rant #1) i had an argument with a republican today about iraq. the guy refused to accept even the slightest possibility that we were sending kids off to die there because of oil. what he said was that if we were really there for oil then we wouldn't be importing less oil from iraq now than we were before the war. i wonder if he got that from rush or o'reilly because it is just the kind of fatuous, myopic reasoning that frames most of the crap that comes out of their mouths every time they speak, and then i started to think about it and i realized that while the rushes of the world are pretty good at (mis-)using "facts" and "numbers" for their own vile purposes, we on the left don't always fully qualify or describe our assertions(basically because we are the type of people who know how to think for ourselves and therefore we just naturally assume that others have this same innate ability to at least understand the basic intellectual premises involved.)
we say the war is for oil but...
(more on the flip)
...what we need to explain is that that is not meant to be taken literally. we are not
actually going there to swipe the oil from under the sand and bring it back in barrels to the good 'ol us of a! rather we are there to
create instability in the middle east so that gas reaches $3 a gallon and beyond so the oil
companies get their moneys' worth from their campaign contributions. we are there so halliburton can get lucrative no-bid contracts. i guess i'm an idiot for taking certain things for granted such as when i say that we're there for oil the guy i'm arguing with has a fucking clue as to what i'm actually talking about, but seriously, how fucking stupid are these people!? how do you combat not just ignorance like that but
such an inability to think in the slightest bit abstractly!?
rant #2) i was listening to bush give his ridiculous speech "honoring the service" of the troops today. given that today marks the 2000th death i guess he had to do something, but here's an idea better than your little podium speech/photo op -- why don't you attend one of the numerous candle light vigils being held all across the country tomorrow? if you really want to honor the troops your lies have killed why don't you go and light a candle and pray with the people of this nation? pray to the god you think talks to you and tells you to invade countries and see if maybe he'll give you permission to get those young men and women THE FUCK OUT OF THERE so there won't be another 2000 dead bodies to light candles for you fucking dick