Independence Day Was Truly Depressing

[Dragonbreathp9d]

While sitting amid friends, family and neighbors at our neighborhood's annual gathering, watching our own fireworks display and that of other cities that I could see across the lake that we were sitting on the edge of (now swollen due to the torrential rainfall North Texas has been getting lately, perhaps tears for all the people still brainwashed into think that supporting Bush is patriotism) an immense sadness overwhelmed me.

I have always been a big history buff, even when I was much younger, so the 4th always meant a lot to me. It had always been about more than just fireworks (though I do love them!). It had been about freedom, about a few brave men, women, and children who decided to stand up for what they believe in. It had been about all the lives lost in order to create a more perfect union. It had been about unity - that for which our country is named after. It had been about peace, about ideas, and ideals, it had been about freedom of choice, speech, religion - all these things that are now number 1 on America's endangered species list. With every firework explosion, I would imagine the Union charging towards better trained and equipped troops, facing mass numbers, the resolve that our founders had, and the overwhelming joy they must have felt when the French appeared on the horizon.

Now, when I see the explosions, I think of IEDs in Iraq, I think of civilians being bombed, I think of possibly innocent people being tortured for years. I think of our entire history fading away into abscurity. Everything that we stood for being altered in a pseudo mating of 1984 and Farenheit 451. I see our constitution being called "outdated," though the principles within are timeless. I see the Straussians on the march, marching over the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the memory of all of those who gave life, limb, and liberty to try to secure our own. I see a mockery of all that this country was founded upon.

Granted, there have always been misdeeds by this country (as with all others), slavery and the extermination of the Natives of this country are two that come to mind. But now this country is taking away the rights of everyone. Even the rich if you happen to disagree with those running things.

This administration IS the worst in history. <--- that is a period.


The founding prinicples of this country were taken from some of the greatest political minds in histroy: Rousseau (my personal favorite), Hobbes, Locke, Plato, Machievelli - but now they are all being subverted for a relatively new mind known as Leo Strauss. I just wonder why so many intelligent people fall for this great deciever.

It's (un)funny to see how capitalsim, which was the answer to merchantilism. is taking us full-circle back to a pseudo-fascist merchantilism, where corporations are garunteed more rights than individuals. Merchantilism was when you had the East India Trading company and others owning a shit-ton of places and resources and having full protection under the law, now, with our own version of capitalism-gone-haywire you see the same thing with Coca-Cola, Pepsi, drug companies, Phillip Morris and more. History is repeating itself, except now on an even grander scale. Mercantilism started wars back then, and it sure as hell is doing it again now.

I guess I should start to come to the end of my rant, lest I become too repetitive - but let me leave off with this: If we want to honor the fallen, our founding fathers, the philosophy and ideals that this nation was created to uphold, then we must start to act like our founders and our fallen. Typing on this keyboard without going out and doing something to back up what you are saying is the same as being apathetic. The revolution will not be televised... but that doesn't mean we have to go quietly into the night. To quote Rousseau "Man is born free, and everywhere is in chains." Break through your chains, and help others break through theirs. Stand up, and shout every minute of every day "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" - lest we have even more depressing 4ths in the future.

Do something. Be something. Change the world.

[lse7581011]

1. I Agree!

Found myself feeling like I could cry several times throughout the day. Not usually that kind of person!

[fasttense]

2. I had no plans for the 4th

Because we just couldn't afford anything. We live in a very rural area and you have to spend gas to get anywhere. So we had a little bar-b-q on our deck and made a lazy day of it.

But when I went to watch the history channel, I knew it would be about the founding of the US, I couldn't watch it. They described how Mason, and Jefferson worked so hard developing the Constitution, in secret. With George Washington adding his political weight so that it would encourage great men to take it seriously. I just kept think of all the parts of the Constitution that crazy king george has violated. I kept thinking how George Washington refused to torture British prisoners despite the fact that the British were torturing our POWs.

I had to change it because I couldn't bear the fact that our forefathers fought to get free of corporations and their political power - the East India Company and Britain. But now our resident king george, in our name and their names, has turned over our country to the same modern day corporations. I just couldn't take the devastating contrast between what those men, writing the Constitution and risking their lives, had intended and what America has become.

[bdamomma]

3. we have to stop this for us and for the world.

they are totally abusing and demeaning us, this has got to stop.

[Philosoraptor]

4. I don't believe in Santa, I don't believe in the shining city on the hill.

[EFerrari]

13. Me, either. But I believe in my neighbors. One of them put this

up in his store window for me yesterday:




Except, that is, for the @ssholes who set off bombs under my window at three in the morning for an hour. They can move.

[BlueManDude]

5. All the security along the Charles River Esplanade in Boston was depressing...

I think it's dawning on people that the "War on Terror" will never end and that it's as much a war being waged by Americans against Americans as it is some battle against foreign "evildoers."

[bdamomma]

7. does not sound so comforting to me? we are becoming

militarized.

[BlueManDude]

11. The San Diego Padres wore camouflaged baseball uniforms yesterday

it was pretty creepy.

[The_Commonist]

6. It wasn't ALL bad!

Try this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1247865

[Dragonbreathp9d]

8. it still depressed me

[EnviroBat]

9. I remained seated during the National Anthem...

I sung the words "Blah BluhBlah Blah Blah Blah...." While all of the faithful sheep around me were dutifully standing, and bleating out the words to a tune that has lost all meaning. I couldn't help thinking about what a car-bomb sounds like when it explodes, as the fireworks were doing their BOOM BOOM thing. I just don't feel anything for this country at the moment. It feels dead to me. The Bush administration is a cancer to this nation. It must be cut out, eradicated, and burned away. We have a long, agonizing period of rehabilitation to suffer through after these traitors have gone. I want my pride back.

Fuck you George. I pray that your miserable existence on this planet is coming to an end soon. Oh, and take Cheny with you...

[Dragonbreathp9d]

10. I was in the midst of some of the "30%" too

[Dragonbreathp9d]

12. I posted kind of early, can I get some kicks?

[Poll_Blind]

14. Same here, thanks for posting.

  I would spend some time on a reply but you said...it...just...right.

Thank you.

PB