(no subject)

[asheris]

Every now and then, a commentary comes along that makes me nod in agreement and laugh a little, all the while cringing in embarrassment at the ignorance/cockiness/arrogance of people here.

Americans think they're envy of the world by Patt Morrison is one such.

Comments

[asheris.livejournal.com]

I agree, I thought it was a bit kind, but then it was printed here, so I suppose he knew he couldn't get too harsh.

Believe me, most people would love to be rid of him in 2004; unfortunately, most people didn't want him in 2000 but he still got in! Not sure what will happen. Something sure has to change, though. During normal times we're (deservedly) the butt of jokes; now we're a laughingstock.

Problem is, there's even more to it, more behind the scenes things that I'm not sure people outside the country would notice. (As any country has.) For anyone who's really paying attention to some of the things that are going on (and the majority of people here in the States don't), it's a lot more frightening to be here than you might realize.

Shrub and Co. are doing their damndest to claim we're in a state of war. They're forcing through legislative changes based on that, many with no expiration. Privacy rights are being crimped, and some flushed right down the drain. If you're not supportive of them, you're un-American; shades of McCarthyism. Oh, we haven't gotten completely there, yet, but we're far enough down that slippery slope that people are starting to watch what they say/print.


Have to keep reminding myself that if things get really bad, Canada is only 300 miles away...

[meta.livejournal.com]

If it's any consolation, I think America's less of a laughing stock now than it was when Ronald Reagan was re-elected.

[asheris.livejournal.com]

Seriously?

Hrm... a "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" sort of thing?

I suppose with Shrub, you can at least look at him and figure Daddy bought it for him (cash and favors), which option wasn't available with Reagan, so there was just no excuse.

(I'm proud to be from Minnesota, the one and only state that didn't send their electoral votes to Reagan in '84; we were joined only by the District of Columbia in this. Oh, damn, you're right... at least with Shrub, it was close- to the point that Gore actually won, but hey.)

[meta.livejournal.com]

Well, W is merely an idiot, whereas Reagan was a senile old religious whacko who wanted to hurry up the whole Armageddon thing. Many of us over in Europe weren't sure which to be more scared of--the Soviet Union or the USA.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have just declared Russia illegal. We begin bombing in five minutes."