This past week I went north to visit my brother who was part of the original “hippie” movement which I subseqently (and apparently) “joined.” (this was all based on comments from others, I still haven’t totally figured out what being a “hippie” meant) Many of “us” have “grown up” since those days and seemingly are all set to retire as the “baby boomer” generation which hit the scenes as emerging adults in the 60’s.  In the discussion at my brother’s home we came to the conclusion that “hippies” were, at least to a certain extent, the result of America’s youth objecting to the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights plight of the Black community at the time.  “Hippies” hit the streets en masse to protest the war in Viet Nam and  stood side by side with our black brothers and sisters in protest of the segregationist policies that had been “normal” in America since the days of the Emancipation Proclamation – commonly referred to as the “Jim Crow” era.  The war ended, the Civil Rights Act was passed, and we all melded into the society we were at odds with – many of us thinking that our government had received two important messages from “we the people” regarding adventurism with our military and racism.

Turn the clock ahead 40+ years and it seems as if we are at “deja vu all over again.”  My opposition with the plans of the Bush/Cheney group to “adventure” into Iraq stemmed from my experience of graduating from high school as the U.S. was ramping up its fiasco in Viet Nam.  I remember making the comparison to no avail – as the people around me were all excited we were “FINALLY” going to rid Iraq of the terrible Saddam Hussein.  None of them had an answer to the question: “what next?” after Hussein was removed from power and, as it turned out, neither did the Bush administration.  There’s a famous saying: “Hindsight is 20/20” which we seem to be violating OVER AND OVER again in regard to our military adventurism.

Considering Bush and Cheney were famous for pulling all the “strings” necessary to avoid their own participation in Viet Nam you would have thought they understood the futility of invading another country with no mission and no clear enemy.  To this day, after almost EIGHT LONG YEARS of futility in Iraq I’m still wondering when our government is going to CLEARLY define the mission and if they will EVER know who the enemy is (was).  If you’ve been on this site much you would know that the “coincidence” of Bush/Cheney being “oil people” and Iraq having one of the largest oil reserves in the world is just too much for me.  It will be difficult for me to find a better reason why THEY orchestrated this NIGHTMARE although they’ll never admit to it.  They’ve admitted to authorizing TORTURE, but they’re not going to admit to going after the oil – because, like in every other phase of this misadventure, the American government was OUTSMARTED by the Iraqi’s (Arabs, Muslims, you fill in the blank).  There was no way the Iraqi’s were going to allow Bush/Cheney to plunder their oil.  People around the world must be wondering how stupid are the Americans going to get before they come out of this funk?

We are the nation which others around the globe have been depending on as the “bastion for freedom” and the stalwarts in the battle for “human rights.”  Yet, we have CLEARLY violated the most basic human rights of people on a random basis, we have succumbed to the very fear the terrorists are attempting to inflict on us, and we are showing signs of a willingness to abandon our most basic principles as a result of this fear.  Most of our leaders are as corrupt as any you can find anywhere these days – taking money by the bushelfuls from one corporation after another – almost as if it’s a “right of passage” for them once elected – and, “we the people” are being successfully divided by a media which has motives centered on corporate interests at the expense of what used to be principled journalism.  In fact, we now, in addition to all of this, have a group of religious fanatics in America who sound dangerously similar to the religious fanatics whom they hate.

In what now feels like a desperate attempt to “turn things around” (the “change we can believe in”) the youth in America in concert with the “left” mobilized and overwhelmingly elected Barack Obama – the first American President who wasn’t “lilly white.”  The result of that “victory” was our military presence in the Middle East and Central Asia didn’t “dim” a bit.  Despite President Obama’s claims to the contrary – I got an email today claiming our troops are out of Iraq – our “footprint” in these two disasters (Iraq and Afganistan) is still WAY TO DEEP as far as I’m concerned.  Obama is essentially following the phased withdrawal plan negotiated by George W Bush – UGHHH! – with 50,000 “non-combat” troops remaining after nearly 20 months of Obama’s presidency – remember, he PROMISED ALL the troops would be home in 16 months or less (I never heard the term “non combat” once in the campaign) – and, Afganistan has seen something like an additional 50,000 troops since Obama took the oath of office.  On top of all this the issue of race has reared its ugly head in a big way since Obama began his first term and I’m still waiting for the mobilization of people unwilling to “go back” to the days which the republicans would evidently want us to return.  They’re (republicans) running a candidate for the senate in Kentucky, for example, who has openly called for a return to the days of segregation.  So, for those of us who thought we were beyond all of this – well, surprise, surprise.  The difference between now and the 60’s is that most Americans don’t seem to be noticing what the republicans are up to!

What’s bothering me the most this evening as I ponder all of this?  Well, I’m seeing more and more people willing to “bend” the constitution in ways that meets their own personal needs with little forethought to the longterm consequences.  In fact, (my brain is working as I’m writing this) I believe short term gain at the expense of long term consequences is becoming the norm in America.  In my mind, when it gets right down to it, that is what originally motivated me to start writing.  I have children and grandchildren – and, I’m not at all happy with what it appears too many of us are willing to leave them.  Additionally, I’m hearing a lot of rhetoric aimed at pointing out one problem or another with little evidence that many Americans have the desire to “come together” and sacrifice for the “cause.”  Most of us have our “special interests” and to hell with everything else.  (I suppose when enough of “us” have homes which are “upside down” maybe then we’ll start paying attention)

