hope that i get old before i die…

bush commutes “scooter” libby’s jail term. as if it wasn’t bad enough that libby has been convicted of obstruction of justice for his role in the CIA leak scandal, now president bush has seen fit to spare him the penalty that was handed down by our court system. ok, except for the big fine libby has to pay. big fucking deal. as if being connected to such rich and powerful friends is going to prevent libby from raising the necessary money to pay that fine or something.

but this is just another example of how bush & company feel that they are above the law when it comes to dealing with the agenda they have for their own power. on this day when we celebrate the document that said that government should not be run by tyrants and the people have the right to change that government as they see fit, it is sad that these stories are largely going unnoticed by the average american public.

this current administration has overstepped their bounds on a daily basis, and yet the speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, has already said that impeachment is off the table in regards to anything bush/cheney may or may not have done. excuse me, but isn’t impeachment one of the things that is supposed to provide a check to the power of the executive branch? and when you have an executive branch that is constantly abusing its power, isn’t it a good idea to at least leave open the idea that abuse of power should be punished? obviously not, since any abuse of power will just be met with a presidential pardon anyway.

so on this 4th of july, i will be celebrating with some friends, and doing my absolute best not to think about how our country has been co-opted by a bunch of evil power hungry assholes who only care about themselves and not the people and the laws they are sworn to protect and uphold. happy 231st birthday, america. may you live to see 232….

i went to see this film tonight and it is unbelievable the way that america treats its citizens, and how the american way seems to have turned into “every man for himself”. i won’t go into any spoilers in this post, so if you still plan on seeing this movie, feel free to continue reading

all in all, i think moore did a very good job at pointing out the shortcomings of the health system in america. on the other hand, i don’t think a lot of the footage that he staged would have gone the way it did if he hadn’t staged it. once you watch the movie you should get an idea of what i’m talking about here, suffice to say that i doubt a non-celebrity could get away with the things that he does. there were also some moments of “clever editing” but then, this *is* a michael moore film after all…

coming out of the movie it becomes incredibly apparent that having a shitty health care system seems to be part of the american experience. just talking to a couple people after the movie made me realize that we have *all* had our fair share of problems trying to get medical treatment of some sort. to paraphrase one of the canadians in the movie (and giving a sort of spoiler but not really), he was referring to the suggestion that maybe someone who didn’t pay into the system doesn’t deserve free service. and he replied “we take care of each other. it’s just the right thing to do”. it’s outrageous to realize that this simple sentiment does not make its way into the greater society of the US. not just evidenced by the health care industry but even in the reaction to the victims of katrina. as if the ones who are suffering have somehow brought this fate upon themselves.

so far in fiscal year 2007 we have spent $439 billion on our defense budget. if even 1% of that was taken away, we would STILL outspend the next 10 countries of the world, and we’d have an extra $4.4 billion to throw around on projects that might contribute to the wellness of our citizens. instead we get attack ads and spin from politicians who are solidly in the pockets of the health care lobby. as i said before, this democracy is up for sale to the highest bidder. and unfortunately, the highest bidder is also the one calling the shots…..