Author: R J Adams

Whose idea was it to run presidential political nominations over the Christmas holidays? Isn’t it supposed to be a time of “Goodwill to all Men”, and “Peace on Earth”?

How can that be when every news broadcast throughout the nation carries footage of the dross they’ve dredged up as presidential-hopefuls, and paraded like some old has-been’s Ugly Parade, with the grand prize – to live four years in an overly-large mansion and f**k-up even more of the world?

As an observer of American politics these five years – and one with no affiliated axe to grind – the whole concept of party nominations just leaves a nasty taste in the mouth.

It’s nothing more than an ego competition. Those with the least controlling egos are rapidly relegated to the back rows, leaving grossly swollen-headed egomaniacs, with equally inflated bank accounts, vying for the prime position.

You don’t have to be an alien sitting on the moon with a spyglass to work out that the only candidate with any degree of honesty and integrity probably only has it because he’s still politically wet behind the ears.

Yet, out of the top three from each party, he is undoubtedly the finest choice – for exactly that reason.

Why is that the case? Because a lifetime of experience in politics anywhere, except perhaps a banana republic, should produce Statesmen of quality, integrity, and honor.

There is not one Statesman (or woman) among the topmost runners for the presidential nomination; not one iota of statesmanlike quality, neither integrity nor honor, emanates from any one of them. Each is blatantly concerned only with their own success, showing only ‘cupboard love’ for those needed to raise them into power, to be tossed aside as garbage once the counts are finally in, in November 2008.

The prime candidates are already well out of the race. Those who show even a modicum of sensitivity, humanity, and common sense have all fallen, or been pushed over, at the first fence. There is no room in American politics for such as they. God forbid a president should be chosen who refused to bomb Iran for wanting what America has had for sixty years – the ability to run its own nuclear power stations without reliance on outside sources. God forbid the next president should offer the helping hand of friendship to other nations, rather than phosphorus bombs and exploding bullets. God forbid the next president might insist on abiding by the Geneva Conventions, rather than secret CIA prisons and waterboarding.

Don’t be alarmed, America. God will forbid it.

The next President of the United States will continue to utilize phosphorus bombs and exploding bullets. He, or she, will ignore the Geneva Conventions when it suits, and those secret prisons will remain for when waterboarding is deemed necessary.

There will, however, be a noticeable difference between the present incumbent and the next one. Such matters will be dealt with less blatantly, virtually without public knowledge; just as they were before George W Bush took over the reins in 2000.

America will feel better. What the eye doesn’t see, and the ear doesn’t hear, the hearts will not grieve over.

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men?

Not a snowball’s chance in Hell.

God will forbid it.

Filed under: Death of democracy

It’s not often Sparrow Chat has much to say that is good about the United States of America. While many of its people are warm-hearted, caring individuals, the nation as a whole has developed a plethora of undesirable habits, and shown a capability for inhumane behavior that stretches back way beyond the vagaries of the present Administration.

Just occasionally, however, instead of continually slipping backwards down the tall, steep, ladder that does eventually lead up to the far-distant objective known as “Civilization”, America manages to make one fumbling step in the right direction, raising hopes that one day – probably far distant – it may just make it all the way to the top.

Today, America – or, at least, that bit of it known as New Jersey – took one of those fumbling steps.

Congratulations to the State of New Jersey.

Today, the State of New Jersey joined North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Rhode Island, Hawaii and Alaska, as another state to have finally evolved out of the slime of legalized murder, and onto the verdant shores of “Humanityville”.

Nevertheless, any sense of finality should be tempered with a degree of caution. Flip-flopping over the death penalty, often at the whim of current governors, has become something of a pastime in America over the years.

Oddly, those who cry out most vehemently against abolition are the Christian far-right. Only this evening a New Jersey resident, when asked for his opinion, vigorously stated his support for capital punishment by announcing that he followed the Bible teaching, “Do unto others…..”. Fortunately, he failed to finish the quotation, thus saving himself from the embarrassment of looking totally stupid in front of three million NBC News viewers.

The question on everyone’s lips, then: will the rest of America follow New Jersey’s lead?

It’s highly unlikely.

Take the State of Texas as a prime example. The good people of Texas have much in common with the French revolutionaries when it comes to executions, though state law prevents public access, so the good ladies of Texas are denied the privilege of sitting knitting in the execution chamber – at least, at the time this article goes to press.

Texans are so imbued with the idea of capital punishment it probably ranks as the number one most effective means of population control in the state, outdoing chastity belts and religious abstinence. Abolition would remove four-fifths of Texans’ conversation, leaving only the price of beef and whether George W Bush should eventually be canonized.

So, while some states may follow in the footsteps of New Jersey, it’ll likely be a cold day in Hell before Texas gives up its all-time favorite hobby.

Filed under: Death row tears

It’s official.

FIVE MILLION CHILDREN ARE NOW ORPHANED AS A RESULT OF BUSH’S IRAQ WAR.

That’s the figure admitted by the Iraq government, even though the actual figure is much higher as some children who lose both parents are taken in by relatives and never registered.

I wonder how many US news media channels are prepared to broadcast that tit-bit to the world?

Consider this: if there are five million children who have lost both parents to the war, how many dead parents does that represent?

To all those Americans who supported the war, and who voted George Bush and his band of war criminals back into office in 2004, the question that must be asked is:

HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT?

^{Thanks to Richard at TOB for the link.}

Read more HERE.

Filed under: US warcrimes