Sunday, July 6, 2008, would have been George W. Bush's 62nd birthday. He didn't live to see it.
In some parts of the country, Independence Day celebrations were still going on, marked by reverent memorial services to all those who perished in the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08', and punctuated by fabulous fireworks displays that had been put together with some celerity. Many communities had been celebrating the entire holiday weekend, anxious - or desperate - to refresh the American spirit and begin the dream of a new American way of life.
Some four months after the hurricane and earthquake struck both coasts of the U.S., the drudgery of search-and-rescue efforts, and the massive challenge of clean up and rebuilding, continued.
Millions of Americans were still grieving; millions more were involved in the humanitarian efforts to restore the nation. Millions more were going about their daily lives, especially in the heartland where O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings had been less instense, and the effects of the hurricane and eathquake had gone unfelt. Volunteers had streamed in from all parts of the country, and from other parts of the world. Everybody wanted to help. U.S. allies and enemies sent planes and boats filled with food and medicine. So many U.S. leaders would have been stunned by the thought of the world's richest nation needing assistance from nations less endowed. But that was part of Americans' problem: they never wanted to see themselves as part of the global community. They always saw themselves as superior, powerful, arrogant. Americans lived in $100,000 homes while much of the rest of the world lived in mud huts. Americans drove $60,000 gas-guzzling SUVs to work, parked them in the company parking lot, and drove home at night. Much of the rest of the world's workers rode bicycles to work. Americans would complain when they couldn't get a reservation at a five-star restaurant. Billions of people in the rest of the world might scavenge for food all day long and still go to bed hungry.
Few Americans were alive today who had suffered through the Great Depression of 1929. Back then, a new society of wealth and privilege had emerged as more and more people invested in the 'stock market'. The money flowed like manna from Heaven. Giddy with their new-found wealth, many believed the bubble would never burst. And, when it did, thousands of the nouveau riche' suddenly found themselves trading leveraged accounts for window ledges.
It took America twenty years and a world war to recover from October 29, 1929.
Now, sixty years later, the memories of those desperate days were replaced with a heady new consumerism that exploded
in full force. People were buying cars that cost more than their parents' first homes. Toys and gadgets filled store shelves, screaming at the shopper to "buy now, pay later". WalMart promised "low prices - everyday" on junk no one really needed - but "need" was exaggerated in a society fueled by its own superfluity. Color television sets, personal computers, cell phones and Blackberries all became - in their time - "necessities" of a society swimming in excess. "The Great Depression could never happen again," so-called 'experts' touted on TV shows and in financial newsletters. Then they went on to explain why such a financial catastrophe would never be repeated. Investment brokers, financial advisors, and bankers offered money management services to people who didn't know what to do with all their money. It was prudent to participate in 'wealth management' programs. A stock market or housing downslide was characterized as a "correction" in the marketplace. While a few more sober prophets warned about the impending bankruptcy of America, very few paid any attention. Just keep building up one's personal fortune, and that would protect them from becoming a homeless waif selling pencils on a street corner.
It was an incredulous house of cards, all based on an inherent faith in the government's ability to keep things from certain collapse. And the most prolific profligacy came from those who should have known best: politicians, bankers, stock brokers, lawyers, and financial planners. Drunk with power and money, they all knew the party would eventually end; but no one wanted to think about having to clean up the mess when the revelry returned to reality, and a fiscally-hungover nation finally sobered up. Like the college party girl who finds herself spread out on the bed and her clothes slung all over the floor, Americans might be waking up wondering why they smell like Old Spice and Brut, and their pussies hurt so much. Getting screwed is always fun until you pass out from all that gang gaiety; waking up with a massive headache, and vomit in your crotch, tends to ruin the illusion.
The people behind the Bush administration knew full well it was setting America up for another great economic disaster. But, it was all part of a sinister scenario: the pragmatic assumption could be made that Democrats would win the White House in 2008, and carry a majority in Congress. With Republicans out of office for the next eight years, the "depression" could be blamed on the Democrats, and return Republicans to power in the middle of the 21st century's second decade. Just as FDR and the Democrats has taken power away from Herbert Hoover because of his inability to harness the effects of the first depression, Republicans could wrest control for perhaps twenty years or more, just as the global environment was changing. By 2025, Republicans might be able to begin the achievement of their ultimate dream: a new world order with one central, all-powerful, global government. The one thing Republicans didn't plan on was the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08', a revolution which would revolutionize the American power structure, dismantle the corrupt two-party system, and put the people back in charge of their government.
