I think people in our day and time are fiercely disconnected from and largely oblivious to what's going on around us. Years ago, if the country were in the midst of a war, people would have been protesting it constantly and the nation would be in a state of extreme patriotism. The last time I can remember such an effort was directly after the events of 9/11. Now we still walk around, playing with our Crackberrys, sipping Starbucks, getting drunk, smoking weed, and largely going on with life as if there isn't a "war" going on.
And now, the stocks are rapidly declining, and we are seriously at the brink of another Depression. Because stocks are going down, people are selling like crazy which is only going to make things worse. There's a certain amount of panic spreading through Wall Street.
Let's not forget that while all of this is going on, President Bush is trying to bail just a few companies out by getting a $700 billion bailout plan passed. Yo, Mr. President! How about you spend some of YOUR salary money bailing out companies that are in no way directly related to you? And we are in a huge budget deficit. Bush, you started office with a freakin SURPLUS! That's right! Clinton had us with a surplus! And here you come putting an entire nation into debt. That must suck. And I wonder how it must feel to know you're taking food out of people's mouths to feed already better-than-well-off CEOs at companies when these very CEOs should be punished for their bad management!
Is it just me, or does this really just not make any damn sense?
I feel bad for whoever takes over office after Bush leaves, whether it be Obama or McCain, because they've got a HELL of a cleanup job to do. President Bush sailed in with an easy time. But he left us with shambles of what used to be a great country.
*Flashback*
It was one day early in my 8th grade year (so it was 2002). In my grammar school, we used to start our day with morning announcements and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Everyone was supposed to stand, put their hands on their hearts, and face the flag at the front of the room.
I had never really thought about what those words mean. I always just said them because that's what we were supposed to do and it had become a routine part of my day. But one day I said it and actually became aware of what I was saying:
I pledge allegiance, to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic*
for which it stands
one nation
under God
indivisible
with liberty, and justice for all.
of the United States of America
and to the republic*
for which it stands
one nation
under God
indivisible
with liberty, and justice for all.
Lies, lies, all goddamn lies.
Yes, I'm American. But I don't pledge allegiance to a damned flag or a country that can't seem to pledge allegiance to me simply because of the color of my skin. Liberty and justice for all. HA! There isn't liberty and justice for all. Sure, we can say whatever we want, and I reserve the right to talk SHIT about my country if I want because that's in my First Amendment rights, and I have the right to be dissatisfied with the way things are being run.
But I'll believe there's justice for all when we end racial profiling and bans on gay marriage and police brutality. I'll believe there's liberty when I feel like I have the freedom to control where my hard-earned tax money goes.
Until then, why would I say a pledge of allegiance to something I don't agree with?
*Note - It's been so long since I said the pledge of allegiance that when I tried typing it I actually did it wrong and didn't realize until much later that we say "republic", not "country".
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I hate paid advertisements. I used to love them. And now I hate them.
Yesterday I saw the most wonderful invention ever: a flat iron that would turn even the unruliest hair into silky, shiny, beautiful hair. I saw it with my own eyes! The guy even tested this flat iron on a black girl's hair so I KNEW it would work for me. My jaw was dropped through the whole commercial. And when they said you can try it out for only $14.99, I was hooked. I picked up my phone to call.
That's the thing, though. You can only try it for $14.99. I knew there had to be more to this deal.
So I checked it out online. And I found that the flat iron (plus another flat iron for free) could be mine...for three easy payments of $33.99. Yeah. So I'm paying $14.99 to try it and another 101.97 + tax+shipping&handling to keep it. I don't have that much money for a flat iron!
And boy, was I disappointed. I'm a hair product fiend, and I wanted that flat iron more than I've ever wanted any other hair styling product.
Misleading ass paid advertisement. Grrrr.
Yes, I'm American. But I don't pledge allegiance to a damned flag or a country that can't seem to pledge allegiance to me simply because of the color of my skin. Liberty and justice for all. HA! There isn't liberty and justice for all. Sure, we can say whatever we want, and I reserve the right to talk SHIT about my country if I want because that's in my First Amendment rights, and I have the right to be dissatisfied with the way things are being run.
But I'll believe there's justice for all when we end racial profiling and bans on gay marriage and police brutality. I'll believe there's liberty when I feel like I have the freedom to control where my hard-earned tax money goes.
Until then, why would I say a pledge of allegiance to something I don't agree with?
*Note - It's been so long since I said the pledge of allegiance that when I tried typing it I actually did it wrong and didn't realize until much later that we say "republic", not "country".
--------
I hate paid advertisements. I used to love them. And now I hate them.
Yesterday I saw the most wonderful invention ever: a flat iron that would turn even the unruliest hair into silky, shiny, beautiful hair. I saw it with my own eyes! The guy even tested this flat iron on a black girl's hair so I KNEW it would work for me. My jaw was dropped through the whole commercial. And when they said you can try it out for only $14.99, I was hooked. I picked up my phone to call.
That's the thing, though. You can only try it for $14.99. I knew there had to be more to this deal.
So I checked it out online. And I found that the flat iron (plus another flat iron for free) could be mine...for three easy payments of $33.99. Yeah. So I'm paying $14.99 to try it and another 101.97 + tax+shipping&handling to keep it. I don't have that much money for a flat iron!
And boy, was I disappointed. I'm a hair product fiend, and I wanted that flat iron more than I've ever wanted any other hair styling product.
Misleading ass paid advertisement. Grrrr.
3 comments:
That's why I'm still amazed that people think whoever takes over is just gonna *snap* thier fingers and wiggle thier nose genie style and make life better...fuck outta here!
it's only when I play Call of duty 4 that I realize like "damn, there's mufuckas really livin this shit I'm playin..." and that's crazy cause I'm in the navy.
whoa
didn't you ask for a refund?
tough luck on the economy indeed
that's why your upcoming election is crucial
god bless the american people on choosing the right leader
@ andre - Wow you're in the navy? That's so cool... and yeah, in the midst of these ads where candidates do nothing but slander each other, we forget about the real issues sometimes.
@ raft3r - I got my tax refund, but I didn't get the incentive because I was claimed as a dependent on someone else's taxes. This upcoming election is going to be crazy.
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