According to Bloomberg,
The U.S. National Security Agency asked AT&T Inc. to help it set up a domestic call monitoring site seven months before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, lawyers claimed June 23 in court papers filed in New York federal court. source
That means that all of the arguments about why the NSA illegal wiretap program is an integral and essential tool in preventing terrorist attacks against the USA are utter bullswallop.
September 11, 2001
Wasn't prevented.
I don't know what to think anymore about the machiavellian restructuring of Executive power during the Bush years. I don't know what to believe.
But I do know that we are dealing with one of the most morally corrupt and utterly reprehensible power grabs in the history of the United States of America.
There is no truth. Only lies and deception.
So they fuck with our rights. They fuck with our Constitution. And even when the SCOTUS rules against them in Hamdan, they are out on the attack, denying that this ruling had anything to do with anything.
Why have we as a people allowed this to happen? Why have we as a people enabled this vile corruptive leadership?
Yeah, yeah, we tried. "We voted for the other guy". "Oh and they stole a frigging election or two with computers and SCOTUS meddling".
Yeah. Uh huh.
No. No-no-no.
We are where we are because as Americans, we expect to use 20% of the world's resources, pollute 25% of the greenhouse gasses and pay an absurdly small fraction of what every other human pays for a gallon of gas.
We are spoiled rotten. Our society is full of corruptive forces. We like superficial things. And please, before you get all huffy, I'm talking about the median American. The collective you or me. Sure, there are plenty of us who are downright ok.
But America is splintered. America is complacent. America the dream is dying.
And getting on to a blog and sputtering and pontificating and cajoling and sweet-talking ain't enough.
The bottom line is that we let George W. Bush and his filthy regime do this to us and the world. We did. The American people. Our responsibility. So how to fix? How to rectify?
Kick out the bums? Retake Congress? And then what? Sit around and wait for our side to decay? Democrats get corrupted by power too.
What are we as a people going to do? How do we examine our way of life and make the necessary changes? We cannot continue to borrow and consume, consume, consume.
Yes. It is right to be outraged. Outraged at Bush and his lies. The illegal wars and spying and leaking. The blatant corruption.
But lets get a little outraged at ourselves too. The pollution. The Garbage. The debt. The hypocrisy the pervades so much of our lives. Lets start really facing the primary threats of the 21st century.
And I'm not thinking of
Terrorism
Economic disaster
Ecological devastation
Natural cataclysms
No
I'm talking about complacency
Ignorance
and self-imposed disenfranchisement
Yes
It's great that we get together and talk. Great that we have conventions. Great that we help elect some good guys.
But
That ain't enough.
How much do you consume? Clothes, houses, cars, computers, food, water, electricity etc etc
How much garbage do you produce?
Do you recycle?
Do you volunteer?
Do you pick up litter?
Do you say nice things to strangers?
Do you take the time to listen when someone speaks, or tries to speak with you?
We need to collectively and individually take a good long look in the mirror and say hello to who and what we are.
Because, hey baby, you can't reach a destination unless you figure out where you are starting from.
Toodles and the power to you.