What has happened to us?
I am a pretty simple citizen. I believe our society depends upon the rule of law. I've heard of a lot of very damaged or very dead people because others have stopped obeying STOP signs.
I've just gone through 7-8 years of learning that our government has no regard for the law, truth or honesty. If we must gamble that our 'authorities' will comply with legalities, it's the same as trying to walk out of a pool of quicksand.
There has to be a solid foundation of something if society as we know it is to persist. Otherwise it is chaos, and tyranny.
Today, I just want to stop Mr. Bush from doing anything. I don't trust him to ever choose the common good. Now, I can't trust anyone he has appointed to act in favor of the common good. Chances are good I can't rely on anyone working under those folks to do right, either. After all they're just doing what the boss tells them to do.
In my simple citizen's mind, we must address the problems foisted off on us in the last 30 years or more by the conservatives with very broad strokes. Simply addressing tiny niche problems with legislation that will be stretched beyond it's intended limits, distorted by narrow minded thinking, or ignored totally except by lip service is not the answer.
Being the meek simple citizen I am, I've considered all the approaches I can think of to bring this jumble of laws, convention, and blind inertia to an end. None of the options I've considered have worked--electing new better politicians, finding a soapbox and standing on the square making a spectacle of myself. I'm left with options like revolution, abject submission,even moving to a better place. I'm pretty much convinced if we want an omelet, we'll have to break some, eggs.
I've been living comfortably all my life in the mind numbing haze of our freedoms and privileges. Those days may soon be over.
The past 8 years have taught us that our honored institutions like balance of power, are easily subverted by willful neglect or manipulation; that, secrets beget secrets, and neither good results nor the common good are served.