Fear

It has recently occured to me just how much the United States is dominated by fear. A fear which has been replaced by a security in superiority over the rest of the world. Let's use a historical example to illustrate my point.

Rome. Rome is quite possibly the greatest superpower in history. (The Egyptians, Third Reich, Napoleon's France, and Colonial England also can top the list.) They pretty much did whatever they wanted, killed who ever the wanted, raped, pillaged, and just generally told other people what to do. And who was going to argue with a sword? But eventually people got sick of it. And major corruption, politically and economically split the empire in two and eventually destroyed itself with its own arrogance.

See where I'm going with this? I see the States in a very similar way. And instead of the Colliseum, we have a never ending string of reality shows and game shows hosted by the nobodys of yesteryear - Wayne Brady, Joey Fatone, Drew Carey, and Howie Mandel. But I digress.

What is happening now is our period of downfall. We think we're still all that and a bag of chips but we're just... well... a bag of chips. And "Better Made" brand chips at that. It is easy to see political corruption with a government that has absolutely NO FUCKING CLUE what they are doing and a population that is continually being lied to and brainwashed. And our division as a country is not a physical one but it is very real. Red America and Blue America are two seperate worlds. And uniting now seems a very unlikely possibility. (Though "I'm a Uniter Not a Divider" might disagree. Asshole.) Economic disparity does not take an expert to notice in the United States. I have a father out of work and I notice it everyday.

So we return to fear. I think Bush is afraid out of his fucking mind. That is the reason he went into war in the first place. He can't stand a sense of a culture and people different than his own in the world that America somehow owns. I don't support a lot of fundamentalist Islams doctrines either but the really great thing is I don't have have to. I don't support most Christians ideas either. So what? They don't bother me. (Unless they tell me who to marry and what I can do with MY body. Then, yeah, we have issues.) I don't bother them. I go on with the rest of my life. But Bush is afraid of the "different" people with brown skin and funny clothes. "Not in MY world" the racist, close-minded bastard says, "Who's got a weapon?"

Absurd. Fucking absurd.

America needs to stop being so afraid. Because fear only produces vulnerability. And when you are vulnerable, you will do whatever the man in charge tells you to do. Why? Because the man in the white doctor coat knows more than you. So what if he's a pedophile and rapist.

There are other people in this world! We are no longer a superpower like we used to be and like so many before us were. So stop being so arrogant, stubborn, and just plain rude. I am NOT proud to be an American in THIS America. Take a lesson from England, Germany, France, and other former superpowers and just live your lives knowing that you are NOT the greatest person or country in the world and you DO NOT know the right and just way to do something. Because you aren't and you don't. Stop being afraid that the "others," that "they," are going to come into our cozy little home and change you. Whats so bad about change anyway if it does happen?

And for those that say we cannot face another chance of an attack like 9/11, you are just foolish. YOU CANNOT LIVE YOUR LIFE IN CONSTANT FEAR OF TOMORROW! The chances of you dying in a car crash are far greater than you being killed by a terrorist. And I see no reduction in driving. (Except maybe from high gas prices. Thanks again Dubya.) So wake up and live your life people.

I'm awake!