soap box
so, yesterday I called this thing my "soap box".
and it got me to thinking.
since I don't put too much in here, I might as well use it as a way to kvetch about all the stuuff I end up thinking about anyways.
todays rant: the rise of fascism in america (and stuff)
yup, big brother is here. and he'll only get bigger as time goes by. and all of his cousins too.
when I was a kid I used too wonder if there was a conspiricy to slowly take away our rights, freedoms, constitutional ammendments and all.
of course then I grew up. and everybody around me said "tha's crazy talk. this bee de u s of A".
of course peter lory isn't sitting with sidney greenstreet, darth vader, etc in secret meetings plotting to do away with our sacred constitution. no meetings in the legion of doom's headquarters.
what there is.
a general consensus that the american people cannot make decisions for themselves.
a long held belief that the constitution is a burden, an impediment if you will.
a long held practice of "the ends justify the means".
a belief that "we know what's good for you. and you don't".
all of these add up to a general erosion of the american way of life and the freedoms we hold.
1) there has always been a balancing act between military/paramilitary powers and the freedoms of the people. one great example is the famous "miranda act".
named after a guy who had all of those things taken away. and was wrongly imprisoned.
it seems like a good thing to have. letting anyone know their basic rights in such a circumstance.
but it no longer applies. it has been undermined.
most cops think of it as a nuisance or impediment to thier job.
in fact I have been told that just talking to a police officer constitutes a waving of your "Miranda rights".
how sc**** up is that?
2)if I was to write a story about a member of the cia who sold drugs, was an arms dealer, and traded with the enemies of the us. who bought himself a public office. it would be laughed at.
but those ends made the ex-head of the cia the vice-president of the usa in 1980.
it's called the "iran-contra scandal" look it up.
3) there's a commercial on that makes my blood boil.
in it they use scare tactics to say "big brother will catch you"
is it for drugs? guns? rape? murder? nope.
seat belts.
is the wearing or not of a seat belt such a heinous crime?
do seat-belts rampage through our streets killing and terrorizing innocent folk?
why must there be legislation forcing me to wear a helmet, wear a seat belt, etc?
why is it not my choice?
(hey if I end up being an organ donor because I didn't wear a helmet, that's on me!
it's none of your gd business!)
so. by now you would think I'm only pointing the finger at repub/conservitives.
but here's where the other side ie lib/dems do the same thing
4) hate crimes.
doubles the jail time. nice idea.
if I say the "n" word while in a fight with an "aa" I get extra jail time and loads of "street cred". if I say "honkey", "cracker", "redneck", "p****rwood" while fighting with a "pale guy"...nothing.
5)tobacco, alcohol, fried foods, sex, red meat, firearms, homosexuality, ice cream, gasoline, chocolate, coffee, hunting, caffeine, the internet, pets, ...
all of these things have had legislation trying to ban or add "sin taxes" to them.
most of them already have extra "sin" taxes. and most have a lobby against them.
none of them is illegal!
NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE ILLEGAL!
6) john ringo has a great article/commentary in the back of his book "yellow eyes". (great series. if you like military sf why haven't you read his stuff yet?)
while I may not agree with all of it he makes some great comments on non-elected people who want to make legislation on us. (like europeans trying to put u.s. troops under foreign law)
so.
theres loads of people out there who want to decide for us how we live.
and there's loads of people out there who want the power to do whatever they want, to us. and if we don't agree we are anti-american, or terrorists, or fascist, or sexist, or racist and just overall bad people.
quote from firefly "they're holding to the notion... that they can make people better... I'm fixing to be naughty..."
so with that I'll step down from my soap box.
I'm gonna go have a cig, some coffee, maybe some ice-cream, and surf the net.
I'll just leave you with this song...
