Friday, July 14, 2006

Here's a history lesson from the late-great Thomas Paine, from "Common Sense":
THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.
"Summer soldier" today are all the chicken-littles that send our youth to war and yet dodged service when they should've likewise served.

"Sunshine patriot" today are all the ignorant, rah-rah-we-love-the-USA dopes that listen to Sean Hannity for "truth". Real patriots that truly care call out what's wrong and stay informed; dissent can be good (OUR FOUNDING FATHERS WERE DISSENTERS!!! DISSENTING FROM ENGLAND!!!).

"Tyranny...is not easily conquered": one can look at Iraq in that way, although Iraq was not a tyrant to us, not 9/11 involved, and if we're going to purge all tyranny why didn't we bomb North Korea after they blasted off seven missiles? But I choose to look at tyranny within our own borders, as we speak (e.g. labeling those who dissent as traitors, president ignores over 750 laws on the books, illegal wiretappings, outing covert CIA agents as payback, blacking out and editing government documents, using torture in violation of international agreements, selling our legislative process to highest bidders (energy, pharma) -- it goes on and on).

Yes, the wingnuts can continue to hope that Iraq will be a glorious victory, but in meantime what's much more certain is history will not treat GW kindly, and that our Founding Fathers are spinning in their graves like rotisserie chickens.

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