So here we are in the 21st century, where it's possible to board a jet plane, fly over a vast ocean, and be sitting in a Paris bistro in a matter of hours, or land people, robots and port-a-potties on the moon or Mars; We can transplant hearts and kidneys; we could, if we chose to, construct cars that could run three hundred miles without using one gallon of gas. Yet (according to my newspaper), there are people walking around in our very midst, expressing the fear of having their babies born on June 6, 06, because the three sixes (666) represent to them the “mark of the beast.” Even more astonishing is that a newspaper would devote space to these true believers and their medieval religious superstitions. It would be interesting to know how many of them, worried about birthing babies on the “day of the beast,” actually voted for George W. Bush. And whether they would have any concern at all that U.S. marines are going around massacring men, women, children, and even babies, in their homes in Iraq. But that would probably be getting a little too real for them.
At any rate, here's yet another snapshot of our culture taken in these United States, as well as an indicator of the extent to which religious quackery has gotten a foothold here, all the way up to the highest offices of government. Only a few weeks ago, we were treated to the spectacle of the President of the United States (a self-avowed “Born Again Christian”) going into stuttering, stammering mode, with smoke issuing from his ears, as he tried to answer a reporter's question whether he believed in Armageddon as it is described in the Old Testament, since it had become widely known that he was anxious to drop nuclear bombs on Iran.
Recently thwarted in their plan to set off a nuclear device in the Nevada desert, which would have unleashed the biggest explosion in history, and sent up a ten-thousand foot radioactive cloud, the Bush Administration now proposes to outfit their Trident Submarine launched ICBMs with non-nuclear warheads, the idea being that we would then have the capability of striking any city on earth in less time than it takes to watch an episode of 24, and we could do so without generating all that nasty old nuclear fallout. The problem, of course, is that the target country, or countries, watching the arc of the incoming on their radar screens, would have no idea whether it was nuclear or non-nuclear ordinance coming for them via Special Delivery, and with little or no time to finesse a decision about how to respond, would probably just slam their hands down on the nuclear button, and ask questions later, assuming anyone is left to ask questions or anyone else is left to answer them.
What possible motive could they have for wanting to do this, unless it would be to clarify for everyone on the planet who is in charge?
It's not the first time that so-called Christians with delusions of Christian righteousness have posed a threat to the rest of the world, but never before have they had such unrestrained power at their quivering fingertips. And never have so many either passively or aggressively backed them in their enterprise.
From this moment forward, the rest of the world should be put on notice: first of all, by any standard of reasonable, rational behavior, the people who are in charge of this country, my country, are insane, and ought to be locked up, or at least restrained in some way. Specifically, they are psychopaths. Meaning they are indifferent to the consequences of their actions, devoid of any concern for the welfare of other humans on the planet. Second, the legislative body, the Congress of the United States, which is supposed to furnish protections against lunatics in the Executive branch, is completely dysfunctional.
In other words, there's no one here who is thinking rationally, who is minding the store.
Other countries in the world should be absolutely clear about what this means, for their survival could depend on it. Because basically, it means that whatever these people can dream up, whatever they can imagine, you can just about be certain they will try it out, and it appears that nothing and no one will deter them from trying it.
Thus, if they decide to blow something up, chances are, no one will stop them. If they want to invade a country, no one will object too strenuously. If they want to fire off ICBMs at Iran or Iraq or North Korea or Nevada or Paris, France, they will figure out a way to do it.
Again, our Congress is currently sitting down. They show little to no signs of life. The President has announced to their collective sheepish face that he is breaking certain laws and that he intends to break others. The esteemed members of the House and Senate, having enriched themselves for so long at the corporate trough, have apparently decided that is sufficient, and that therefore actually doing their jobs is an unnecessary inconvenience. So, they appear altogether satisfied, if not entirely content, with this new arrangement.
The point is, if Bush and these other lunatics are to be stopped, better not count on it happening here. It is therefore incumbent upon the rest of the world community to intervene, if possible. Indeed, it could prove essential to their health and safety to do so.
How should it be done? I recommend some kind of collective action on the part of other nations. Simple ostracism, public shaming, are good places to start, although Bush and his gang have shown no indication that shaming actually works. However, it seems to me that all nations composed of decent citizens having respect for democracy, for the rule of law, or just possessing a modicum of self-respect, ought to be telling Bush and his crew to stay the hell out of their countries until the U.S. can conduct itself as a civilized participant in the world community. "Don't call us, we'll call you."
Next, enforce the law. Call the World Court into session and try the entire Bush cabal for war crimes—in absentia, if necessary. Make it impossible for them to travel outside this country, under threat of being arrested and jailed, as the criminals they are.
Oh. . . I wouldn't wait too long, if I were you.
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