From the Department of Stalled Evolution

This kind of Draconian carp (well, I meant "crap," but I kinda like the sound of carp) does not make The Band proud of our fair state.

From correspondence with cdoa:

This: "what are we all really doing? i mean it. how are we allowing this shmuck to represent, rule, run, operate, drive, lead (?) this country? ...."

"We" would be the operative term, here, imo. I've had this debate with myself and with others -- have found that, with others, there tend to be three "camps" the ever-maddening group of people who (think they) have strong, passionate "beliefs" -- call it patriotism, call it jingo-ism, call it "my-country/religion/faith/opinion-right-or-wrong" -- I use the apostrophes around the word "belief" there because this type of blind acceptance doesn't reach the bar of what I would consider belief -- a sound opinion, based on some factual foundation. It's like the creationists believing that evolution shouldn't be taught because it conflicts with their meta-programming and, as the woman on the NPR "Religion and the Public Schools" profile said, "It's the Bible, and the Bible is God's word," followed by the nervous laughter of the speaker -- it's almost as if they know they're nuts. I swear. Change the term to "intelligent design" -- yeah, that'll make the rationalists/scientists happy......~sheesh~......Anyway, that's Camp #1, they're hopeless, imo -- the same group of people who object to posting "The Vagina Monologues" on a marquis........makes me want to drop everything and write "The Penis Prophecies" right now, just to see if anyone would object to that. Also the same group who felt that Clinton should have been impeached, based on his horn-dog issues. Whatever. Camp #2 consists of people who couldn't give a shit, one way or another, but who mask their apathy as easy-going -- the "it-doesn't-affect-my-life" crowd -- same people who haven't or are incapable of realizing that 9/11 wasn't just some tragedy in NYC, but has affected our whole nation. You, my dear, I would guess are a member of Camp #3 (maybe not, but you are decidedly *not* a member of camps 1 or 2) -- the true patriots, the real Americans who, imo, descended from the founding fathers -- us folks who truly do love our country, and who take it -- dare I say it? -- *personally* when our leaders and policies are an embarrassment to reason, fairness, justice. Strikes me as brutally ironic that those of us who really give a damn are the minority, living somewhat marginalized lives, alienated by the outdated and often draconic traditions of our culture. The so-called war on drugs. Equal rights for women, minorities, fathers, the handicapped, the mentally ill. We'll tolerate sick, evil, unproductive, polarized thinking in the form of survivalist groups, religious fanatics, right-wing fundamentalists, homophobes, bigots, anti-Semites -- all in the name of free speech. But we'll let our own unfortunate souls -- not to mention those less fortunate around the world -- to starve and freeze to death in broad daylight

It's the dark, dark downside of capitalism, I'm afraid. It works, though the traditional American dream died somewhere in the early '80's, I think. It works, but it has no place for the unfortunate, for those with limited opportunities, for anyone not cozy with lobbyists or big business. I've read lately that obesity is starting to (or already has -- I can't remember) overtaken tobacco as the leading cause of death in America. How stupid is that? Two things you can directly control -- both appetites, basically -- and we continue to let ourselves be victimized. You can be arrested for growing or possessing a couple plants, but you can buy cigarettes everywhere, and can likewise purchase and consume enough alcohol to kill yourself in one sitting. Like we pretty much *know* that cigs cause all kinds of health problems, up to and including eventual death, and that -- the further you move away from any natural, organic edible, the worse it is for you. But -- hey -- the game's on, so load up on salted snacks, processed meats and piss-water that some people like to call beer. Welcome to America.

There is some, not much at all, but some small consolation in knowing that utopias don't work, either. Nor do Communism, Socialism or anarchy, it seems.

I, for one, would rather have a salad.