In some parts of the country, Independence Day celebrations were still going on, marked by reverent memorial services to all those who perished in the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08', and punctuated by fabulous fireworks displays that had been put together with some celerity. Many communities had been celebrating the entire holiday weekend, anxious - or desperate - to refresh the American spirit and begin the dream of a new American way of life.
Some four months after the hurricane and earthquake struck both coasts of the U.S., the drudgery of search-and-rescue efforts, and the massive challenge of clean up and rebuilding, continued.
Millions of Americans were still grieving; millions more were involved in the humanitarian efforts to restore the nation. Millions more were going about their daily lives, especially in the heartland where O.U.T.R.A.G.E. bombings had been less instense, and the effects of the hurricane and eathquake had gone unfelt. Volunteers had streamed in from all parts of the country, and from other parts of the world. Everybody wanted to help. U.S. allies and enemies sent planes and boats filled with food and medicine. So many U.S. leaders would have been stunned by the thought of the world's richest nation needing assistance from nations less endowed. But that was part of Americans' problem: they never wanted to see themselves as part of the global community. They always saw themselves as superior, powerful, arrogant. Americans lived in $100,000 homes while much of the rest of the world lived in mud huts. Americans drove $60,000 gas-guzzling SUVs to work, parked them in the company parking lot, and drove home at night. Much of the rest of the world's workers rode bicycles to work. Americans would complain when they couldn't get a reservation at a five-star restaurant. Billions of people in the rest of the world might scavenge for food all day long and still go to bed hungry.
Few Americans were alive today who had suffered through the Great Depression of 1929. Back then, a new society of wealth and privilege had emerged as more and more people invested in the 'stock market'. The money flowed like manna from Heaven. Giddy with their new-found wealth, many believed the bubble would never burst. And, when it did, thousands of the nouveau riche' suddenly found themselves trading leveraged accounts for window ledges.
It took America twenty years and a world war to recover from October 29, 1929.
Now, sixty years later, the memories of those desperate days were replaced with a heady new consumerism that exploded
in full force. People were buying cars that cost more than their parents' first homes. Toys and gadgets filled store shelves, screaming at the shopper to "buy now, pay later". WalMart promised "low prices - everyday" on junk no one really needed - but "need" was exaggerated in a society fueled by its own superfluity. Color television sets, personal computers, cell phones and Blackberries all became - in their time - "necessities" of a society swimming in excess. "The Great Depression could never happen again," so-called 'experts' touted on TV shows and in financial newsletters. Then they went on to explain why such a financial catastrophe would never be repeated. Investment brokers, financial advisors, and bankers offered money management services to people who didn't know what to do with all their money. It was prudent to participate in 'wealth management' programs. A stock market or housing downslide was characterized as a "correction" in the marketplace. While a few more sober prophets warned about the impending bankruptcy of America, very few paid any attention. Just keep building up one's personal fortune, and that would protect them from becoming a homeless waif selling pencils on a street corner.
It was an incredulous house of cards, all based on an inherent faith in the government's ability to keep things from certain collapse. And the most prolific profligacy came from those who should have known best: politicians, bankers, stock brokers, lawyers, and financial planners. Drunk with power and money, they all knew the party would eventually end; but no one wanted to think about having to clean up the mess when the revelry returned to reality, and a fiscally-hungover nation finally sobered up. Like the college party girl who finds herself spread out on the bed and her clothes slung all over the floor, Americans might be waking up wondering why they smell like Old Spice and Brut, and their pussies hurt so much. Getting screwed is always fun until you pass out from all that gang gaiety; waking up with a massive headache, and vomit in your crotch, tends to ruin the illusion.
The people behind the Bush administration knew full well it was setting America up for another great economic disaster. But, it was all part of a sinister scenario: the pragmatic assumption could be made that Democrats would win the White House in 2008, and carry a majority in Congress. With Republicans out of office for the next eight years, the "depression" could be blamed on the Democrats, and return Republicans to power in the middle of the 21st century's second decade. Just as FDR and the Democrats has taken power away from Herbert Hoover because of his inability to harness the effects of the first depression, Republicans could wrest control for perhaps twenty years or more, just as the global environment was changing. By 2025, Republicans might be able to begin the achievement of their ultimate dream: a new world order with one central, all-powerful, global government. The one thing Republicans didn't plan on was the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. 'Rebellion of '08', a revolution which would revolutionize the American power structure, dismantle the corrupt two-party system, and put the people back in charge of their government.
posted by Bushwacker! at 6:07 AM
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