Because You Asked

Ahh, where to start.

First, after years of being a relatively user friendly place, MySpace inexplicably morphs into a nightmarish headache of neon gibberish. And thus, many who used it for actual social interaction through blogs, messaging, and so on are left in the lurch. Coincidentally? Oh God, do we really need another conspiracy theory? But, alas, Rupert Murdoch actually owns the place, and one wonders if for some reason he wished to halt all intelligent interaction on it. Whether or not that was his intention, that is the result. A small thing, except that it successfully interrupts the dialog of millions of people who use the site around the world for purposes other than selling grommets.  Political discourse included.

At the same time (mas o menos) the notorious (and indeed, at least in the U.S., nefarious) Julian Assange begins to release a virtual cornucopia of leaked U.S. State Department cables. Provided to him by an active member of the U.S. military. None of them important enough to be classified "top secret", or even whatever the next grade lower of secrecy is called. But embarrassing, and perhaps even game changing, in nature. Because they begin to paint a picture of an empire in decline, doing the best it can to continue to pull strings and influence events in spite of the fact that everyone, and I mean everyone, knows that its days of global dominance are numbered.

Did I ever mention that my favorite literary character was Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind? Because Ol' Rhett knew full well that the Confederacy was doomed from in front, in spite of all the bravado exhibited by its supporters, and acted accordingly.

Anyway, in typical blustery blundering Neo-Con American fashion, the Guv'ment reacted in such a way as to make an actual martyr out of Julian Assange. Smooth move. So now every malcontent teenager with a computer is throwing digital fireworks at places like PayPal and MasterCard. There is an entire anarchistic rebellion brewing that has much more to do with the U.S. reaction to the leaked cables (hang him, lock him up, flay him, and so on) than the cables themselves.

Even though the mainstream media in the United States continues to focus on other important things (Dancing With The Stars, Sarah Palin plugging a caribou, yabadayabada), around the world, this is getting some major coverage. Our media is tending to turn it into some kind of cartoon melodrama, with Assange cast as the villain. Globally, however, the actual content of the leaks (which have really just begun to come out... there are roughly 249,000 cables left to be released) is being examined, and it is causing a good deal of uproar.

The best place I've found to get good coverage, btw, is the Guardian in England.

It truly is a press freedom issue. What's amazing is watching an administration that lauded the importance of transparency in government do everything possible to fog up the window of transparency when the curtains are opened. 

Then, at the same time, you have Barack Obama negotiating with the Republican leadership (uhhh... hello! say the Dems in Congress.... we still exist!) and coming up with a tax bill that not only increases expenditures, but continues the Bush tax cuts at the same time. Another trillion in the hole. Ka-ching! It makes both parties look like the phony ass political storefronts for the Great Corporatocracy they are.

You have student riots in Great Britain, over tuition hikes. They scare the bejeezus outta Prince Charlie and his lovely bride on their way to the thea-tuh by rocking their limo. 40 of said students get their skulls cracked.

There are riots in Haiti over a phony election nobody buys into. And cholera spreading daily.

Meanwhile, there are allegations against Shell Oil, Pfizer, stories of collusion, coercion, subterfuge and political underhandedness.... coming in a slow drip like a leaky faucet in the middle of the night.

WikiLeaks has managed to overturn a stone of secrecy in the world of global governance, seen through the eyes of the actually competent U.S. diplomatic corps. And, quite simply, the bugs are scrambling to get out of the daylight. 

And then we still have two wars going, with no real end in sight, which means our voluntary military is stretched thin and unable to respond with much gusto to things like, say... North Korea slamming missiles into an island owned by South Korea. Instead, we posture a bit and say gee fellas, could you stop it please?



Meanwhile, here in the Good Ol' U.S. of A. (a place which I truly do love, in case you didn't know) unemployment remains way higher than even the figures show, and the figures ain't pretty. And we have a leader who seems all too willing to compromise with anybody, any time. On anything. In spite of the fact that he has written two best selling books, he needs to bring out Bill Clinton to explain why this new tax bill (which, yes, cuts taxes and raises spending) is such a brilliant idea. Because, of course, otherwise our fragile li'l ol' economy will tank. Obama uses The Economy like Bush used Terrorists. Be afraid. Very afraid. Trust us. We know what we're doing. And you, of course, are too friggin' stoo-pid to be burdened with anything resembling honest assessment, or God forbid actual input.

Ever since the Great Bloodless Coup of 2000, the actual will of the people has been deemed irrelevant at best.

People all over the world are getting fed up the the American Empire. Now personally, I think you have to be very careful in wishing for its demise, because what's likely to replace it is probably going to be worse.  But all vassal states (and many, many countries are historically essentially vassal states to the United States) come to loathe the empire that controls them. Even though that empire may have been basically beneficial to them in the long run.

Empires fall. Always. Not a single one has survived. We are no different. We will survive as a country, but not as an empire. Quite simply, the clock is running out.

The dialog among our leaders should be geared toward what kind of country we want to be after the inevitable fall of the empire. But, of course, almost everybody in government has a vested interest in the empire itself, and wishes to prop it up as long as possible.

The only question seems to be whether it will be dismantled in some semblance of order or come crashing down like the twin towers. And after that, what kind of country will we be?

One thing is for certain. Most of us will survive the decline and demise of the American Empire. The Roman Empire is long gone. But Italy is still there, as are the many other countries that made up the Roman Empire.

Sooo... do we want to be an open society, with freedom of expression? Or do we wish to be a closed society, where people are repressed and afraid to say what they really think?

If we all speak our minds, they can't shut us all up. But if we don't...