X353: Xpose, Xterminate, Xpunge

Tristero at Hullabaloo or Digby’s . . .

The damage Bush, et al, has done to what I remember America was like is more than incalculable: it simply defies one's imagination in its breathtaking, and utterly catastrophic, comprehensiveness. Think of all the awful judges he's appointed, and all the incompetent ideologues and religious fanatics now in the permanent government. Think of our standing in the world, which will continue to have enormous impact on our economy. Think of...well, you get the picture. [ . . .]

The future for this country is not a yellow brick road strewn with roses, the failure of the Bush revolution behind us. Rather we are in a quagmire, not only in Iraq and Afghanistan, but politically, legally, and culturally. It will take a tremendous effort to get out of the ditch Bush (and Bush I, and Reagan, and Nixon) dug for us. It can be done, I think.

A comment I found compelling and something I have said. Bu$h isn’t incompetent. He is successful by his own standards.

It seems to me that Bush's true goals :

• establish a secure moneyed aristocracy in the US
• establish the principle that the President and his designates are above the law
• establish a military beachhead in the Middle East
• kill Sadaam Hussein
• massively enrich the owners of the energy industries
• destroy effective regulation of corporations in the US

have all been achieved, and that from Mr. Bush's perspective, this might look like success.

Sadly, the above list didn’t even touch the singlemindedness with which this admistration’s Gov-Corp has worked to destroy the environment and planetary climate stability. As Steve M. remarked on No More Mr. Nice Blog:

"... these have been great years for George W. Bush,
because he feels he's doing vitally important things,
he feels all kinds of people hate the way he's doing those things --
and he just loves both those feelings.

... Bush's bliss doesn't manifest itself in glee but, rather,
in smugness and defiance -- in looking down at his enemies
and thinking, "I won. You lost." His victory, of course,
is permanent war -- he's a Really Important Person now
and nobody can take that away from him."

joel hanes

What I long for the systematic removal of all this evil brought by this murderous reign. I look to the Grassroots, Netroots though mostly in vain. My fervent wish is that the X-generation finds its progressive will. I will be long dead, but maybe as underlings this generation will unlearn and expose the myths and place a foot in the right direction. It is time to begin . . .

e-xpunge = remove, take out, edit, cut out, excise Think of all of the signing statements, the rules, the regressive legislation

e-xterminate = eliminate, decimate, annihilate, destroy, eradicate, take out, wipe out

• Courts, and Justice system, then Gov’t staff positions at all levels
• Ideologues, Federalists, and religious fanatics in Local, State and National Government (Think ‘Faith-Based’)
• Right Wing Think Tanks
• Gov-Corp Lobbyists
• Neocon Educators
• Crony Network of CEO’s, Boards
• Religionists in Military (Air Force Academy, Air Force in particular)
• Aryan Brotherhood in Military (Air Force Academy, Air Force in particular)

Tangentially, I want to address the fact that with this week’s letter ‘X’ titles I took liberties by eliminating the 'E'. But, according to Wikipedia ‘E’ is overused. Well, that is sort of what is said.

The letter 'E' is the most common (or highest frequency) letter in the English language

The symbol for e in sign language is a closed hand, the fingers curled into the thumb.

Coincindently, this fingers gripping thumb is a ‘tell’ for katecontinued. Yes, I am gripping those ‘E’ signs every day. It is a tip off that I am stressed. This long agony of the Bu$h administration and the clear signs that the Obama administration, the Congress and my local government is essentially more of the same . . .

I am not proud of the fact that my fist is a kind of crumbling in on myself. This is the flight or fight with me flying. What I am working towards envisioning instead is a fist raised in the air. If I can't be standing there, let me at least support those who are.

In eight years I can only remember teeny, tiny examples of standing up to Chimpy McStagger, the puppet figurehead of neocon and corporate power. Only this first one out of these three was an American. Harry Taylor in North Carolina:

“‘I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration,’ Taylor said, standing in a balcony seat and looking down at Bush on stage. ‘And I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and grace to be ashamed of yourself.’”

Or Carole Coleman, the candid Irish journalist who pressed Chimpy and he got pissy and the White House laid bare to her the propoganda role in this administration. She said later:

Clearly the White House had thought they would be dealing with an Irish "cailin" bowled over by the opportunity to interview the Bushes
...
Had I been fair? Should I just have been more deferential to George Bush? I felt that I had simply done my job and shuddered at the thought of the backlash I would surely have faced in Ireland had I not challenged the president on matters that had changed the way America was viewed around the world.

And finally, the shoes thrown at the dog Bu$h.

Iraqi journalist Muntader al-Zaidi threw his shoes at President Bush and shouted, “This is a farewell kiss, you dog. This is from the widows, the orphans and those who were killed in Iraq.”

Three tiny examples in eight years! The corporate media, congressional leadership and the white house all worked to diminish these tiny instances of outrage and exposure into trivial baubles. Yammer, yammer, yammer, giggle and it spins away. Nothing stands in the way of Gov-Corp, commerce and power.

One device used is to say over and over for years now, it isn't the time to speak out to act. We are waiting for the Inauguration. The nation is in a holding pattern . . . But, doesn’t it seem we are always being lulled in to waiting for the Next Big Scheduled Event TM?

I am coming to realize it isn’t going to happen in my lifetime. Justice will not be served and these criminals will not pay. It is taking a toll on my belief in hope and change and sustainability. I look to the rest of the world – especially the south - to lead where the empire of the states has failed and fouled.

It is fitting that just before the longest night of the year that I voice my darkest thoughts.