Caesar Marches On Rome

Caesar is sacking Rome and the populace yawns. Or worse, applauds.

That is what is happening in America today. I would call it sad, except that it is more horrifying and desperate than that word suggest. Sad is how conservatives stop gays from marrying. Sad is the tax cuts for the rich. Sad is the blaming of immigrants for our problems.

No, the signing of the military tribunal bill Tuesday is not sad. It is the complete selling out of everything our so-called democracy stands for. It is the most frightening thing to happen in our country in my lifetime. And how are people reacting? Some have cheered, most have shrugged, but only a few have screamed out.

And besides Keith Olbermann, most of the mainstream media is eerily silent on the issue. What they are failing to get through to people is what has actually happened here. While the press did a bang up job of covering the so-called "revolt" by three GOP senators led by John McCain, who pretended to take on the president when what they really did was give him what he wanted.

There will be torture of suspects by our government. There will be no recognition of the Geneva Convention. And worst of all, the president can suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus, the very thing that protects innocent people from being imprisoned either by accident or for political purposes, for anyone he deems an "enemy combatant." With on stroke of the pen, the very foundation of our judicial system has been wiped away while the crowd applauded.

To my readers who voted for Bush (which is probably just my step-dad and that loony stop-immigration.org fascist): DO YOU FUCKING GET IT YET? Have you begun to understand with your tiny little jingoistic minds what is happening here? Do you see why we hate him? It is not because he's a stupid hick or a privileged rich kid who has had everything handed to him, though those were good enough reasons to vote against him. No it is because he is evil. While he was bribing you with you tax rebates and cutting taxes for the rich, and telling you it would be good for you, not just the rich, and distracting you with fake issues like gay marriage and immigration, he has been undermining the very democracy that he had been claiming to protect.

And for this, you like him?

Apparently the way he is going to bring democracy to Iraq, as he has stated he will do, is to give them ours. We don't seem to be using it anyway.

What we have is an unprecedented consolidation of powers to the office of the president, unchecked by Congress, creating, in effect, a dictator.

Just as Caesar took power by giving shallow gifts to the masses and distracting them with unnecessary wars to rally support, all while slowly dismantling the republic, our leader does the same. And like Rome, thousands cheer, bow at his feet and kiss his robe.

He claims to love us, when all he really loves is power and his self-perceived greatness.

A tragedy and a farce rolled into one.

I only hope Brutus shows up soon.