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So, what's wrong with that? After all, the Monster in Charge did send some rhetorical flowers to the Democrats...now that they are in the majority. He also made some...feeble...gestures in favor of some enormously important subjects, like global warming and...indirectly by favoring an increase in the minimum wage...to the subject of the increasing gap between rich and poor.

Yet, the main thrust of the speech was to support his new "plan" for "saving" Iraq, the "surge" of new cannon-fodder to that sad country. This is enormously unpopular with the American people. Almost no one believes that it will work. Young men and women will die before they have had a chance to really live their lives. But, the "decider" has decided and that, my fellow Americans, is that.

On the other hand, the "opposition" refuses to oppose...except, of course, rhetorically. Instead of actually using their power...as one of three "coequal" branches of government...to bring this fiasco to an end, they offer words of discouragement to the administration. As if THAT will have any effect!

But what about the rest of us? Why aren't we marching in the streets demanding an end to the really quite obvious collapse of morality, decency and common sense on the part of our elected officials?

We believe the answer is denial. Republicans have no trouble noting and complaining about the faults of the Democrats. Democrats are equally sage in recognizing the faults of the Republicans. The rest of us...independents and non-voters...a large majority, by the way...more or less see that there is a disease affecting both major parties, but we don't know what to do about it.

More importantly, ALL Americans...including the authors...desperately want to believe that our system is not broken, that the promises of democracy and freedom made by our founders is still intact and even growing. But, it is not. We want to believe that our leaders are not "crooks," not sold out to special interests...whoever puts the most money in their pockets...for elections and "incidentals." But they are. All of them.

Some of us...mainly bloggers who are not beholden to one or the other of the majors...try regularly to relight the flames of reason...our own as well as yours. We point out that the...now regular...arrests and convictions of various functionaries and corporate biggies is just the tip of the iceberg. Scooter Libby? A definite fall guy, a hapless victim of scapegoating. Enron? A bunch of bigger and richer fall guys, but just a distraction to keep us from noticing Halliburton and others suckling on the teats of "wartime funding."

The bitter truth is that one can not succeed in conventional politics without selling out big time. That is the main reason we are supporting a citizen...albeit a rich and famous citizen...Oprah Winfrey...as president of the United States. Since our quest is so quixotic, we are often accused of being merely bewitched fans, oblivious to the "obvious" that she "can not win." Far from being starry eyed fans...we don't even like her show!...we are merely trying to advance an alternative to JACWM (Just Another Corrupt White Man).

But what about Obama? Or Hillary? He ain't white and she ain't a man. Somehow, we don't see that replacing corrupt white men with equally corrupt black men or white women is any improvement, even an apprentice "criminal" like Barack. So, who's in denial?

ALL OF US! Time for a change...a REAL change.

Talk to you later...

To contact Willy or Gypsy and comment on what they have written...or anything else...write to willy@dreamagic.com or gypsy@dreamagic.com.

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