What
a splendid example we were given this week of how the Bushies totally control
how most of the people in this country think and react. The French government
said, "non" to preemptive war;
Bush stamped his feet, called for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and
turned red.
The media immediately began to let loose a massive
dump on the French people, their products, their courage and their country.
Hell, we would expect that of Republicans -- that's their constant reaction
to anyone or anything that won't let them have their own way.
But prominent, and not so, Democrats
joined in with the press and Republicans to crap all over France. It was
like watching dominos fall over. Bush
stomps his foot, the media follows suit and voila! The people respond like
sheep. Even Paul Begala on Crossfire joined in and he should have known
better.
Why are we so outraged? We aren't French. We don't
even know anyone from France. We make our own wine and our cooking would
probably choke a horse. But we do know some history. We know who came to
our fledgling country's rescue in 1777. We know about the Marquis de Lafayette.
We know the meaning of some French words like
"Liberte, Equalite et Fraternite." We know the significance
of Bastille Day. We also know that it wasn't the French people that surrendered
France to the Germans, it was their government. The courage of the French
common woman and man as they risked their lives assisting the allies was
fantastic.
Hey, and don't most Americans get pissed when
we read a newspaper or hear a broadcast saying that Americans want to go
to war for oil? Or Americans want a preemptive strike? Or that Americans
have a cowboy and gun mentality? Of course we do.
We know that's all the Bushies agenda -- not ours.
Look at us today, February 15, 2003! We are out there on the streets protesting
what the Bushies are planning to do in Iraq. We abhor the idea of preemptive
war. We want the inspections to continue. We don't want to kill Iraqi people.
So, the French government is holding out for
continuing inspections instead of tucking its tail between its legs and
sniffing the Bush tush? We should be clapping and cheering them
and to hell with what the Bushie media says.
Think
back to shortly after Bush took office [read: stole office]. He
rebuffed just about every treaty and obligation our country had with Europe/NATO.
He declared that we would "go it alone" and didn't need them.
Then 9/11 happened and he got into his plane and
skedaddled like a frightened puppy. When it seemed safe, he returned to
D.C. and did a one-eighty on foreign policy. Suddenly everyone in this
country that didn't agree with everything he said was unpatriotic.
And every nation that did not follow him unthinking
was condemned and very likely called evil. Now Bush gets petulant and heaps
vilification on France for not going along with his war games. Enough
already, America! We are not sheep, we
are not babies, we are human beings. Let's try acting like it.
twanda@twanda.org
2003-007
Copyright
2003 Renee T. Louise and Ruth M. Sprague, Ph.D. These articles may be republished
for noncommercial use only, provided that they are copied intact, and that
this copyright notice is attached. Address all queries to: twanda@twanda.org.
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