To me, the war that America needs to focus on is the one RIGHT HERE at home – the internal war for the heart and soul of this nation.  I’ve said it many times on this site, I believe the “right” wing faction of this country needs to be DEFEATED!  For some strange reason we have a lot of working people who have allowed themselves to align with the republican party which resembles the same party that existed pre Great Depression.  It’s almost as if republicans are wanting to lead us back into another period of depression – only with the attitude that the working people of this nation don’t have the determination or will of those who led the union movement of the 30’s and 40’s.  I honestly hope they’re wrong, and I hope that America’s middle class comes to their senses prior to having to find out the answer to the last question – but, some of the stuff I’m seeing is alarming – not surprising considering the Supreme Court’s decision titled “Citizens United” which has given America’s corporations (and, effectively multi-national corporations plus politicians willing to sell their souls for money) free reign on our electoral process.  The “right” has already bankrolled something in the amount of $500 MILLION just for this next congressional election.  If they manage to pull off helping the republicans regain control of both houses of congress – I believe the republicans long desired “permanent republican majority” will be on the horizon.

It’s almost as if the democrats are content to argue amongst themselves instead of doing whatever they can to stop this onslaught while they still have control of congress (I continue to hope the American public isn’t stupid enough to allow the republicans back in, but – to be honest – the democrats are less than impressive to me in the fight they’re putting up).  The “mainstream” democrats continue to speak unfavorably about people like Dennis Kucinich and Alan Grayson, saying they are “out there” when people like that are the ones who have a grasp on the severity of the problem.  It’s leaders like Kucinich and Grayson who appear to understand the gravity of the situation and who are able and willing to “stand” on principle when making decisions.  As I’ve stated before, the dialogue in America should be about right vs. wrong instead of “right” vs. “left.”

“Tea baggers” and “liberals” should be able to agree on the sanctity of the constitution.  All Americans should be willing to stand up and say no when our leaders start to chip away at the fundamental rights so many before us have given the ultimate sacrifice to protect.  What originally got my attention before I started this blog was the willingness of the Bush administration to willfully defie the fourth amendment of the constitution and warrantlessly wiretap American citizens.  Then, it became apparent that there were too many congresspeople from BOTH parties willing to go along with this.  That was the first sign to me that we, as a nation, were responding to 9/11 in a way Osama bin Laden could only dream about.  Then came the UNBELIEVABLE “repeal” of Habeous Corpus!  And, again, leader after leader saying NOTHING!  Fortunately, even today’s Supreme Court couldn’t go along with that one.  The “Patriot Act” (don’t you just love how they “frame” these intrusions?) and other legislation which came out of Bush’s republican controlled congress continued to push the “bar” on our basic freedoms – resulting in Abu Ghraib, GITMO, Bagram, and other “black holes” where pretty much anything was allowed as far as treatment of detainees – including several documented cases of MURDER – none of which, to my knowledge, have ever been investigated.  No one in America should be willing to tolerate this crap – republican, democrat, “tea bagger,” or anyone else!  Once we allow the “chipping away” to begin, it’s really hard to get it stopped.  (Example, Obama defending Bush positions in court!)

Through a lack of will by democrats to hold Bush/Cheney accountable we now have examples of the above issues, plus TORTURE, outing a CIA agent (I still can’t believe that one didn’t get more public outrage), politicizing the Justice Department (for anyone who thinks this is “minor” – without a non-partisan Justice Department this nation FAILS), and refusals by administration officials to answer subpoenas all as precedent.  And, now we have the republicans attacking both the 1st amendment and the 14th amendment to the constitution because they want to limit the rights of certain people even more!  Republicans are the “experts” at ginning up HATE through “wedge issues” and they’ll get as much traction as they can over the gay marriage issue in California and a Muslim group building a community center in New York – orchestrating the “facts” to meet their political needs which appears to be to “divide and conquer.”  In the process of gay people and Muslims exercizing their rights as Americans, republicans won’t hesitate to attack our constitution as being too “liberal.”  In the case of the so-called “Mosque” in New York, when I researched the reality of what was causing such a stir I realized the LYING by republicans was, as usual, OFF THE CHARTS!

This “Mosque” is really a COMMUNITY CENTER being put into a building (the old Burlington Coat Factory) which was essentially abandoned after 9/11.  The building is 2 blocks from “Ground Zero” as the republicans claim, if you’re a BIRD!  Us humans, however, would have to walk about four or five blocks to get to the “Mosque” from the remains of 9/11.  That’s the second lie.  The first lie is the claim it’s a “Mosque” – although there is a spot planned for people to pray on the top two or three floors of the building, we’re talking about a community center that evidently republicans don’t want because it’s owned and operated by Muslims.  How are they planning to amend the constitution?  Is the plan to exclude Muslims from the first amendment?  Sometimes I think these republicans are operating in sinc with bin Laden.  They nearly bankrupted our nation after 9/11 acting in FEAR, now they’re trying to undo our first and fourteenth amendments, they’re still supporting endless war in Iraq and Afganistan, and on top of all that they are openly trying to cause a sitting president to FAIL.  The republican response to 9/11 must have exceeded Osama bin Laden’s wildest hopes and dreams! (yes, for any “right winger” who happens on this site, I agree, too many democrats went along with Bush/Cheney et al) 

I’ll end with a couple questions.  Is anyone noticing this?  Does anyone REALLY care?  In the sixties there were MILLIONS of “Hippies” and others in the streets protesting the government policy.  I applaud groups like Move on who are attempting to mobilize people, but are there too many like me who are old and too tired?  Or like many of the young people I see who are either too busy or too distracted to notice?  When we lose touch with what it took to gain our basic freedoms we will be vulnerable to losing them!