americans know what their country is. perhaps they always did, but now they also know that the whole world knows they know.

could we have less talk from american liberals about american ideals? there is no restoration of honor possible to a country, for a country reflects the character of it's people, and the american majority have always been perfectly comfortable with dishonor. it began with "all men are created equal" from a slave holder. and everyone who stood between america and a 'bag of gold' has a clear idea of american honor. it is the honor of politicians who rule them, on behalf of rich men who got that way by merciless greed. even americans have sense enough not to let their own young people be alone with a politician, too bad they are not strong enough or smart enough to be equally protective of their nation.

now some poor driver is being passed through the 'legal process' designed to put a coat of powder on the face of power. even some of the legal participants show signs of distaste at their roles, but washing your hands after the fact is well known to be inefficacious in preserving a reputation.

let's hear much less about america's virtues, for they are superficial. the american reality is oppression abroad and at home, in service of the rich. it was designed that way and the design has been brilliantly successful.

russia does, and europe doesn't. so putin will get what he wants.

politicians have made the world the mess it is, they aren't going to fix it. the georgians have joined the iraqis as the latest meat in the latest sandwich. they'll have plenty of company soon.

perhaps if someone could explain why abkazia and southern ossetia couldn't endure being part of georgia, this particular problem could be resolved under 3rd party mediation. but america and russia seem unable to rise above 'us or them' diplomacy, and no one else seems interested. this is suicidal, for the human race.

nothing new there, of course. as long as affairs are controlled by 'maximum liders' of whatever title, nations will be consumed to satisfy the fantasies of whoever the 'lider' is. or the vice-lider in cheney's case, or the prime minister in putin's case.

but the people they lead are the same. if the american people had mastered the concept of the golden rule, they would have told their 'leader' to behave. dubya/cheney could kick a hole in the threadbare picture of american potency because the ordinary people were ignorant, prejudiced, and not over-bright.

so maybe gore or kerry would have got im similar trouble. no use saying 'if only' about the past, if you are unwilling to change the system that generated the disaster.

democracy is the solution. you haven't got it, and anyone who tells you the current system will work with a different face in the whitehouse is lying to you.

you build your home on a flood plain, you get flooded, and insurance is hard to come by. worse, you don't get any sympathy.

if you accept the premise that every politician has greasy ethics and many would sell their virgin daughter for a winning vote margin, then a nation that puts it's direction in the hands of politicians is playing russian roulette, and pulls the trigger every 4 years. you're never gonna get a philosopher king, and occasionally you get a nixon, or a johnson, or a reagan, or a bush, or a worse bush.

talk about dumb! dumb for doing it, dumber for never realizing the system guarantees frequent shit storms. it's not bush, people. it's the jerks who vote for pollies while knowing they can't be trusted alone with a minor child, much less a national treasury.

jerks? that would be you, not the politicians- they're laughing, you're crying.

the thinking would be more accurate: women didn't have freedom under saddam, they had privilege and license.

you have freedom when you have power.

when you don't have power, you may have privilege from those with power, or they may simply not care what you do. this is not freedom, as saddam can withhold what he has extended when he likes. so too can the masters of the militias now running the neighborhoods and villages of iraq.

to have real freedom, you must have power: membership in the ruling group. normally this ruling group is small, a few politicians, a few generals, a few plutocrats or corporation ceos.

for the general populace to have freedom, they must all participate in the exercise of power. this kind of society is called 'democracy'. there is only one: switzerland.

as long as you are content with privilege, you will be the servant of those whose favor you depend on. the american people are learning this lesson now, as the bush regime tears up the 'freedoms' of the constitution. i fear they are not getting the central point though, as the highest goal seems to be putting a different face on the throne.

well, there is. his name is mike gravel, his solution is democracy. you'd think he's be popular in a land that prates endlessly about 'democracy.'

but he's another voice in the wilderness, and american 'democracy' is anything but. even supposedly educated people like this lind-bot are committed to participating in the american oligarchy. it's pays better, no doubt.

if you participate in a bad system, and complain that the results are bad, you're either stupid, or a cynical hypocrite. lind isn't stupid, but i guess most are since they suffer from the system, but can see no relief but a replacement politician.