Big Brother
Oh big brother's got no heart.
when I get the chance im gonna kick 'im in the **s
...
big brother beware!
cause some of us do care.
and the wurm, and the wurm, and the wurm
will turn, will turn, will turn
...
and it got me to thinking.
since I don't put too much in here, I might as well use it as a way to kvetch about all the stuuff I end up thinking about anyways.
todays rant: the rise of fascism in america (and stuff)
yup, big brother is here. and he'll only get bigger as time goes by. and all of his cousins too.
when I was a kid I used too wonder if there was a conspiricy to slowly take away our rights, freedoms, constitutional ammendments and all.
of course then I grew up. and everybody around me said "tha's crazy talk. this bee de u s of A".
of course peter lory isn't sitting with sidney greenstreet, darth vader, etc in secret meetings plotting to do away with our sacred constitution. no meetings in the legion of doom's headquarters.
what there is.
a general consensus that the american people cannot make decisions for themselves.
a long held belief that the constitution is a burden, an impediment if you will.
a long held practice of "the ends justify the means".
a belief that "we know what's good for you. and you don't".
all of these add up to a general erosion of the american way of life and the freedoms we hold.
1) there has always been a balancing act between military/paramilitary powers and the freedoms of the people. one great example is the famous "miranda act".
named after a guy who had all of those things taken away. and was wrongly imprisoned.
it seems like a good thing to have. letting anyone know their basic rights in such a circumstance.
but it no longer applies. it has been undermined.
most cops think of it as a nuisance or impediment to thier job.
in fact I have been told that just talking to a police officer constitutes a waving of your "Miranda rights".
how sc**** up is that?
2)if I was to write a story about a member of the cia who sold drugs, was an arms dealer, and traded with the enemies of the us. who bought himself a public office. it would be laughed at.
but those ends made the ex-head of the cia the vice-president of the usa in 1980.
it's called the "iran-contra scandal" look it up.
3) there's a commercial on that makes my blood boil.
in it they use scare tactics to say "big brother will catch you"
is it for drugs? guns? rape? murder? nope.
seat belts.
is the wearing or not of a seat belt such a heinous crime?
do seat-belts rampage through our streets killing and terrorizing innocent folk?
why must there be legislation forcing me to wear a helmet, wear a seat belt, etc?
why is it not my choice?
(hey if I end up being an organ donor because I didn't wear a helmet, that's on me!
it's none of your gd business!)
so. by now you would think I'm only pointing the finger at repub/conservitives.
but here's where the other side ie lib/dems do the same thing
4) hate crimes.
doubles the jail time. nice idea.
if I say the "n" word while in a fight with an "aa" I get extra jail time and loads of "street cred". if I say "honkey", "cracker", "redneck", "p****rwood" while fighting with a "pale guy"...nothing.
5)tobacco, alcohol, fried foods, sex, red meat, firearms, homosexuality, ice cream, gasoline, chocolate, coffee, hunting, caffeine, the internet, pets, ...
all of these things have had legislation trying to ban or add "sin taxes" to them.
most of them already have extra "sin" taxes. and most have a lobby against them.
none of them is illegal!
NONE OF THESE THINGS ARE ILLEGAL!
6) john ringo has a great article/commentary in the back of his book "yellow eyes". (great series. if you like military sf why haven't you read his stuff yet?)
while I may not agree with all of it he makes some great comments on non-elected people who want to make legislation on us. (like europeans trying to put u.s. troops under foreign law)
so.
theres loads of people out there who want to decide for us how we live.
and there's loads of people out there who want the power to do whatever they want, to us. and if we don't agree we are anti-american, or terrorists, or fascist, or sexist, or racist and just overall bad people.
quote from firefly "they're holding to the notion... that they can make people better... I'm fixing to be naughty..."
so with that I'll step down from my soap box.
I'm gonna go have a cig, some coffee, maybe some ice-cream, and surf the net.
I'll just leave you with this song...
Big Brother
Oh big brother's got no heart.
when I get the chance im gonna kick 'im in the **s
...
big brother beware!
cause some of us do care.
and the wurm, and the wurm, and the wurm
will turn, will turn, will turn
...