Keith Olbermann had basically emerged as the most blunt and straightforward of American commentators. While he refuses in a lot of ways to call out the true malefactors after the terrorists, namely the multinational corporations and the government stooges that support them, he has not hesitated in using his pulpit to call out our most blatant criminals, in this case the President and his immediate supporters in power. The vice president. The Republican “leadership” in congress. The lobbyists. They all are covered in blood.
I remember 9-11. I remember waking up, and my roommate’s boyfriend was sitting on the couch staring at the TV. The noise of the TV had woken me. I asked what was happening. He said, “Someone flew a jet into the World Trade Center”. I said “No fucking way. I’m dreaming.” and turned around and went back to sleep. I literally thought I was dreaming what he told me. Of course an hour later I learned that I’d been mistaken. I spent the next few weeks in a coma of sorts, unable to determine what why or how any of this had happened. So many dead. Such devastation. I had no idea what I should do. When the president gave his speech afterwards I was in the chorus of support. When, a couple days later, I questioned attacking a bunch of camels and tents in Afghanistan, I was shouted down, in one memorable encounter by my step-father. “How do you know?” he screamed at me, the emotion raw in his face. I demurred. People were blown to pieces, again.
After all of the pain the people of Afghanistan suffered, and after our president let bin Laden escape because he was pulling personell away to Iraq, I regained my nerve, and have never backed down from arguing against the insipid regime in power since. The re-election, however stained, hurt my soul.
But I’ve run into something I cannot reconcile. Olbermann in his spirited hectoring reminds us the “hole in the city” is still there, five years on. Five years later, nothing but mouthing of platitudes, as indeed many predicted, has occurred. The thing I ran into is this: one year later, New Orleans is still destroyed. It’s a massive muck of destroyed homes and dreams. In four years, will we be wondering the same things we’re wondering about New York today? The current federal administration has done hardly anything to help the poor folks suffering in New Orleans. Almost nothing. They’re trying to cut back on what little, half-assed, bullshit they’ve done at all. Just like they’re cutting back on caring for our veterans, the Congress of the President’s party is trying to strangle those left homeless and destitue.
Is this the America you want to be a part of? Is this the society you want to support? Is this the government you believe in? I’ve heard a lot of well-meaning people say “we have to stand united”. I say BULLSHIT. I say we don’t have to stand united, we have to STAND FOR SOMETHING. United in what? The LIES of George W. Bush? Absolute, disgusting lies? Lies that sent thousands of our kids, and tens of thousands of “others” (you think Israel can blow its fucking nose without Washington’s OK?) to be mutilated? Is that what you want to unite behind? Lies?
In four years, unless those in power or destroyed, we will be asking the same questions about New Orleans. Why are the widows and children still wondering what happened? Why are 3000 DEAD STILL NOT MEMORIALIZED? 3000 more. The people in power DO NOT CARE. And if you support them for “business” or “values” or “the lesser of two evils”, you’re a fucking idiot, and deserve to suffer endlessly. I’m not kidding at all. The existing regime has failed us, repeatedly, and with intention, and they will continue to do so if you believe their lies. A vote for the GOP is a vote for a 5 year hole in New York, for a five-year flooded New Orleans, for a 5 year war in a place that was nothing but the lowest-hanging fruit in a geopolitical game that started before our births and will continue til WE STOP IT.
So go ahead and say you voted for unity. Your unity vote is a sucker vote. It’s an idiot vote. If you vote for a Republican, hell, if you vote for 80% of the Democratic Party, you’re a sucker. Take this lesson from the 5-year anniversary of 9-11: The people in power will do anything to fleece you, and smile reassuringly while they do it. They’ll tell you that disagreeing with them is “treason”. And they’ll make you feel stupid if you don’t believe. If you don’t know that by now, you haven’t been paying attention.
