All We See Are Nails, Part One

There’s an old expression in American slang: “when you’ve got a hammer, all you see are nails”. The nails represent problems we think with force, we can solve. Nothing could be further from the truth, and everyone in the world can see this truth except for us in the United States.

There is hope for change in this perverse stance of logic.

In their desire to ratchet up the rhetoric for a continued offensive against Iraq while laying the groundwork for an Iranian invasion, the Bush Administration has committed serious strategic blunders worthy of a “Darwin Award” . (For those unfamiliar with this satirical honor, it is given to those individuals who do the most for humanity by taking themselves out of the gene pool by their own stupidity.) It started with Vice President Cheney, snaked its way to Defense Secretary Rumsfel, and as the “buck stops here”, finally ended with President Bush.

When Joe Lieberman recently lost the nod to hold onto his seat in the Senate, shockwaves reverberated all the way to Israel. The Jewish newspapers were completely besides themselves over the unexpected unseating of “their man”. Now if you read the same papers, they are already running polls as to which would-be presidential contenders would be “best for Israel”. Of course the American backlash against the Jewish speculators is white-hot anger in the forums, with the typical answer being, “if you want a strong leader for Israel, might we strongly suggest you elect one IN Israel and stay out of our politics, and take your AIPAC with you!” If you listen closely, you can even hear American Jews starting to strike out against their Middle Eastern brothers for interference with our political system since it’s come to light that AIPAC has been caught bragging about whom it chooses to be vice president.

These sentiments are coming from angry Americans who are starting to stand up and scream for things to change. The mood in our political system is going to last for two more election cycles as Americans angrily clean out the House of Representatives and the Senate for their do nothing attitudes, blatant corruption, and constantly selling themselves to every PAC (political action committee) that writes them a check. Amongst all these screams, one can now hear in the blogosphere a deafening cry for the impeachment of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary of State Rice, Attorney General Gonzalez, and Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld.

As “what you know, Joe” went down in flames due to extreme voter dissatisfaction over his stance on the Iraq war, Vice President Cheney put the key into the engine of fear and tried to turn over the engine. The statements that poured out of his mouth were at first ignored by the general population, but he couldn’t leave well enough alone and screwed up a free lunch. Soon the American public kept hearing statements akin to, “a vote against Lieberman is a vote for terrorists and Osama Bin Laden!” that questioned our loyalty and patriotism. This didn’t sit well with the average citizen, who no longer supports the military campaign for oil shrouded in ethnic cleansing and empire expansion. The engine of fear turned over and began to heat up.

People began to question the harsh, senseless chatter and openly wondered if he had played the ace up his sleeve in one too many poker games. Had Cheney finally gone too far for Americans’ taste?

“The thing that’s partly disturbing about it is the fact that, the standpoint of our adversaries, if you will, in this conflict, and the al Qaeda types, they clearly are betting on the proposition that ultimately they can break the will of the American people in terms of our ability to stay in the fight and complete the task.”

Hot on the heels of the Cheney fiasco, the administration unleashed attack dog number two in the form of Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. In retrospect, it was the wisest move Bush could have made by showing his true colors. Although it may have appeared to some as a good strategic offensive, the stinging rhetoric may have won him a small audience battle, but cost him the war of common sense. In this speech, Americans who exercise their consciences and Constitutional rights to peacefully dissent had their ire raised to “Homeland Security: RED”; it was the debut of “Islamofascism”. It was also a critical juncture for all true American patriots when the Bush Administration drew a line in the sand and demanded we not cross it or them. Since then, the gloves have come off and bare-knuckle boxing has commenced.

Who the hell does the government think they are? They work for us! We are not a fiefdom – we’re a republic being imploded by the highest levels of this corrupt neo-conservative administration. Our assets are being sold off to foreign companies behind our backs and at alarming speed. We don’t even own the roads we purchased decades ago – some are owned by Spain, others by Australia. The United Nations has control over our precious national parks. Our borders are being erased, our middle class is being destroyed, and our jobs are being exported in frightening numbers. The median income in Texas is the 6th top loser of purchasing power, dropping a whopping 9.9%, with top honors in advancing the poverty bracket going to Michigan (12% down). The economic picture is sobering, with most people feeling the economy’s not doing well. You hear the job reports that tout “100,000 new jobs were added”, but you never hear how the average American needs two jobs to make ends meet.

The world sees Americans, I believe, disconnected from international politics. To follow it with any due diligence here, one has to have at least 10 domestic news sources, and a combination of 30 blogs and international sources in order to get a realistic picture of what’s being severely filtered and censored. How many people have that kind of time when they’re working overtime or two jobs trying to eek out a basic living? It’s not laziness; it’s long hours that keep most of us from the realities of the rest of the world.

When Rumsfeld waved the red flag of “dissenters are morally confused” in front us at the American Legion, we could smell the bull, and we took notice of the Stalinist stench in the air once again. We know the truth: we were lied to, the case for war was pure fiction, and the only weapons of mass destruction found were old shells the weapons inspectors already knew about. Our troops knew about them as well, but under orders, they were not allowed to dispose of them; many have been stolen by rogue elements so the US government can incredulously state, “we told you there would be another attack.”

