Now no one can say I never helped Bush while he was in the White House. There aren't words to describe how contemptible he and his administration are. There is nothing I can say that could adequately describe the damage I feel he's done to our nation and our world. The long term repercussions of his actions are overwhelming to consider - the amount of debt and ill will he's incurred that we'll have to deal with and then our children & grandchildren. You can read more about the CIA scandal at the Progressive magazine online.

There have been few things in my life that I've been passionate about, either for or against. Well I can thank the current gov't for one thing - they've given me something to be passionate about. If they hadn't taken power, it's possible I would have just continued on my apathetic path, bitching and moaning without actually doing anything. That's changed. I can't sit around and just watch this travesty continue. I feel like I have to do something, even if it doesn't seem terribly big to begin with. Just saying that they're a bunch of warmongering asses isn't enough anymore. They've aptly demonstrated behavior I *don't* want to see in the government of the country I choose to live in. Talk about contrast - I'm sure that we could have worse but I'm also sure as HELL we could have something better. I intend to work towards getting something better.

Maybe this is what America needed to wake up. Maybe we needed this monstrous slap in the face from these power hungry thieves so that we'd finally sit up and ask "What the hell is going on?". It's funny in a sad way - stuff like this goes on all the time in other countries (especially developing countries) and we just brush it off and say 'pooh pooh', it's their problem. Now, it's our problem. We have people in power who weren't legally elected and they've dragged our country into the shithole, without much protest from the majority of its citizens I might add.

Personally, I think we were just shocked and unbelieving that something like that could happen IN AMERICA!!! I think the first few years people were just having trouble getting their brains around what happened; walking around asking "Was that what I THOUGHT it was?!" I have to believe this. I refuse to believe that the American people have become so apathetic and lazy that what's happened doesn't matter to them.

I also have to believe that many of them are that lazy and apathetic. That they are so unthinking that they'll unquestioningly believe whatever the White House's media corps feeds them. Even though I don't believe there's a big media conspiracy, I do believe that many of today's media outlets follow the herd. There is little to no large scale reporting that consistently questions unless everyone else is also questioning. Not to say it never happens, just that it certainly isn't the norm. I mean - the media should be raising the questions - not just parroting them along with everyone else. Part of the job of the journalist (as I understand it) is to question decisions that are made and actions that are taken - to discover the motivations behind those decisions and actions.

Now it seems the big media is right there in the pig trough getting fed the same slop as the rest of us. I'm going to stop the lazy media rant now - I don't have lots more to say and I'm really no media expert so this is strictly my opinion.

Another observation I'll make about Bush: It's been said that people who are in power who are doing the best they can, who are under a great deal of strain and who are truly working in the service of their constituents age while they're in office. They get those lines of worry and care that we all get only more so because they're dealing with the cares of a nation. Even Clinton looked older when he left office and mention has been made of how Lincoln aged and Nixon didn't. Bush looks fine.

He doesn't look any older now than he did the day he took office. You'd think that the man who is (nominally) the leader of a country that went through the biggest farce of an election ever, suffered devastating terrorist attacks, began two unpopular wars/invasions, and is suffering in a downward spiral of economic repression/depression would look careworn and tired. He looks fresh as a daisy when I've seen him. He does have the frown wrinkle of concentration between his brows, but that's from trying to puzzle out what's been written down for him to read.

He's a bully - manipulative and sly - and he loves being the center of attention. Doesn't matter that it's negative attention, it's still something. Wow - what a guy.