Combating Ennui

We are approaching another crossroad in the American experiment in democracy. The last chance to slow the momentum of the neo-conservatives controlling every facet of government is around the corner in November. Only a Democratic Congress can provide the oversight required to tame the Bush administration's reckless policies. It is not sheer negligence and incompetence that we must overcome, but a fundamental arrogance of power that is hell-bent on achieving its goals of establishing an American empire in the Middle East as the centerpiece of global domination based on oil. That's why we're in Iraq and threatening Iran; it has nothing to do with terrorism. If anything, these actions have increased the threat of terrorism worldwide. The fear-mongering will undoubtedly reach a fever pitch as the 5th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, combined with a crucial election nearing that could spell accountability.

An extremest right-wing ideology has become deeply rooted in our government, and it is not in the best interests of the country as a whole. Unfortunately, those in power really believe the rhetoric they recite, and apparently there is nothing we do can stop them. This has caused a deep cynicism to develop, amounting to a frustration that simply cannot be soothed by conventional or even unconventional means, outside of impeachment. When our right to vote is jeopardized by outright intimidation combined with unreliable and hackable electronic voting, the people become powerless to effect necessary change. Transparency in the election system is absent, and we can't be sure our vote truly counts anymore. For instance, Ohio's votes in the last Presidential election have still not been fully counted or audited, and the announced results have never been verified.

Federal law allows, but doesn't require, the destruction of federal ballots 22 months after election day. Florida, in an appropriate example, chose to house the 2000 ballots in a museum, after the press counted them and found that Al Gore would have won a full recount. As of Sept. 3rd, though, the state of Ohio can legally discard all the ballots from 2004 if it chooses, and Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell, chairman of George Bush's re-election committee in Ohio, is poised to destroy all the evidence that might expose any malfeasance. Once this happens, the coup will be complete, if it isn't already. We aren't expecting to overturn the results at this late date anyway; we just want to prevent these problems from recurring in the future. Thankfully, a last minute reprieve has rescued the will of the people for a few precious months; at least until a lawsuit can be settled (or the current election is over). That Blackwell is actually on the ballot as the Republican candidate for governor this year while still managing the election is a perfect example of the conflicts of interest that have become commonplace.

It will be hard to carry on against this juggernaut, but the Democrats still have a chance if they are careful to scrutinize the vote this time, and are willing to expose the faults in the system when it malfunctions. The mainstream press must also perform its duty as a watchdog; though if it did, it would be the first time in nearly a decade that it has done so meaningfully. The decline can be traced to the Clinton impeachment farce leading into the 2000 election. We can't expect a corporate-controlled media to allow true democracy to flower, so we should brace ourselves for more dark years to come. Even if the Bush administration can somehow be stopped from implementing its plans, the destruction they have already perpetuated will haunt us for decades. Maybe a new Congress can begin rebuilding the country in the image the forefathers originally envisioned. Our hope lies there, and all we can do is reach for it again with all the confidence we can muster.


Sources:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0831-06.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0831-31.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0831-21.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0831-24.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0829-24.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0829-36.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0828-21.htm

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0828-20.htm