What Can Be Done?

Don Nash

I think that I am beaten. The American Evangelical Christian fascists and their psychopathic murderously insane President George W. Bush will continue to reek genocide on the world. Iran or Syria which one will be next? Possibly, it will be both at the same time. I think that the onus will fall on Iran but, it will all depend on whom Israel has decided should be next. As little as five years ago, I would have never believed that a country the likes of Israel could and does control the federal government of the U.S.. I would have never believed that the U.S. Congress, in all of it’s wonderful illusions about democracy, would dictate into American law that no one on the planet may speak ill about Israel. Why, it’s anti-Semitic.

’With all the will in the world, we’re diving for dear life, when we should be diving for pearls.’
Elvis Costello

I would never have believed that I would be a stranger in my own country. The social outcast and political pariah. I would never have believed that I could be forced to move from my own neighborhood. Unable to find suitable housing, and the welcome mat that was once on the front door has been unceremonially taken away and the old place is being rented to criminal junkies. In my neighborhood, criminal heroin addicts are preferable to political dissidents. Especially dissidents that speak out and make the unacceptable political waves. I rank lower on the social ladder than heroin addicts, go figure. Somehow, waging a preemptive genocide on an Islamic people has become fashionable and perfectly acceptable. If one speaks out against this atrocity, well then, shame on me and my bad for opening my big mouth. An atmosphere of eerie insanity has fallen on my country and these dark clouds have blinded just about everyone.

It is twelve days until the re-election of George W. Bush. Bush will be remembered in history as the ’Butcher of Baghdad and the precursor to World War III’. Bush wasn’t satisfied to just butcher Baghdad, he had to savage the entire country of Iraq. Crazy George was just making Iraq safe for democracy. George Bush will win re-election to the office of president. I make the prediction twelve days in advance of the actuality. It won’t be won fair or square. His re-election will involve subterfuge, fraud, criminal deceit, voter intimidation, voter discrimination, and your basic and everyday evil. The United States Congress will go merrily along with Bush’s deception as will the U.S. Supreme Court as will the American people. It is entirely acceptable for every person on the planet to refer to Americans as ’silly sheep’. The American silly sheep have bought the fantasy of Imperial Empire Americana, hook and line and the entire goddamned pole. The Guardian quoted one American as saying, “Proud American, Voting for Bush”. May God have mercy on us.

George Bush believes that he is doing “God’s will” and that thrills the American Evangelical Christian fascists to no end. This assemblage of ’American Taliban’ is in the process of preparing the world for the second coming. They know what they are doing. If you ask them they will tell you but, a note of caution, there is an air of loony fixation that surrounds these American Taliban, and it is more than a little uncomfortable. It is more than a lot frightening.

I made the mistake of questioning George Bush and his mission of vengeance on al-Qaeda. Funniest little thing though, there is no actual evidence that al-Qaeda had anything to do with 9/11/01. All the world has, is George Bush’s word on it. I made the mistake of “not supporting” George Bush’s preemptive war on Iraq. Doesn’t matter that there were no links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda. Doesn’t matter that Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. George Bush got the wind up his skirt and that was that. So, I’m a son-of-a-bitch for being vocal in a request for a little proof and maybe, just maybe a small modicum of rationality and logical reasoning. Un-American non-supporter of George Bush...what in hell was I thinking?

I made the mistake of “not supporting” torture as national policy, written by Torquemada John Asscroft and Asscroft’s bestest pal in the whole wide world, John Yoo, currently residing in Berkeley, California. Yoo is teaching law students. I spoke out to Asscroft, Lee, Bush, Cheney, and America so, what an asshole I am. I can’t support wholesale torture of any human but, I’m the Un-American. The rest of America is completely all right with torture as national policy, what is wrong with me? It’s obvious that I just don’t work or play well with others. I spoke out about torture being inhumane and I spoke out anywhere and everywhere and well, maybe Asscroft is going to send me to Camp Gitmo. Really, there isn’t too much that I could do about it.

I’m beaten in my personal campaign to get my fellow countrymen to listen to just a little reason. I’m beaten in my personal campaign to get my government to stop for just the tiniest little minute and explain to me, what they are doing. Really, please I’m asking nicely, what are you doing? Me and multiple hundreds of thousands of Americans did exactly that and it got us...bupkiss. It got us branded as “giving aid and comfort to the enemy.”

My government has still not offered an explanation as to whom they are referring to as the “enemy”. Who is the enemy? I need to know. Is it too much to ask for an answer? How is that a bad thing and how is that un-American? I can’t get a straight answer from MY government and I’m the pariah. I’m sorry that I can’t accept all of the irrational and bold-faced lies that my government has dispensed to date. My government just does not have a good track record with being up front and honest or truthful. The evidence that exists would suggest that the “enemy” is any Muslim on the planet. The evidence would suggest that the “enemy” is any American that dares to question our rather bizarre acting federal government. The evidence that exists would suggest that the “enemy” is anyone on the planet that dares to question the Israeli apartheid being waged on the Palestinian people.

I am not unfeeling or unsympathetic with Israeli people. I think that the Middle East crisis needs immediate attention. Not just from America. The issues and hatred that has the death grip on Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, and Iran must be addressed to the satisfaction of everyone. We are all involved. Why aren’t the truly brilliant and genius minds of our world, working this mess out? See, I can’t get an answer to that question either. So, Hamas and Hezbollah are going to keep on blowing up innocent Israelis, and the Israeli I.D.F. is going to keep on bulldozing innocent Palestinians, and the innocent are going to keep on suffering and dying.

I sit around my little slice of the world and vocalize my dissatisfaction with the status quo and I’m being forced to move out of my home. I’m grateful that an Israeli bulldozer isn’t sitting outside the front door with the engine idling, and some soldier waiting in breathless anticipation to bulldoze me and the whole building. This is the new reality of the twenty first century and things could change fairly quickly.

I’m anti-war and anti-insanity and one of the U.S. Senators that represents my home state thinks that I’m dangerous, and that I should be treated as some kind of social cancer that should be surgically removed from the good Senator’s home state. So, following our Senator’s logic, being anti-war and anti-insanity is cancerous and a danger to not only America but the entire world. I’ve endangered myself and that is for certain. I’ve got me and the dog kicked out of our home. Man, I think that the very next time that the world is on the brink of total annihilation, I should probably just shut the hell up. Americans are not to be convinced of any sort of logical or rational alternative. Americans are wanting to prove to the world just how fierce and bad they are as warriors. But that is bullshit.

Oh who am I trying to kid. I will speak out and I will not be silent. I’m beaten this time, and I accede to the warmongers and the hate mongers. But I’ll be back for the next precious preemptive war that George Bush has on his agenda. Maybe I might even find a place for me and the dog. Anybody know of a semi-peaceful country that might consider taking in a rag-muffin dissident and one worried dog?

Published Thursday, October 21st, 2004 - 05:53pm GMT

Don Nash is a poet and commentator whose home, until recently, was in Utah, USA.

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