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01/27/2005: The WE-SAY-SO-COMPANY
Robert Scheer of the LA Times wrote an article:
1600 Pennsylvania Meets Madison Ave. about the arbitrary quality of the new Sextet of Evil
"Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice offered a little more information, naming six countries as "outposts of tyranny" that would get special attention from the U.S. in the next four years: Cuba, Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Belarus and Zimbabwe. But how was this unsavory sextet chosen — with a dartboard? She could just as easily have snapped off the names of six of our allies — Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Russia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and Egypt — equally undemocratic, but which have arguably done more to increase the threat of global terrorism than Rice's squad of baddies.
The fact is, however, that when totalitarian nations like China and Saudi Arabia play ball with U.S. business interests, we like them just fine."
I has become clear that our government is operating under some new phenomenon...
The main tenets appear to be
(1) Facts don't matter;
(2) Faith clearly matters;
(3) The rules apply to them not us;
(4) Reality is what WE decide it is;
(5) Morals are what WE decide they are;
(6) Hypocrisy is OK as long as it's not practiced by them;
(7) Monetary and budget rules were "made-to-be-broken,"
(8) Merit is not required but Loyalty is the most important job qualification;
(9) Criticism is "unpatriotic" and "bigotry,"
(10) Dissent will punished...and harshly;
(11) The Policy of personal-destruction is alive and well..and living on Main Street, USA;
(12) Unity is also what we say it is.
I hate to steal a phrase, but this is so reminiscent of the Company in the now defunct comedy show Dinosaurs which was called the WE-SAY-SO Company. This was in reference to the company motto which described things as being they way there were because "we say so."
We are now operating under the dynastic rule of the WE-SAY-SO Government. It appears to be the theme beginning from the top and cascading down like an unchecked lava-flow consuming all its path through the Senate, Congress and public discourse in our society. It's not just a "scorched earth" campaigning strategy...but a complete overarching theme of opposition was made to be crushed if it does not agree with us.
This is not to recognize there might be some reality "brakes" on this phenomenon in the form of certain objective realities that might intrude...but there is no mistaking the efforts to keep this ball rolling and revamping the rules and government to fit this new model.
So, if you're wondering why we (as in the U.S. Government) is going to start focusing on Cuba, Myanmar, North Korea, Iran, Belarus and Zimbabwe and not places like Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Russia, Kuwait, Uzbekistan and Egypt, it's because, according to the Bush adminstration's new rules: WE-SAY-SO.
Karen on 01.27.05 @ 05:40 PM CST
