»» […] the same old corporations and profiteers making money from wars overseas… old money pulling the strings of Government… Even if Obama goes in with the best of intentions, he is only one guy against an age-old, well established machine […]
Well said! It’s a scientifically provable fact: the system is so tightly built and reinforced, the conservative inertia is so strong, that no matter who joins the government, no matter what they intend to do, their good intentions will hit a wall and will be annihilated in no time.

A Japanese dudette told me once about a young politician going around on a bicycle, through literal rain and storm, to meet people and talk to them, feel the pulse and shit like that. At my predictable “fuck ’em all” remark, she countered with “yeah, but he’s young, he wants change, he knows what people need; if he’ll make it, he’ll definitely do something good”. I could understand the hope she was having in a young person joining the government, but I had to pee-pee on her parade too, because, as soon as that young, lively politician becomes a member of the government, his opinions will be ignored and his vigor and enthusiasm will be swept away and drowned by the mass of (too) old politicians with bigger agendas, all his good intentions will meet a wall… eventually, he’ll become one of them, just another leech wasting our money and spending their time to think up new restrictions and ways to skin us alive.

They either toe the line and go with the program, or get pushed aside; there’s no other way. The government’s purpose is not to indulge every young man’s ideas of change; the government’s sole purpose is to keep the masses under control, no matter what it takes. That’s what the government has always been and will keep being forever.

Or as long as we allow it…

»» [...] we shall see won’t we?
I guess we will. As I said, I hope I’m just being paranoid and all this pessimism is unjustified…
It’s good to see there’s some optimism out there… although I’d be a lot happier if distrust and pessimism built up enough of a momentum to finally start those riots I’ve been dreaming about :)

I have a double-purpose bottle of good Italian wine put to ice just for this.
I’ll open it and celebrate the day every forecast I made proves to be wrong and Obama calls back all the troops and cuts down the mulct…
Or…
I’ll open it and celebrate the day people can’t stand all these fuck-ups anymore and rise against the Reich, break free from this plague and forever ban this thing called “government”.

Either way, I’ll be drinking and celebrating.

»» There are good times and there are bad times. We were through bad times; I think these are good times.
Somehow, you have your way with words that makes me feel a little optimistic again.

As for change: things do change. Think of the shit that’s gone down and what’s actually changed. Things have changed. Just sit some day and make a list.

This new govt in the US is something like four days old. Already we’ve seen:

- Gitmo will be closed down completely.
- CIA prisons in other countries – they’re gone.
- Family planning in Africa no longer bound by ‘gag’ rule.
- Patients (Michael J Fox) to get benefits of stem cell research by summer.

When Hillary addressed the people in the ‘State’ building local journalists described the event and the feeling to their British counterparts as ‘about time’ and the malaise infecting the entire city as ‘disgusting’. There’s a simple ‘reversal’ of things going on and it’s happening swiftly and that in itself is a positive thing.

Also already: a new set of ethics rules limiting lobbying (which is a disgusting thing to be honest). These rules affect the O-man as well. Also pay freezes for everyone at 1600 Pennsylvania. This cannot be but good.

Only 8 years minus four days to go. And then the GOP over there can take over again. And you know they’ll fight tooth and claw all along like they did against the Clintons. No trick too dirty to use. But I think it’s like Steinbeck said. And Obama said something similar. The good will win because they simply won’t give up.

And after eight years of that horseshit and ‘is our children learning’ it’s no surprise so many people were so down they couldn’t see which way was up. There are good times and there are bad times. We were through bad times; I think these are good times.

Try to find the guy who made the icon. He’s awesome!

Cheers.

Glad you like ’em!
“Ominous” is the word, definitely >:D Welcome to the DarkBlackGreyRedSexy Side :p
I’ve been trying to find a way to use this colour scheme on all my sites, to make them look more alike… Hopefully I’ll have more time to tweak them later on, but that’s it for now! I’m sick of HTML, I’ve got CSS oozing out of my ears :)

»» Me I’m optimistic. I’ve seen Obama do a number of things in the first few days that augur well. Now if this ‘change’ represents a long term change for the better is something we’ll just have to see.
Hey, I kinda envy you a little, I wish I could find some optimism left in here… And I wish so badly everything I said was wrong and there won’t be any chance for me to come later and annoy people with my “told you so”s… but I really doubt it :(

You’re right, time will tell. Hopefully, our lifetime.

»» I think the point is we the people must never give up. If we give up – then they have us. And we’re not going to let that happen.
You bet we won’t! A fire here, a fire there, just enough heat to remove the fucking leeches from our calves.

»» Hey – nice icon! Where did you get that?
Hehe, I know this guy… ;)

Thanks for the comment, Meister! Always a pleasure!

About television etc: it’s all about what’s in the Kool-Aid™ innit? Me I’m optimistic. I’ve seen Obama do a number of things in the first few days that augur well. Now if this ‘change’ represents a long term change for the better is something we’ll just have to see.

John Steinbeck was once asked if he thought good would ultimately triumph over evil. Yes it will, he said, because the good people simply will not give up. Today we received several bulletins from Amnesty asking us to sign a petition for Obama to close Gitmo, close down the CIA prisons in Europe, etc. Most of this he’s already done. So you wonder why they sent it out unless it was already on the boards.

I think the point is we the people must never give up. If we give up – then they have us. And we’re not going to let that happen.

Hey – nice icon! Where did you get that? ;)

Cheers.