It was Keith Olberman, an MSNBC commentator, who gave voice to our frustration, indignation, and with passion and eloquence, fired the first shot of a new American revolution. His entire commentary deserves a careful and thorough reading.

“Dissent and disagreement with government is the life’s blood of human freedom; And not merely because it is the first roadblock against the kind of tyranny the men Mr. Rumsfeld likes to think of as ‘his’ troops still fight, this very evening, in Iraq. It is also essential. Because just every once in awhile… it is right – and the power to which it speaks, is wrong. In a small irony, however, Mr. Rumsfeld’s speechwriter was adroit in invoking the memory of the appeasement of the Nazis. For, in their time, there was another government faced with true peril – with a growing evil – powerful and remorseless. That government, like Mr. Rumsfeld’s, had a monopoly on all the facts. It, too, had the secret information. It alone had the true picture of the threat. It too dismissed and insulted its critics in terms like Mr. Rumsfeld’s – questioning their intellect and their morality.”

Americans will tolerate many things, but being referred to as “intellectually challenged” by temporary residents of the White House isn’t one of them. Since then, shirt sleeves have been rolled up and despite what the Republican National Committee tell, I believe republicans, in a display of mass defection and defiance, will take revenge in November of 2006 and in November of 2008. There is undoubtedly a fat (foreign policy) lip in the future of the neo-conservatives, thanks to traditional republicans fighting back. If the democrats only do one thing in the next two years, I would give my left kidney for it to be the impeachment of President Bush and his top cabinet members.

This is a rare admission coming from a staunch evangelical republican who helped elect this regime to office, but when it comes to what is good for this country, partisan politics has absolutely no place in salvaging our sovereignty and dignity. The terrorism against us comes not from extremist Islamic elements, but from the elitist elements within our own borders:

“For I know this, that after my departure grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock.” Acts, 20:29

The mindset of neo-conservatives is boggling and complex, but is driven by their desire to create an imperialist empire at the expense of the blood of others. They revel in belief the United States is numero uno and makes no apologies for it. They subscribe to the doctrine of “expansion and dominance comes only through the crosshairs of a weapon sight”, obscenely postulating it will foster peace. It is a classic “the ends justify the means” faulty logic argument.

The position might be credible if other mitigating circumstances were not part of the social fabric of this country. In schools, we have a zero tolerance rule when it comes to weapons and violence. In houses of worship, we post signs that inform one that firearms are not allowed inside the building. It’s quite clear in federal buildings and airports, weapons as small as a fingernail file are not allowed in onboard luggage. In court systems all across the country, judges routinely send guilty parties to anger management classes in domestic cases. Enter the self help section in a bookstore and you will find countless books that will help you to identify the root source of your anger and teach you how to release it in an adult way that’s productive and healthy.

We might also want to consider our current behaviors in regards to civil rights and cultural diversity. It’s a fact we do discriminate against each other, but our nation has come a very long way from the time in which blacks sat at the back of the bus and accepted it. Color blindness is something we keep working on, trying hard to overcome the prejudices of the past generation, and I pray we are making progress. One can see the ground being covered toward this goal when incidents are caught by the mainstream media and shoved back in the face of the shameless, racist elitists in Washington, D.C.

• Sen. George Allen’s “macaca” racial slur.
• Sen. Conrad Burns jokes about seeing the green card for the “nice little Guatemalan man” in case he’s an illegal alien.
• Rush Limbaugh, who doesn’t understand why insulting an Indian man born in Virginia by calling him in “money girl” in Spanish, is offensive.
• President Bush referring to North Korea’s Kim Jong-Il as a “pygmy” and wondering why he has a near impossible diplomatic task of containment.
• President Bush should be credited for his remarks regarding engaging in a “crusade” in the Middle East post 9/11/01, as well as his flagrant adoration of the term “Islamofascism”. and finally let’s not overlook his “Paki” slur.
• Former First Lady Barbara Bush was caught on a Houston, Texas radio station immediately after Hurricane Katrina, expressing her low view of poor black Americans.
• White House Press Secretary Tony Snow in his first briefing, used the racial slur of “tar baby” twice.
• Sen. Joe Biden was caught disparaging Indian entrepreneurs who own certain franchise chains (7/11 and Dunkin’ Donuts).
• And who can forget how presidential contender Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 Jewish slur of “hymie” ruined his bid for the White House?
• Sen. Hillary Clinton and former President Bill Clinton have been accused of engaging in frequent anti-semitic comments by their body guard, Larry Patterson

If we have hate speech laws, I’m curious as to why aren’t they don’t seem to apply to our sophisticated elect in Washington, D.C. We don’t sanction racial slurs in polite society, and we teach our children not to participate in such chat. Is there something inherently corrupt in our nation’s capitol, or is there a sign on the highway, “Now entering the Beltway. Please leave common sense and decency on the side of the road.” If it’s to be believed, kids of the Beltway are embarrassing their famous parents, but considering the way their parents act, I find their red-faced claims rather incredulous since “the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”. In short, if we can’t run off half cocked, foaming at the mouth because it’s socially unacceptable, then who the heck gave the Bush administration and the neo-conservatives a free pass to act like a wild animal? It’s a legitimate question that should have some accountability behind it.