Giggity-gat! Can't Let the Terrorists Win (Again)

Yesterday I had the day from hell at work. Up against a deadline to get testing done against our 64 bit Oracle database, I had to do all of this in one day:

1. Resolve three separate technical issues in coordination with the system's vendor (not Oracle) by 3 PM to get a "go" decision at the "go-no go" decison point
2. Update the MS Project Plan governing the project
3. Update "Command Center" document (don't ask)
4. Meet twice with my upper management
5. Determine permission levels needed on two servers to be used in the production go-live
6. Go to Albemarle High School to get a form to allow my kids to attend Albemarle County Schools the coming up year

Everything got done, but I was left feeling drained by the end of it all. I ended up taking off from work at 4:30. There wasn't enough time to get anything else started or done, and I was really in no mood to try in any event.

I drove home, to Barboursville, and then immediately got changed into jeans, a t-shirt, and my fidel cap, gathered my SKS, loaded three 20 round clips, and then walked down to my brother's cottage to do some shooting.

He brought his AR-15 with two clips, and his .45 callibre Glock with two clips. We set up some targets against a hillside and proceeded to plunk away at them. God, to those who don't shoot, let me tell you something: There's nothing quite like shooting a powerful rifle repeatedly to drain away the day's stresses. Hippies can go ahead and insert phallic substitution joke here.

Whatever - it's really one of those subjects you can't intelligently comment on until you've tried it. Like parenthood or the military, you can read as much as you want about guns, gun ownership, and civil liberties but you can't truly know the subject until you yourself have done it. No ammount of reading will truly prepare you for parenthood or joining the military. In this case, you have to have owned a gun and shot it. Especially with rural gun ownership, there really is no debate in my mind about the nature of the civil liberty aspects or the essential goodness of it.

In short - suck it, hippies.

I'm also planning another expedition to the Rapidan Wildlife Management Area, this time on the weekend of 9-11. Possible attendees include me, my sister's boyfriend, a friend of his, my brother, and one to two friends of mine. In all likelihood we'll have to split up to not put too much pressure on the brook trout in any one stream.

Since the weekend is 9-11, I was thinking of getting a t-shirt custom made by my buddy Andy who runs the Black Cat Skate Shop in Charlottesville. They do custom t-shirts there. I was thinking of getting a Jack Kennedy graphic on the front, like this:

On the back of the shirt, it would say:

"Hey, terrorists! I banged all 72 of your 'virgins'...
Have fun with your Heavenly sloppy seconds."

Haha - because, you see - JFK is dead up there in Heaven with all of the virgins the martyrs are promised... ahhh, and ole Jack had a rep for being a ladies' man...

I think it's friggin' hi-larious.

Is it just me?

Here is my primary beef with Bush: The guy directly and obscenely contradicts himself, often in the same breath. He is intellectually dishonest and a hypocrite of the greatest magnitude.

Before I get any knee-jerk reactions to that last comment:

• No, I am not a major lefty Democrat. I voted Democrat this last election because the Republicans have screwed the pooch so badly these last 8 years and I felt I had to "vote the bums out."
• I have voted for Republicans in the past.
• I know many politicians will contradict themselves, but rarely do they do it so blatantly and in the same breath.
• Yes, I have specific examples to provide...

Just last night in Bush's Farewell Address he said the following (a verbatim quote):

And with strong allies at our side, we have taken the fight to the terrorists and those who support them. Afghanistan has gone from a nation where the Taliban harbored Al Qaeda and stoned women in the streets to a young democracy that is fighting terror and encouraging girls to go to school. Iraq has gone from a brutal dictatorship and a sworn enemy of America to an Arab democracy at the heart of the Middle East and a friend of the United States.

This was done by means of invasion and war. In both nations there have been innocent civilian casualties. No one knows for certain, but the lowest, most conservative estimates I can find on the Iraqi civilian death toll are in the 60,000-90,000 range (and those estimates are months old).

Now I understand that the enemy over there often fires RPGs and mortars from within homes of terrified civilians. I understand almost all of the combat is taking place in urban, close-quarter conditions. I do not in any way condemn our soldiers for doing a very hard job with exceptional professionalism and bravery. I place the blame squarely where it belongs: on the shoulders of the country's political leadership of which Bush is the Commander in Chief.

Not five minutes later in the very same speech Bush goes on to say (another direct quote from the transcripts):

As we address these challenges - and others we cannot foresee tonight - America must maintain our moral clarity. I have often spoken to you about good and evil. This has made some uncomfortable. But good and evil are present in this world, and between the two there can be no compromise. Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere. Freeing people from oppression and despair is eternally right. This nation must continue to speak out for justice and truth. We must always be willing to act in their defense and to advance the cause of peace.

