Barbarism Begins At Home

KE wanted me to say something about Bob Denver's death.

OK. Bob Denver's dead.

Sorry man, but I couldn't. I started to write a great little bit about Bush appointing someone to replace Gilligan, because of how important it was to Ammurrika, and how we needed to replace him as soon as possible and how this pointed out Bush's ability to act expeditiously when he fuckin gives a shit.

It even included a nasty and hilarious comment about his mother, the callous old hag.

Trust me. It would have been fuckin hilarious.


But every time I tried to get it out of the gate, I would run across something ghastly about the disaster in America.

Like the widespread meme that the victims deserved it because they're black.

Like the disastrous management abilities of George Bush's FEMA. And the republican complicity in gutting a Federal organization that was the model of effectiveness and efficiency under Clinton.

Like how federal aid seems to be right around the corner to repair poor deprived Trent fuckin Lott's front porch.

Like Gay Rick Santorum, a Compassionate Conservative, not only blaming people who lost everything in the disaster, but wants to fine them also.

Like Halliburton being tapped to start reconstruction. But, of course, they'll be starting with the fuckin refineries and oil shipping capabilities.

Like FEMA stranding a hospital ship offshore (which also had the capabilities to produce drinking water) off shore and keeping it idle. STILL IS.

Like GWB petulantly insisting upon his precious vacation while the emergency loomed and struck; literally playing guitar while New Orleans drowned; as well as partying down with his buddy John "Rove's Bitch" McCain and enjoying a bit of cake.

Like our Real President acting more presidential than our Dear Leader.

Like some greedy corporate shill telling us why destruction of all that terrible poor property is a good thing, and rebuilding should just avoid allowing any of those bad people in at all.

Like one of our elected officials telling us we probably shouldn't rebuild at all.

Like religious fascists claiming that the storm was God's retribution for gays, or abortion, or uppity wimmin and blacks, or farting in church, or whatever other favorite moral failing; conveniently omitting such things as greed, war, racism, bigotry, or other traits of God's Own Party.


I don't even feel like linking to most of this stuff; you've either been paying attention or you've been watching Fox and listening to Limbaugh.

In a way, it's refreshing to see the real face of the modern Republican party and what it stands for: It stands for negligence toward all unprivileged Americans; it stands for massive benefits and giveaways to bloated corporations and their favored donors, while the rest of the country suffers stagnating wages and increasing unemployment; it stands for the destruction of America's resources if there's a half buck to be made; it stands for playing on people's fears and biases to remain in power; it stands for power by any means and if you're powerless, than fuck right the fuck off.


I really am not in the mood to hear about moderate conservatives and how reasonable they are; these are the ones that enabled the Republicans twice; all of the tewwible, tewwible things that would have happened had Democrats been in power would cost less than one half the monetary cost, and one tenth the human cost, of this single massive debacle that is wholly attributable to the administration's ineptitude, shortsightedness, and greed.


So. Sorry, Bob, others have been more eloquent in their memories, but I can't do it right now; between a vicious, frothing rage at the delirious imbeciles who had it in their power to prevent much of the tragedy, and total, helpless sorrow over what's been lost so far, and what we'll find has been lost, I can't find a way to put something down about Maynard G. Krebs.

Bob Denver rests peacefully, I'm sure, surrounded by his family and their love. It would be a beginning to be able to confidently say the same about the uncounted thousands in the South.