaneously enjoyed myself immensely, and become more and more miserable. I've gone from relative blind ignorance (I wont say I didnt pay attention to things, but I didnt worry about them much) to painful awareness. I cant say that I'm thrilled to have awoken.
America is my home. I love it here, as much as I would like to see and even live in other parts of the world, this will always be where I belong. But I dont care much for the direction it is headed, or has been heading to. For over two decades I've watched as America has slowly given itself over to the powers of Authority. America, the rebel nation, the home of rock-and-roll, somehow seems to have given up the urge to make it's own choices.
Now, we seek others to make up our minds for us. Sometimes it's our leaders, Big Daddies who we appear to beg for direction from. Sometimes it's our enemies, who "leave us no choice". But always, always, we look for others to take responsibility. You will see it in our lawsuit-happy obsession with suing people, even when those "responsible" had no more prescience than we ourselves should have. You will see it in the resurgence of Fundamentalism, which relies, without exception, on an external truth, the word of God as given in a book by a Prophet, and interpreted by a Biblical Authority. America, once a Protestant nation (which relied on an individual's 1:1 relationship with God), has seen those very Protestants betray their own religious heritage.
Now we appear to be poised on the brink of a sea-change in our political system. George Bush's Imperial Presidency has all the makings of an unstoppable juggernaut, while our Congress acts as helpless as rowboats in the path of Dubya's Supertanker of State. Always, always, our Congress, despite the will of the people and despite having a majority in both houses held by the Democrats, capitulates to our "Decider's" desires. They are so fearful of "looking weak" on terrorism, that they have forgotten that it is their duty to be strong on the Constitution.
How about the Courts, which have shown, after years of stacking by Republicans, a bias towards Authority in almost all of their rulings; will they rein in this self-created Monarchy? I personally am not very hopeful. In addition to all this, our citizen military is exhausted, our armed forces are showing the wear of a poorly planned and under-funded, four-plus years of battle, and the only armed force that shows any signs of becoming stronger is a mercenary one, owned by a Republican fundamentalist, staffed largely by foriegn soldiers.
Grim, indeed.

And yet, I had a thought today. It was, at first, about Russia. Even though for decades, conservatives attributed (still attribute, in fact) all the faults of that country to the forces of Communism, the truth is that there really was not much difference between czarist Russia and Communist Russia, just as there is still not much difference between Communist Russia and Capitalist Russia. Paranoia, pogroms, secret police, cronyism, corruption. Same game, different name. In the end, Russia's culture is not determined by its political system, but rather it's political system is shaped by its culture.
So I thought to myself, the same is probably true in America. Oh sure, conservative think-tanks have been trying to change things for years, remaking America bit-by-authoritarian-bit into a place where Might does make Right, and those with money and power can safely hold onto and add onto their wealth and influence. But I wonder how far can they take things?
So far, the average American, while uncomfortable, is not in any kind of acute discomfort. But they are aware that something isnt quite right, and as more and more conservative chickens come home to roost (crumbling infrastructure, high energy prices and its affect [on everything], the skyrocketting cost of health care and higher education, and the fallout from our so-badly botched military ventures in the middle-east), the public will grow more and more uncomfortable. I believe we will, one day, wake up, and remember that this was a country built on telling Authority to Fuck Off. That we are a rock-and-roll nation, and that we dont need some Big Fat Daddy sitting in his comfy chair telling us what he wants us to do.

And about fucking time, too. I think this nation has spent enough time wallowing in a teenaged-like stupor of instant satisfaction and happiness-on-credit. Get your ass out of bed, folks. There are a lot of heavy duty bills coming due, and your Daddy isnt going to willingly give you a dime to help pay them off (because he's profitted too much from your incurring them).
We, all of us, have made really big mess. It's going to be hell cleaning it up, and dont expect any pity from anyone. We've thrown a really big party, and however hung over we may be, it's our house, and unless we want to sleep amongst the crushed chips, spilled beer and vomit that such a thoughtless blow-out inevitably leaves behind, we'd better get busy.

Buck-up little troopers, time to grow up and be responsible. Get some balls, and make sure that those whom you choose to protect your interests really are protecting your interests. If not, fire them.


*Sorry, Dusty, I said three years, but I was delusional at the time