As I was driving into work today, listening to the aftermath of yesterday's observations and prayers for the 9/11 victims, it occurred to me that the terrorists won. They got what they wanted, well, a lot of it.
Since 9/11, we lost many of our freedoms. X-rays at airports are more invasive than ever. The government can listen to our cell phone calls, invade our privacy, intrude without warrants. We're spending billions, no, trillions on Iraq and Afghanistan, and our economy sank to Depression levels. Lobbyists and politicians latched onto 9/11 for personal gain. While the economy faltered, Halliburton got fat. Well, fatter. No, more like obese.
And gas? Well, we still need it. Why? Because lobbyists for Big Oil own the parts of our politicians not already in the pockets of pharmaceuticals and Defense. The unholy trinity of drugs, defense and Wall Street feed and prey on our weaknesses.
If it weren't for oil, we wouldn't care about the Middle East. It would just be a big desert wasteland of no importance to us. Instead our warships patrol the seas, protecting oil tankers at US taxpayer expense, while pirates terrorize unprotected American citizens just out for a vacation sail.
Gas costs over four bucks here in Chicagoland. Can someone please explain why we can build an Ipad, but we can't improve on the internal combustion engine invented over 100 years ago? Did you ever see the documentary, "Who Killed the Electric Car?"? Watch that film, which shows we had the technology to get away from gas and oil decades ago.
And why, when our economy is a shambles, does a certain segment of our political leadership absolutely refuse to cut Defense, preferring instead to cut everything important to the poor and middle class?
Why does this same political leadership refuse to let Medicaid negotiate the price of drugs, which would drastically lower the costs overall to the American taxpayer?
Bought and sold, that's why.
And while these same politicians claim they want smaller government, they used 9/11 as an excuse to create Homeland Security, the (misnamed) Patriot Act and other Federal agencies, so they could restrict our freedom, all under the guise of protecting us from terrorists.
The parts of the government they want to shrink are those parts that protect Americans. The EPA (clean air and environment, so they can pollute to their hearts' content), financial regulation (so they can take our money without government intervention). Do you know why the price of gas is over $4? It's not because of a shortage in oil. It's because of Wall Street speculators.
In other words, they want to watch us, but they don't want anyone watching them.
9/11 just gave certain special interests excuse for free rein to take away our money and our rights ... and for what?
So they can have their corporate jets, not pay taxes, pollute the world, and just not give a shit about their fellow man ... or that polar bear swimming around where there used to be ice.
The terrorists got what they wanted. A less free America, a financially crippled America, a war-weary-just-sick-of-it-all America. And our own in-house terrorists helped them along.
Norm
http://www.normcowie.com
No comments:
Post a Comment