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Trying to Make Sense, Please Help

The situation of our country and the world has me feeling very uneasy. I don’t understand anymore. I never did understand. Karl Rove is an evil genius. I can’t figure out what their ends are.

I don’t understand what ends could possibly justify their means. Maybe I don’t understand lust for power, greed and corruption. I’ve never been faced with it personally, so I have to say, I have no direct experience. There are smart people throughout government, and smart people in the current administration as well. Are they just complicit or in the dark?

I don’t understand hypocrisy. I can’t tolerate it, and if anyone wants to point out statements I’ve made about whatever that are hypocritical, I happily accept your criticisms. But I don’t understand it.

When Bush pledges to reduce the deficit. Why does he in fact increase it?

When Bush pledges to rein in spending, why does it increase? Or is it only reducing spending on everything but the military?

Why are we spreading democracy and freedom in some parts of the world, but not others? Doesn’t freedom for women in Saudi Arabia matter as much as it does in neighboring countries?

Why are we dismantling Amtrak at a time when oil is at $60/barrel? Wouldn’t the prudent thing be to help reduce our reliance on oil and cars?

Why don’t they believe in global warming? What exactly is there to believe or not believe anyways? It’s not really a question of belief.

Why are they trying to dismantle Social Security? (Oh, I know the answer to that one: They don’t need it, they’re rich enough already.)

Here’s what I really want to know:

Does Tom Delay go to sleep at night, really, truly believe at the end of the day that he’s serving the people, all the people that voted for him? Or does he think about how sweet that last golf trip was?

Does Karl Rove believe at the end of the day, think that his work has helped the country? That the things he’s saying and doing are helping all the people of this country, or does he just smile and think about how wonderfully calculating and devious he is, and how many more seats the republicans are going to pick up and how they’re going to reshape the courts, and help out their donors.

For that matter, does Hilary think about these things? Does Harry Reid? Does anyone? Do politicians believe they’re making the country better? Or are they only thinking about their circle of donors and friends.

I have to believe that some do think to themselves, “You know, today I fought for Amtrak, which provides a reliable (okay fine, semi-reliable, but damn for all the money we spend on roads and supporting the airlines, we could build up a pretty nice rail system), sorry, Amtrak provides a reliable and economical travel option for millions of Americans every year.”

Or, “Today I declared the situation in Darfur, genocide, without qualifications and without hesitation. This will mean an increase in troop deployment, an increase in government spending and possible loss of American lives, but we will help millions of people in Africa, a place where we have no great economic interests, but a place where we have an interest in humans.”

“Today, as an elected politician in Washington, I fought to join the Kyoto treaty. It is flawed, yes, but Americans have shown that they can rise to any engineering challenges presented to them, and in the end, we, as one of the biggest polluters in the world, need to show that we are willing to join the international community in decreasing the harm we do to the environment.”

Sorry, I just had to rant and rave for a few minutes.

{ 1 } Comments

  1. Jean | 6/27/2005 at 6:22 pm | Permalink

    Amen AJ…I hear you loud and clear. Why don’t the majority of Americans?