What were we talkin' about???

From the online Webster’s dictionary:

fas·cism noun
Etymology: Italian fascismo, from fascio bundle, fasces, group, from Latin fascis bundle & fasces fasces
1 often capitalized : a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition2 : a tendency toward or actual exercise of strong autocratic or dictatorial control

It seems Republicans have a fondness for that term lately. Senator Rick Santorum [R-PA], Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, Vice President Cheney and even President Bush have used the expression in the past few weeks, calling terrorists ‘Islamic fascists.’

It’s a sound tactic.

By using the term ‘fascist’ to describe terror groups, they conjure up images of WWII German and Italian fascist groups and link the terrorists to an ideology regarded as repugnant to almost every American. They also link the war in Iraq to a (comparatively) just war to deter the aggressions of those countries. With the mid-term election only weeks away, they seem to have found a counter to the Democrats’ use of the war as justification for turning out Republicans from Congress.

I doubt the Democrats will have any sort of response. They seem lackluster at best and hopelessly disorganized at worst to mount any sort of challenge to the Republicans. The United States seems to be more and more a country with a one-party system.

Hmmm…that kind of resembles the definition of fascism, doesn’t it? Ah, the irony…

FOOD FASCISTS

I read about how the Chicago city council, after pressure exerted by animal rights activists, passed an ordinance banning foie gras in the city. It’s saddening to think that a few PETA terrorists can exert enough influence to force such an action. Truth be told, foie gras, to me at least, is disgusting. As are oysters, liver, squid and asparagus. But anybody who wants to should be able to eat them if they so choose. I’d gladly gag down some foie gras just to shove their nose in it if I lived in Chicago. What’s next? Cops at the city limits inspecting grocery bags for contraband?

What I see that’s truly disturbing in all this is how a very small, extremist group who happens to be very media savvy can dictate what their warped agenda to everybody else. If you want to be a vegetarian, God bless you and go right ahead. But don’t be little Hitlers telling everybody else what you want them to do.

When will it end? It’s one thing to advocate for more humane treatment of animals or protecting wild animals hunted for no good reason. But PETA has gone way, way overboard in seeking to inflict their views on everybody else. Will we soon be seeing local governments outlawing meat?

So here we go into the fall political season, and I’m wondering – does anybody truly care? So maybe the Democrats have the opportunity to take control of Congress back. Does anybody in the lot have even the slightest idea what they’d do with it? It seems to me the Democratic Party couldn’t break out of a wet paper bag right now. I’ve heard several in the party speak of a Democratic agenda. Really. Where do you suppose they're hiding it? This bunch doesn’t seem to have enough smarts or backbone to decide what snacks to serve at an informal brunch, much less an agenda for the whole country.

Which leaves us with the Republicans, who have an agenda. Problem is, theirs is so exclusive that unless you're a white male Protestant over 40, you're outta luck.

I keep thinking back to the elections in Iraq. How those people risked bullets and bombs to vote, how they held up their ink-stained fingers with pride. What are WE risking?

Given the amount of anger and disillusionment I sense, I’m wondering just how bad the turnout’s going to be. It’s a shame we have so little regard for ourselves, our children, our future, our planet. We lead, like it or not. By example or by screwing up, we lead. And regardless of how little faith you have in them, NOT to participate in the process dooms us all. Can you imagine the shock on every politician’s face in D.C. if 80 or 90 percent of the people took the time to vote in November? It would scare them shitless…

So on that first Tuesday in November, what will you decide to risk?

White Rabbit
I wrote this when I died…

I want to breathe,
drown,
sleep,
laugh.

I want to feast

or
starve

or
dangle off
the precipice.

I want to be blinded by sonorous darkness, know nothing but pain and torture.

I want to weep with joy,

cower in fear.

I want to scream - SCREAM! truth,
curse rusted skies.

I want to submerge myself in murky green,

feel its watery chill against my skin.

I want to worship your body,

pin

you to the ground,
fuck you till I hear you
shriek
my name in ecstasy.

I want to breathe you
in.
Want to
sweat,
want you
to
sweat
till great
drops
of
blood
shower
down
our
skin
and
wash

our sins away in a sea of crimson.

I want to feel air -cut off- from my lungs,

feel its burning,
feel tears heat my skin till it bursts
into
flame.

Want to feel my heart s l o w, know what those final seconds are like,
then pull back
from the edge
to
rejoin a warm summer day.

I want to run,

feel the
clouds
embrace
me,

fly through glass, feel its shards

pierce

my body.

I want to crush a beautiful-butterfly without remorse,

wander across hot coals. Or sands.

I want to push a dagger
into my chest,

smell the sweetness of the red rose.

I want to awaken from this dream’s
boundaries,
experience freedom, real

freedom,
not

this
pointless
pretense.

Then I want to wake up, wake up as nothing but pristine ashes


and rise