Sunday, October 14, 2007

A Sense of Despair

I am tearfully sad this morning. No my cat or dog did not die. I don't have a cat or dog. I am sad because the great weight of what our country has done to itself over the past few years is becoming painfully obvious. Like an alcoholic in deep denial about a self destructive pattern of behavior, the abandonment of basic principles of human dignity which comprises the very foundation of our way of life coupled with a self-righteous stubborn justification for a cascading series of acts performed in direct contravention of our U.S. Constitution has reached the breaking point. Frank Rich in this morning New York Times painfully points out what has need to have been said for a long time. Our society, our beloved country which so prides itself on its sense of humanity in all things, is behaving currently exactly like the German people during the conduct of World War II. The powers-that-be have seized control and conducted a loathsome operation fueled by fear mongering and secrecy that mocks the rule of law and institutional safeguards that have evolved over more than two hundred years since the founding of our nation. The 'end justifies the means' has replaced our lofty ideals as the apparent standard by which we conduct our affairs of state. Like an alcoholic who blames the wife, work, the boss, anything but himself for creating conditions that cause his problem, it is them (the terrorists) that is the problem and not us. Anyone who dares criticise what is done under the guise of protecting the American public is derided as unpatriotic. Those who by their silence give comfort and support to our leaders are like the German public during the Great War who claimed lack of awareness of what was going on around them. What makes me so sad is the realization that maybe, just maybe, as a people, we are not worthy or capable of accepting the major responsibility our forefathers entrusted to us.

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