by Milo Clark
(Swans - October 9, 2006) Some Greek philosopher, Plato maybe, said that only dead folks know the end of war. One could say that opinion makes short work of thinking otherwise. Does such a dark thought make cynicism cynical? Or irony ironic?
The Senate of the once United States of America just trumped the Patriot Act, in itself a wonder of framing, with a huge carving off of the Constitution also guaranteed to save us from the terrors of terrorism and terrorists. But, one may note, not from ourselves.
It does little good to make comparative analyses, examine data thoroughly or attempt to conclude that the collective we is being saved for anything other than a controlled and boring future. Bring it on, they chant, doesn't bother me 'cuz I ain't doing nothin' to worry about nohow. All them bleeding heart folks are traitors, anyhow. Off with them, we say!
Orwell's Animal Farm flashes to mind. Some folks are indeed more equal than others. Those are the folks raking off billions from war contracts and CEO slots while the foot soldiers in Iraq are said to be wearing out boots faster than the Pentagon can send new ones.
The Atlantic runs a story suggesting that it will take more years to recover from Bush II than it took to make up for Reagan and Carter, but fewer than it took to climb back from the great pits of Nixon's blunders. Are we to be encouraged by this prospect?
Clinton takes a few swipes at a Fox talking head about who did or who didn't do whatever about 9/11 beforehand. Condi Rice comes out with claws bared to swipe back while the Court-anointed prez roams about piling falsehoods on top of lies to put the fears back into a pathetic populace who may or may not vote for changes in the ranks of Congressional incumbents next month.
Meanwhile, the great gray fleet sails to the Persian Gulf to be ready for a probable October Surprise, which the Rovean mind believes will keep the Congress safe from threats of impeachment or war crime allegations.
Israeli arms stocks have been hastily replenished to be ready to support an American attack across the Gulf from Saudi Arabia. Wahabi Saudi Arabia is doing a love fest with the Israelis on the assumption that a devil known to have nukes is better than a Shia power center with nukes.
On the positive side, The Economist notes that the balance of economic statistics and indicators has tilted to the emerging world. PRChina holds over a trillion dollars of foreign reserves and has a massive current account surplus with not only the once United States of America but the sum total of the once said to be developed world. India stirs from indolence to power. Wal*Mart stocks fewer and fewer products made in the once US of A.
Parenthetically, The Financial Times reports that the biggest money houses are setting up huge funds to be run on Sharia principles. Koran comes to world finance! The leverage points for these funds have shifted from New York and London to Dubai and Qatar.
Down there cuddling with Saudi Arabia, al Jazeera pauses to launch an English language HDTV version to bring truth to the rest of the world. However, delays similar to Microsoft announcements for new operating system launches plague the project. Yet, from the sands and marshes of these recently nomadic ranges spring building booms to make any world capital look like slums.
Meanwhile, politically-engineered gas pump prices decline to support election hopes of the incumbents.
Only the dead know the end of war.
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