THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.
Those words once made a mighty contribution toward the freeing of a country from a haughty, blue blood King who was of the belief that his sole hereditary existence alone gave him the right to rule free men at the point of a a musket and sword.
The words were written by Mr. Thomas Paine. Mr. Paine, amongst other antithetical beliefs of his time, believed that the nascent Colonial Americans were in a prime position to oppose the oppressive British Monarchy and forge forward with establishing a democratic nation based on their people's demand of freedom and democracy. Ask any patriotic American and --- they'll be totally uninformed or misinformed. Anyway . . .
Gen. George Washington ordered Paine's words to be read out loud to his men during a particularly lowpoint in their guerilla Independence campaign against the British army. Not only did Paine's defiant and challenging words inspire Washington and his men to battle, they were also instrumental in turning the tide of public opinion against the British rule and giving The Continental Congress the confidence to dare to declare America's Liberty and separation from the British Homeland.
I recount this tid-bit of history for two reasons. First, Thomas Paine has been a hero of mine since I stopped listening to the conservative, uneducated religious claptrap of the people that seemed to permeate my existence as a young man -- in other words -- I learned to think on my own.
Just a side thought -- after high school and a stint in the U.S. Air Force, I began to read what I wanted to read and believe what I wanted to believe for a change. Thank fucking God for free will. It allowed me formulate these entirely original and deeply thought out opinions.
But I digress --- a second reason for my mini-history lesson is -- Mr. Paine's words ring loud and clear in a day and age when another boy King named George believes he rules the heartland by virtue of heredity -- although in this case it's not blood heredity -- it's Big Business (BIG OIL) and family mafia heredity. Mr. George W. Bush came into power under suspect circumstances, claimed he was a uniter, not a divider, claimed he was a compassionate conservative, claimed he didn't believe in nation building, claimed he would protect us against all evils (Gee George, how'd that 9/11 thing work out on your 9th month on the job?). The asshole basically Homer Simpsoned (lovable dolt act) and electorally tampered his way into power. Finally, as if a nail was really needed in this destructive duo's coffin -- public disclosure records show that the largest contributors to the Bush/Cheney administration come from the Oil, Gas and Coal industries. Imagine that!! And DipShit, 24 America fell for it -- hook, line, sinker.
Thomas Paine warned against evils of concentrating power in the hands of an elite priveleged few. It's happening here and now folks. Deny it at your freedom's peril. Paine was cognizant enough in his time to recognize tyranny --- why, oh why in this age of instant communication and open media, (Britney's at Court!), can't we recognize the same threat? --- for it laps at the bowl of our ever so fragile Democracy?
In the end, Thomas Paine's Crisis is a modern day wake up call for action now in this country -- America and Americans need help. Truly patriotic Americans need to step up to the plate with that help -- throw the crooks (both parties) out of office -- Politicians better get their shit in order. Dem and Repub.
And if the Repubs insist on coddling corporations at the expense of the working people and the middle class --- fuck 'em -- their political base is shrinking as it is -- all they'll have left are the end-time glaze-eyed religious nuts. Simple as that. The Middle Class of this country is in cardiac arrest... the Repubs say --- give more money to the drug dealers (Corporate CEO's)! and big Oil. These are the same cocksuckers that put the middle class in cardiac arrest to begin with! ... Fuck.. Stop it. America needs to stop the bullshit, stop the waste of war in Iraq, reign in Wall Street and their fucking scams, stop politicians from profiting off of the blood and sweat of hard working Americans....... etc. Put and end to Business As Usual!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I love my family -- (wife, kids, grandkids) love my lifestyle, my politics, and my motorcyle. I'm an unapologetic liberal who is proud of who he is and fuck those of you who believe as Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Michael Savage and other radio retards do that America should be a closed, police-state, gun-nut society. I've had enough of Republican politics and economic policies and am sick and tired of their attempts to bully this nation into being a single political party, evangelical religious fucking moron country. The chickens are coming home to roost after 8 years of GOP malfeasance, incompetence and corruption. Unfortunately, it's the American family that will pay the price for the Republican party's legislative debauchery. To put it bluntly -- all of you fucking Republiscum suck!
This country today, as in Paine's time is in a Crisis. It's time for action -- it's time for change.
At this point, I don't care who is elected -- but it better be a man or woman who is ready recognize the crisis that exists and deal with it. And I'm not talking about the fake Iran/Iraq crisis being peddled by the fear-mongering Bush mongoloids. Leave those bastards to fight their own wars and bring our kids and money home.
I believe that what exists in this country today is a crisis of confidence -- confidence that our government can be relied on to do right by us -- and I swear -- the next fucking, cocksucking idiot that blathers "Clinton and Monica" to me, I'm not being nice to you anymore -- I'm just going to punch you in your stupid goddamn face and tell you to grow the fuck up. I applaud anyone who has the guts to confront and expose the slime of corporate interests and their equally democracy-hating pro-corporate judicial entities and the equally deomocracy-hating rightwing morons that blindly follow---more power to those who fight the good fight.
I'm so, so, so sick of the 8 years of GOP rule and the status quo that I'll vote for anyone but a bloodsucking, Oil industry lackey team like Bush/Cheney --- look what they've done to America -- (if you haven't noticed -- sorry -- you're head is seriously buried up your stupid ass and that's an affliction which I can offer no cure for). Fuckkers.
----krazee
American Crisis --- Read it -- expand your Beverly Hillbilly minds.
2 comments:
Wow Krazee, tell us how you really feel!! lol
Question - I know you say it doesn't matter, but what Democrat would be better, Hillary who continues the "American Dynasty" but has the experience to lead, Obama who lacks experience, but might provide the "Hope" that America needs, or an Edwards who has some qualities of each?
