War Profits

I just read a press release from a group called, "The Center for Responsive Politics." They conducted a study and found that since the Iraqi war started in 2003, there has been a "dramatic shift" towards service men and women donating money to Democratic candidates instead of Republicans. Donations have gone up from 25% of total donations to over 40%, just between 2003 and today. Barak Obama has received more money than any other presidential candidate, of either party. And his proposal is the most radical. Obama is calling for an immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Military people and their families have represented the hard core of Bush supporters. It's naturally hard to accept that a loved one is fighting, killing and will potentially die in an unjust war. It's a hard, cold thing for anyone to accept. But this core of support for the administration is eroding away. Americans gave Bushie the benefit of the doubt and let him lead the way. The overwhelming majority of Americans now at least disagree with the entire premise of the Iraq war. You may have noticed that people are angry and resentful that they let a mediocre frat-boy college student manipulate them; an obnoxious son of a bitch who was born rich and has no scruples.

Is there anything lower than a war profiteer? And who has profited more from this war than Bush, Cheney and company? It's quite a la mode to criticize and attack our president. I don't know what people ever saw in him. I hang with a crowd (I'm so hip) that never liked the prick. His press conference yesterday was a feast for the senses. Maybe I'll write about it later, but I doubt it. I felt a duty to watch it, even though it was like sticking my cock in the toaster, or perhaps my tongue in a light socket. The point I'm making here is that listening to this president is like sticking something somethere where it painfully should not be. The Red Sox slide is a mild, almost quaint, concern compared to the fear and dread I feel when Bush starts talking about how we need the free market in health care. Or even better, that we need to balance the budget by cutting "entitlement" programs. But the war must continue fully-funded, while we all give up on the dream of safe bridges and roads, social welfare programs, equitable taxation, good public schools...you name it. Look at the breakdown of the cost here.

January 20, 2009.