The Illusion of Terror

The presidential campaign of 2004 is truly the ugliest campaign in decades, but we think it's the single most important campaign - not in American history - but in the history of the world. The ugliness of this campaign will be remembered throughout history - if there is a history left.

The importance of this Presidential Election of 2004 is not a personality issue, nor a value issue. The candidates are pretending to square off on Party issues, while everybody knows that "left and right" in this country have gone so totally to hell that there is no real definition. The mistake is that certain people are looking for definitions, and are believing the people who tell them there is still definition, and they trust that definition.

Does anyone, in 20th century voting history, remember things being so desperate that the kids have to show up to assert that they believe in their parents? If we recall, in American history, we were all so conservative - whether we were left or right - we left the kids out of it, simply because we knew we could not expect them to give a damn, as long as they could get a beer after midnight? This was hardly a partisan issue.

We will state frankly that we do not have absolute confidence in John Kerry; we do not believe that he will know - unequivocally -  what to do when faced with a yes/no decision; but we do trust that when there are such issues that require deliberation, he will at least contemplate those issues. What we do trust is that when he has made up his mind on issues that he will stick with them.

We applauded George W. Bush when he declared war on Terrorism. We took it for granted that he meant such things as petty kidnappings, petty border thefts, etc. In other words, we had it in our heads that he was going to go after - not just bullies - but the "bully mentality." We actually applauded him, as I think most Americans did. We thought he was going to go after the cause, rather than the symptom.

Three years later, we realize Bush has a knack for picking and choosing his bullies, and a rather arbitrary method for picking those bullies. He's also not entirely neutral or rational when choosing those enemies. He is also entirely committed to decimating those enemies - as long as someone else pulls the trigger. Bush really doesn't know what to do with his hands other than play golf. He probably can't even seduce his own wife without whispering "Four more years!" in her ears.

 Laura's pretty smart - but not smart enough. Does she HEAR him, like the rest of us do?

We are curious about that - and no one talks about the fact that George W. Bush is a born-again Christian. Speaking as a Texas girl, where most of us are at least some form of Christian, we'd love to know just what was it in Dubya's life that was so bad, so out of control, that he needed intervention. How bad was he, and what changed?  And why?

In Texas, most people are brought up as Christians, at least nominally. In this state, born-again Christians carry a lot of weight, at least politically, but are considered frightening to the real "conservatives" among us who believe that a true "Republican" would never have let himself get so screwed up in the first place, or if we did, we'd fix it without the help of an outside party, including God. That, my friends, is true Texas Conservatism.

Dubya is not part of this "conservatism." But he is part of the "oil-igarchy" (I can't take credit for that term.) Speaking as someone who understands at least "diddly" about entrepreneurship, and small businesses, we must say that George W. apparently doesn't know how to run one. If this man can't remember to pay his quarterly taxes (in Texas), will he remember to do so in Washington?

We have watched parts of the National Republic Convention. We have seen Vice-President Dick Cheney (who we just LOVED as the Secretary of State during the Daddy Bush administration)  We watched great, voluminous moments where Cheney did not speak at all, but simply waited for quiet, desperate Americans to quit cheering. We saw him give the shortest "sound-bites" in history. It was not necessary for him to speak longer, or to declare himself. He was, after all, the vice-president, and a man of impeccable credentials. Cheney didn't have to do anything; he just had to say the word "Terror" once every five minutes, and that should keep the rest of us in line.

It seems to have worked. It seems that Adolph Hitler was also so-well received without question.

This is what bugs us... We ask questions, and get no answer, or we are told we do not get an answer because of National Security.

My husband used to tell me, when it was raining when the sun was shining, that the devil was beating his wife. Today, we would be told the devil was being held for questioning, and was being detained, but we would not be allowed to ask the devil this simple question:

"Have you quit beating your wife?"

Women heard Bush, the night after 9/11, much differently than men did. This is a factor that has never been considered. Women's idea of "Terror" is much different than men's. But there's never been a survey on the subject, has there? A woman wants to know she can walk down a street after dark without being mugged or raped. A guy wants to know that he can walk down the street without a helicopter following him.

But men don't know that women feel their fears, and their own, as well.

Now we live in an age where we fear the helicopter, and the wiretap. We may call "911" and  be told "oh, you're just kidding"  but we do know if we report serious trouble we'll be in the government's database. (It doesn't matter if the real trouble is vanquished or not. If we live, it matters; if we die, then so what?)

If it's up to me, I'd rather be in Kerry's database than Bush's. Kerry might overlook me, but I find that preferable to Bush and his administration taking a microscopic interest in me, as I think most Americans would agree. Most Americans would hate a totalitarian government, if they knew what it was -- and they would especially hate it if they knew how close it was. Truly, anything other than Absolute Democracy really is a major turn-off for most Americans -- even the most ignorant ones.

But I still have not addressed "The Illusion of Terror." The Illusion of Terror I refer to is that the Bush-Cheney campaign is still milking rhetoric, and is still trying to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. They are SO overworking an old platform, I just can't believe they'd do it. But the word "terror" really milks a lot of tits, I suppose.

I'm so glad the current administration, including Bush-Cheney, feel so confident they don't even need to bother with what the voters think I'm glad that their sense of entitlement runs so deep that they don't seem to feel the need to have an actual platform. They can simply run by their "Anti-Terrorist Platform" and milk a whole lot of dollars.

I don't deny what certain men have done regarding the deletion of certain terrorist acts, even though certain prosecutions of those acts have been dismissed in federal courts. I have never questioned the INTENT of George III's well-meaning but inept program at national/international reform. What I do question in the effect.

You, citizen, may be under the mistaken belief that because of your occupation, the U.S. Constitution may have special meaning for you.

Hardly; the U.S. Constitution was meant for all of us. Do you really think the Founding Fathers never conceived such as us?

Ask yourself, and we think it's pretty obvious; Kerry or Bush. Who is the more strict Constitutionalist? This question, my friends, is what will truly preserve the American ideal. We don't like our choices, either, but we understand that for once in history, we have a choice between the misguided heart and the iron fist of the closed-mind..

We truly have no choice. This is not a left or right issue. This is a "who won't blow us into Armageddon issue." Some people want Armageddon. I mean, they really want it. Their religious convictions require it. 

I say, "Let them have it - amongst themselves."

What about the rest of us... who truly want peace?

 

Love, Galadriel
Sept. 2, 2004
Misc/illusion.htm

Kennedy Speech - www.pbs.org - presidents
Kerry Platform - www.johnkerry.com