measi's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The state of the world today... It seems to be the week to discuss world affairs given the big events of the last few days in Iraq. As much as I dread opening my mouth as a minority view on this, I also feel the need to speak out as well. I celebrate the capture of Saddam Hussein. He was an evil man-- evil to the core. He tortured the people under his rule in Iraq and created a state of fear and panic within the hearts and minds of millions of people that ranks among the most dispicable acts in human history. Quite frankly, I believe the only fitting end to the man is to find one of the more horrid acts of abuse and torture that he was responsible for, and execute him in a similar fashion-- slow, painful, agnonizing. Let him hear every word. Words from the "Princess Bride", as funny as the movie is, are also chilling... leave his ears intact. Make him grotesque. Gouge out his eyes, cut off his hands, but his ears remain-- so he can hear the screams of anger and pain that he caused his people, so that every cry rings eternally in his perfect ears. I am glad Saddam has been found, and glad that it boosts the morale of soldiers over there. However, it annoys me to no end that the war is now being justified on the capture of Saddam Hussein. We went to war there to find weapons of mass destruction. Still haven't found them. I'm annoyed that I keep hearing claims that the war is over-- it's not, folks. Regardless of what Bush claims, amid his b.s. stunt as a fighter pilot. The war continues, and will continue for years. However, I dread that the events of this weekend will be the cap allowing Bush to sail into a second term. I realize that people disagree with me-- very strongly at times -- but Bush to me is an epitome of evil. He truly scares me. His behavior toward the world scares me-- as he isolates our nation further and further with each abrasive action he takes in the diplomatic community. His behavior at home terrifies me-- his passing of the law against partial-birth abortions (a non-existent procedure that lawmakers made up, mind you) which opens the door to further abortion protection reversals. His refusal to aid women in developing countries with pregnancy prevention and education. His passing of a law for medicare that will hurt more seniors than it will help. His destruction of environmental laws and inability to do the most minor upkeep of national parks. His pressure for religious-charity funding, which does not allow minor religions to take part. His rules about "No Child Left Behind" in schools with no federal funding to make that happen-- it's leaving schools clammoring to solve problems with decreasing budgets/ And the b.s. about same-sex marriages just is an icing on the cake. I question each sudden victory in the Iraq campaign, which seem to coincide near-perfectly with bad news about scandals within the White House. Halliburton, anyone? How quickly that has become shoved to the second page after Saddam's capture. Bush's trip to Iraq? How quickly after the criticism that he had not cared one iota about the bodies coming back to Dover AFB, not attending a single funeral. Only after extreme pressure did he make a PR visit to some families. He wanted his war. He could care less about the sacrifices of everyday Americans and their foreign counterparts. I'm terrified for the future of this nation in literally every aspect that I can think of. I weep for the future of this nation. I wonder how long it will be before other nations become so angry with our antics that we become the next country to be invaded and destroyed, simply to stop us from marching across the world in the impossible-to-win "war against terror." I feel pity for the soldiers in Afghanistan, whose service to our country is becoming a new generation's Korean War-- the one everyone forgets. The one still going on that no one seems to care about anymore, or thinks is long over (but most definitely is not). Did you know that women were nearly shut out of public office during the recent voting in Afghanistan? The second-class citizenship continues. I contribute to the office adopt-a-soldier program. During my downtime at work, I write letters of encouragement to those in Afghanistan, Kosovo, and Iraq, telling soldiers how much I appreciate their commitment, their bravery, and their sacrifice. I know it is not their fault-- they are doing their jobs. Yet with each letter I write, I get a knot of dread in my stomach, knowing that things are not going to get better for quite some time, if ever. And I feel powerless to do anything about it. I don't like being helpless. I am infuriated by the feeling, in fact. And I'm at the point where I just don't want to hear about the world anymore. I avoid the news. I snap at people discussing September 11th or Iraq in my presence, even though I know it's wrong. I've been pushed past the point of numbness by several comments pushed my way how those who don't agree with the President and don't support his policies should just "get the fuck out." It came up again last week on the Diary-X forums, particularly centered toward immigrants. The anti-war protesters have quieted down-- and I don't doubt that a lot of them feel like me, just tired of it all. We're harassed for our viewpoints, being told to leave our own country for our feelings. They claim freedom of speech for their views, but it doesn't apply to us. And it gets too upsetting to continue fighting for freedom, for democracy, for the great country that many dissenters feel America can become. I can only pray that things get better with a new president in 2004... but I see it as highly unlikely, given the fervor of conservatives in this country and the inability for Democrats to get a clue. It just all seems so hopeless. *sigh* So forgive me for not writing about politics for quite a while after this-- I do care about what's happening in the world. But I have learned that my opinion as a dissenter toward America's obnoxious beahvior in the world has no place in this country. The only thing I have left is my vote next November, and based on what happened in 2000, I doubt that will change things much anyway.... 11:43 a.m. - 17 December 2003 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
||||||