Ten years of suckage
In recent years, I've become increasingly hesitant about sitting down to write about the American political and legal scene. The fact is, every time I do so, sucking down a valium and vodka cocktail becomes not just a somewhat more viable option, but an increasingly enticing alternative to actually contemplating the country in which I live, the laws I must endure (and evade) and the people who craft and enforce those laws. I find ... Oh, God, where are the pills and booze ... ?
Sorry about that. I'm back now.
Anyway, I find life in these here United States at the end of 2009 to be deeply depressing, and not just because it has become socially acceptable to wear pajamas to the supermarket. The fact is, we live in a world in which our freedom erodes on a daily basis -- not because we were conquered, but because our friends, neighbors and relations (and, let's be honest, often ourselves) eagerly submit to intrusive, yet pointless, rules, regulations and "security theater" measures that make us not one bit safer from the world's bogeymen, but which provide an illusion of protection while enhancing the power of the creatures that rule over us.
And those creatures ... A less-impressive army of assclowns would be hard to imagine -- except that these assclowns are so very effective at whipping up public passions and extending their nasty tentacles over and into our lives. Bush may have been an incoherent bully, and Obama may be a presumptuous dilettante, but Nero would have wept with envy of the power that those twoemperors presidents demagogues have commanded (including the awesome ability to make money appear from thin air -- and value evaporate).
So, if like me you shudder at the thought of living long enough to see the inevitable spectacle of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden declaring themselves co-dictators for life over the cheering masses of your fellow countrymen, then ... well ...
Nothing, actually. I'm out of ideas. So go mix yourself a drink and enjoy this rueful look at the last decade from ReasonTV:
Sorry about that. I'm back now.
Anyway, I find life in these here United States at the end of 2009 to be deeply depressing, and not just because it has become socially acceptable to wear pajamas to the supermarket. The fact is, we live in a world in which our freedom erodes on a daily basis -- not because we were conquered, but because our friends, neighbors and relations (and, let's be honest, often ourselves) eagerly submit to intrusive, yet pointless, rules, regulations and "security theater" measures that make us not one bit safer from the world's bogeymen, but which provide an illusion of protection while enhancing the power of the creatures that rule over us.
And those creatures ... A less-impressive army of assclowns would be hard to imagine -- except that these assclowns are so very effective at whipping up public passions and extending their nasty tentacles over and into our lives. Bush may have been an incoherent bully, and Obama may be a presumptuous dilettante, but Nero would have wept with envy of the power that those two
So, if like me you shudder at the thought of living long enough to see the inevitable spectacle of Sarah Palin and Joe Biden declaring themselves co-dictators for life over the cheering masses of your fellow countrymen, then ... well ...
Nothing, actually. I'm out of ideas. So go mix yourself a drink and enjoy this rueful look at the last decade from ReasonTV:
Labels: freak me out
posted by J.D. Tuccille at
12:39 PM
6 Comments:
Agreed. And it gets worse and worse as time goes on. No sign of a let up.
Oh, almost missed it. What's wrong with wearing pajamas in the supermarket?
"What's wrong with wearing pajamas in the supermarket?"
I guess it's one of those things you just can't explain.
*shudder*
hey. this is the decade that i, and many others, "woke up."
also: we got the internet.
I'm pretty much with you on this one, JD - although when it's 5 degrees and snowing, I don't worry about seeing any PJ's except my hubby's.
I posted a similar state-of-America reflection, but mine offers a different ending. You might want to consider it as an alternative to the valium and vodka. http://tinyurl.com/yze53ju
In any event, you do have sunshine, and that can't be all bad.
While I completely agree with the sentiments behind your reflections, you're a year too early in commemorating the end of the decade. Much as I too would like to see this ghastly ten-year period of accelerated civilization decay end early, we won't be finally rid of it until December 31st of this year. (Remember too that the current millenium did NOT being on January 1, 2000, which was the last year of the previous millenium, but on January 1, 2001).
Of course the next decade looks none too promising either, so we probably shouldn't be marking the current one's end with cheers and sighs of relief.
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