Do you want to come to Indiana and teach my Constitution lessons? I'm sure some of my rural parents would have fun with that.
Hi mrouch -- I was in a awful mood and full of pent up feelings when I wrote that rant -- as you obviously could tell.
I've always considered myself an optimist about life and the future. But with the events that have taken place in this country under the Bush/Cheney regime since their very suspect ascension to power in 2000, my once sunny outlook for the future isn't so sunny any more. The Thomas Paine reference reflects my disappointment and anger that we as a nation are so easily duped into abandoning core principles of freedom and democracy based on fear-mongering by cynical, manipulative leaders -- leaders whom I believe have been proven beyond doubt to be some of the biggest dissemblers and truth contortionists that have ever controlled the levers of power in American history.
I was never very interested in politics until the mid to late 90's when I, like many other people watched as a very well-funded, and deceitfully organized campaign was launched to undo an election and remove a lawfully seated President -- I refer of course to the political witch-hunt to bring down Bill Clinton. Now, I won't go into Mr. Clinton's personal sexual foibles with Ms. Lewinsky and his absolutely disgraceful attempt to cover it up --that horse has been beaten to a pulp. Suffice to say that I am still waiting for someone to explain to me in clear, unambiguous language how an investigation into a murky, little 25 year old Arkansas land deal (Whitewater - which the Clintons lost money on) evolved into articles of impeachment of a sitting President for lying about a consensual sex-affair. Am I crazy in believing that the Constitution's framers did not even remotely have that type of Executive misconduct on their minds when they contemplated the definition of the phrase "high crimes and misdemeanors?" Anyhow, that whole sordid affair really opened my eyes to the equally sordid affairs going on in Washington by politicians of all stripes.
The 2000 election and the shenanigans down in Jeb Bush's Florida simply fed into my already suspicious view that the ruling elite in this country were up to no good. The 9/11 tragedy and subsequent lies and nationalistic propaganda (with the complicity of a neutered corporate press) about the threat posed by the tin-horn Iraq dictator Hussein heightened my belief that this country was being manipulated into a pre-emptive war of choice -- a war of choice that was thought up in the boardrooms of big oil and big defense contractors. The right wing morons will call me a conspiracy theorist. And they're right -- I do believe there was a conspiracy -- but I don't believe it's a theory - as in speculation or conjecture. At this point enough evidence (for those who dare to want to know the truth) has emerged to show how the attacks of 9/11 were cynically used as a nationalistic propaganda tool to cow the American people into supporting the Iraq invasion, which we all know has turned out to be one of the most horrific foreign policy blunders in this country's history. The right-wing media whores (sorry, I can't think of a kinder, gentler way to describe them) flooded the radio and television airwaves, the print media and cable t.v. with their hormonally juiced up chest-thumping and demonizing of any and all who dared dissent with dear leader. I've seen Leni Riefenstahl's famous Nazi propaganda films, and the parallels to the kind of fascist, religious mysticism and overt propagandizing so artfully done in those films on behalf of Hitler and the Nazi party and the crap I hear on AM radio and see on cable t.v. today in this country in support of Bush and his war policy is chilling -- and more so since the majority of Americans (just like the German bourgeois in 1930's Germany who seemed to not care or simply dismiss the significance of the Nazi's slow, but deliberate rise to power) appear to be oblivious to it all.
Now, however, a terrible twist to the whole corrupt episode has materialized with the criminal activity of the Wall Street hucksters and their massive shell game activities which have brought about a dangerous national, probably global crisis in the credit and banking industries. Enron, Worldcom and Tyco, as many in the know predicted a few years ago, was the tip of this criminal enterprise ice-berg. This country is on the verge of an economic catstrophe which is going to hurt alot of people in this country in the next few years. The credit crunch and the mortgage mess are appetizers for the main course of economic pain yet to come. Those losses, ones already posted, and much more yet to be revealed, combined with the absolute looting of our treasury to support Bush and Cheney's grand Iraq mis-adventure, has the potential to be the catalyst to bring about a Roman empire like disintegration for the world's most economically and militarily powerful nation. Drastic times call for drastic, corrective measures. Unfortunately, I do not believe the Democrats, and especially not the Republicans are up to meeting that kind of challenge. I've not made up my mind yet about who I might vote for in the coming election. I think it's fair to say, I am not overly impressed by any single one candidate at this point. Ask me again in about 6 months.
So in the end -- am I angry? You're goddamn right I am. And I'm no longer afraid to let people know about it. And that's why Paine's words, "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman . . ." stir me to speak up. And quite frankly, I most certainly hope I piss people off and offend them with my opinions -- for I believe that in the very least I have succeeded in planting the seeds of individual thought, reason and serious contemplation in minds that normally might not be inclined to think of things outside the box of their enclosed world of group-think based on their fears of the unknown -- fears which are nurtured and coddled by the cynical charlatans that permeate our government and media.
Sorry for the long-winded response -- since it's rare when I converse with any of you guys directly, I prefer to lay all my cards on the table when I do -- so as to not muddle my position. Just ask Chester -- he and I had a little exchange a few months ago -- it was civil -- but he can confirm my penchant for filling up pages of e-mail with my views on all subjects great and small --- hey -- the way I look at it -- you asked for it -- you got it! Lol.
Anyhow as a side note mrouch -- don't know if I ever told you this directly, but I greatly admire what you do for a living. My sister is a 2nd grade public school teacher and she has regaled me with stories of what an incredibly difficult, but ultimately rewarding profession she has. I think you guys are all heroes, more so than the million dollar sports figures, brat-pack actors and phony Fly-boy Presidents that are shoved down our young people's throats as pseudo-heroes. Keep up the good work and know that it does make a difference for the good the work that you do.
Take care and cya online.
----k
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