You know what amazes me? (I am just going to free associate ramble here for a bit...) What amazes me is that people are still amazed by anything happening in the world today.
I went through it the first year Bush was in office. It felt like some kind of bizzarre, otherworld-like reality. As if I had been transported to the alternate universe in Star Trek where Spock wears a beard and Chekov tries to assasinate Kirk... Everything that was happening was the polar opposite of right (correct ;) ), made no sense and I spent most of my day with my jaw hanging down to my navel in stunned, shocked amazement.
But as we head into year 3 I'm no longer amazed that Bush has opened up the entire Western United states for development. There is no shock for me in the fact that not only did we find no weapons of mass destruction but that now "unnamed government sources" are saying that they wouldn't be surprised if we NEVER find any.
I feel a glimmer of interest in the fact that the entire United States of America has failed to notice that GW lied about the connection with 9/11, Osama Bin Laden, and the weapons of mass destruction. It is mildly entertaining that some folks of my ilk with a bit less jade are enraged that the government is claiming that these facts are non issues. I was like that once. I ranted and huffed until I was blue in the face about Republicans doing the same exact things (and worse) that they were screaming impeachement about during the last administration. I railed until people hated to be around me because they felt that oral sex in the oval office and lying to Congress was paramount to treason but that millions of dollars of insider government contracts and stock fraud was irrelevant.
And now this. We, the United States of America, have, for no good reason whatsoever, invaded another country, toppled their government, killed their citizens and allowed their national heritage to be looted by camera men from Fox News. And all the while the citizens of this country are putting bumper stickers on their cars saying "I Support Our Praying President" and "Support Our Freedom, Support Our Troops".
Nope, I can't get amazed about it anymore. There are days when I almost let myself become resigned to living in this awful, alternate universe and hope like hell that the planet just gets blown up quickly and puts us all out of this misery. I suppose that defeatist attitude stems mostly from being the only liberal pacifist in my area. Well, the only one that isn't a Jehovah's Witness. According to her, this is just another sign of the end days and god's kingdom will come soon to rid us of evil GW who is obviously being influenced by Satan. *sigh* Ok, the only rational liberal pacifist in the area.
Then there are the days when I remember the quote I adoped from Gallagher (yeah the guy that bashed watermelons with a big mallet) "If you don't tell ignorance and stupidity it's wrong, ignorance and stupidity will think it's ok!". But it takes a lot of energy to fight all the ignorance and stupidity in the world. And some days I am just too tired. So I sit back and watch and wonder why people get amazed anymore.
at 2:45 PM :: ~#~
