I saw a bumper sticker yesterday that I really appreciated. It said:
"When Clinton lied, nobody died."
I just can't understand the people in this country...or maybe it's simply another of the unattractive aspects of human nature that I have been coming across lately. Why did the American public take such vicious pleasure in peeking in the bedroom windows of the President of the United States, and then impose upon him the most severe punishment available (impeachment) for his victimless crimes?
And why does this same American public rally around behind our current President, whose lies, improprieties, and sinister dealings have cost thousands of lives? Not to mention fattened the pocketbooks of his friends in the energy industry, created an astronomical budget deficit for our children to deal with, taken environmental legislation back at least fifty years, and seriously compromised our standing among the other nations of the world?
Why did a sexual "sin" label our last president a moral reprobate unworthy of our respect, yet we turn a blind eye to the bold lies of the current administration, which we didn't have to name a special prosecutor to uncover, and which have much more serious consequences? Is it because marital infidelity is a concept we can personally get our arms around, and political concepts are just so huge and removed from our personal reality that we don't care about them? Is it because we've come to expect and accept really BIG lies from our leaders, about the really important things?
Alas, I'm no particular fan of John Kerry, either. What is wrong with the Democratic party that they can't come up with a platform, or a leader, who seriously challenges the philosphy of the current administration? They are taking a "wait and see" position. Waiting for Bush to LOSE the adulation of the fickle American public. They are doing nothing to swing the pendulum over to themselves. I find that VERY disturbing. It makes me angry.
My vote for Kerry will actually be a vehement vote AGAINST Bush. I hate that it has to be that way. I wish the Democratic party would give me a good reason to rally behind it. Here's the bumper-sticker I would like for the back of my car:
ANYBODY BUT BUSH, 2004
I miss the Democratic Party that gave us the integrity of Carter, the sense of hope that came with Kennedy, the practicality and no-nonsense leadership of Truman, the vision of Roosevelt, and yes, even the ruthlessness of Johnson. The extreme right has just become vicious in what they'll say about the left, and the left, in sticking to a principle of trying to understand divergent points of view, is coming across like milquetoast. What's truly sad to me is that we, as a country, seem to be substituting charisma for leadership.
ReplyDeleteOK Lisa...I was here!
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. I think it's just that so many people don't *believe that Bush has done all of this lying. They just figure it's politics as usual, and they're all too ready to say "Yeah, Hussein was a bad guy, so who cares if he wasn't *really involved in the 911 attack?"
ReplyDeleteBut, the sex stuff got everyone's attention. You know.. *everyone could understand that.
Another thing I find odd is how those who are crying and protesting about anyone daring to question Pres. Bush when the country is at war (or fighting overseas) were all too ready to let that "presidents deserve respect" philosophy go when it was Clinton. Hypocrites, indeed.
You know, in Dante's Inferno, the sexual sinners wind up in the first circle of hell, as the least damned, if there is such a thing. The ninth circle is reserved for those who have committed the worst sin: betrayal.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, sister!
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think it's intellectual laziness on the part of the voting puplic. Too many people are willing to accept at face value the dyspeptic ravings of the Limbaughs, O'Reillys and Coulters of the 'populist' (read right) media, thereby saving themselves the trouble of actually picking up a newspaper and checking out the reality of the situation for themselves. RUSH says, "Kerry BAD, Bush GOOD, Clinton EVIL and Reagan GOD..."; must be so. Now pass the remote, 'American Idol's' almost on!
ReplyDeleteI was here too Lisa....I try to stay out of political talk since I do soooooo much God talk. Have to have one safe haven. Don't get me wrong, I have strong opinions on the matter....
ReplyDelete:)
ps: I was in Lincoln City last weekend for a graduation that actually took place in Dallas. I love the coast....got sand on my cane! LOL
ReplyDeleteI didn't take 'vicious pleasure in peeking' in Clintion's sex life, the media did-- the same ones who are putting the spin on Bush's presidency and unfortunately many are jumping on their supped up version of matters. If it ain't juicy, they don't have anything to report, then they don't make $$$$$ so they have to doctor it up, slap on a little shady paint job to make it sell.
ReplyDeleteI disliked Clinton before his escapades were uncovered, and I will stick with Bush any day over Kerry. The downsizing of Defense, cuts in CIA and other imperative agencies that keep our freedom secured all happened on Clinton's watch and I think we are seeing the direct results of that today. Kristi
I am not a fan of President Bush and most people I talk to are not either. As for the Democrats I have been a registered Dem. since I was 18 years old, my family are tried and true dem. BUT several months ago The National Democratic Comm. sent me an email basically asking for a contribution. I wrote back and told them if they could send me a copy of the current Dem platform I would contribute....still haven't had a reply to that email!
ReplyDeleteI LOVE THAT BUMPER STICKER. I also saw another one that said 911--Bush hijacked our grief and attacked Iraq."
ReplyDeletethank you for this bumper sticker. I said essentially the same thing to someone (Mara, maybe?) recently. I'm kinda tired of voting AGAINST someone, not necessarily FOR someone. I realize I have nader--and he'd be my choice, but why shoot the country in the foot? why let florida happen again?
ReplyDeleteI want Aaron Sorkin for president.
Funny Bumper sticker {i think i've seen some like that too before}. I Agree with what your saying about our current president. I also agree with the "Anybody But Bush, 2004" I just hope other realize that too! ~Nikki~
ReplyDeleteI saw a bumper sticker tonight that said "Weapons of Mass Deception"
ReplyDeleteThe conspiracy theorist in me thinks that they are all in kahoots. That someone like Kerry gets the knod so that Bush can have a fighting chance to win. And, what's with Nader, he's going to split the vote again. If he really cared about the things that he proclaims to, he would step down.
It's maddening to me too! :-) ---Robbie
Ooh, this post (and all the comments) are a good find! I am a bumper sticker afficionado, very anti-Bush, and have been keeping track of bumper stickers. My most recent post about it is at http://journals.aol.com/hope5555/AmIThereYet/ .
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