So what exactly did we do by invading a nation like Iraq to advance the ideology of freedom? Was the cause of peace advanced through a war of choice? Did we not kill innocent civilians by the thousands? Is that not the inevitable and utterly predictable outcome of any war?

Afghanistan is different - they actually attacked us whereas Iraq did not attack us nor did they have the WMD that the Administration said they did. They willfully bent intelligence to sell this war in order to advance the ideology of freedom in the Middle East and killed thousands of everyday Iraqi citizens in the process. So, by Bush's own logic: "Murdering the innocent to advance an ideology is wrong every time, everywhere" is he not condemning the actions he himself ordered?

I fail to see how dropping a 500 lb bomb from miles in the air and killing civilians to promote the ideology of freedom is so different from a car bomb killing innocents to promote any other ideology. It is all murder by Bush's own logic. Meaning well doesn't make the families killed in either form of attack any less dead. It doesn't make the survivors mourn the loss of loved ones any less. It doesn't engender any less hate.

And this bit:

As we address these challenges - and others we cannot foresee tonight - America must maintain our moral clarity.

Moral clarity like Abu Ghraib? Moral clarity like Guantanamo? Moral clarity like secret prisons and renditions? Moral clarity like tapping the phones of your own citizens?

Regardless of where you come down on these issues you have to admit that they are morally murky at best. You have to admit that patriotic Americans of the best intentions and of all political stripes can have honest disagreements about the morality (and legality, for that matter) of the above actions undertaken by this Administration. That is the very antithesis of "moral clarity."

And if you are of the mindset that the "world is grey" (and I would tend to agree), and that moral clarity is at best elusive, then why would you make absolute statements like the ones Bush made in his speech? The contradictions and hypocrisy are built right in by his very own actions as President!

Patriots, None and All

Don't talk to me about patriotism. None of you. This coming from a man who is not the patriot he could be.

First of all, the word is tainted in the modern context. Patriotism is not a bumper sticker or a ribbon. It is not the hollow words "support the troops." It is not blind allegiance to the flag.

You may believe that you support the troops, but what have you really done but say the words? Did you buy a t-shirt or did you put a magnetic ribbon on your SUV?

That same gas-guzzling behemoth that ships your petro-dollars to Saudi Wahhabi princes who then use that money to fund terrorists? Good job, Patriot.

Do you pay attention to politics? Do you vote? Do you volunteer your time or money? What civic virtues do you believe in? Do you actually know which candidates hold those same values? Do you even know what a "civic virtue" is?

Or do you vote a single issue and listen to slanderous mischaracterizations and vote on who you "feel" would be the best candidate?

Are you so ignorant that you wouldn't even know how to answer many of the questions above?

Enough questions. Too many Americans are satisfied to be ignorant. From rednecks and gang-banging thugs to soccer moms to businessmen in suits; ignorant one and all. Fat, dumb, and happy.

Modern pop culture is an incredible force for stupidity and ignorance. The Paparazzi and the obsession of the moment makes us stupid via distraction. Brad and Angelina adopted another baby? Who fucking cares!? MTV has been turning our teens into idiots for over two decades now.

Millions expend their energy tracking the lives of the famous when they should spend that energy in a way which might actually benefit themselves or their community. Watch C-Span if you must be a voyeur of the famous. You might just learn something.

Patriotism is love of the American Dream, not the flag or a President. Patriotism is a burning fire whose fuel is blood and sweat. With that blood and sweat we purchase freedom and opportunity. It is in serving country and community that we sweat and bleed. Service is the coin of patriotism.

And so we're clear on this - unquestioning patriotism actually goes by another name altogether. It's called fascism and it's completely un-American.

If I have to hear one more able-bodied man under the age of 50 tell me about how he supports the troops and we should invade Iran I will just loose it. Go volunteer if that's the way you feel. They'll take you these days, believe me. Shut the fuck up and put your own ass on the line if you think we should start a war that would spread across the Middle East, because you can't have my kids.

I swear to God, if this war is going on by the time my son turns 18 I will murder anyone who tries to take him off to fight in that tragedy. I mean that - I will stab you in the eye if you try to take my babies to go fight in a petro-war started by a retarded addict from Crawford.

But these same chickenhawks won't volunteer themselves because they are cowards. They are scared all the time because they're ignorant and they believe the local newsman when he says that there's "something in your house waiting to kill your children!!!" So of course they believe the President and other high officials when they intimate that Iraq will detonate a nuclear bomb in America.

These same officials who got six deferments themselves during Vietnam now want to commit our soldiers to wars everywhere. Fucking hypocrites. Fucking cowards. That's what enrages me about these couch-potato commandos: they assume since I don't like Bush and I think Iraq was a mistake that I must be some hippy-dippy left wing pacifist.

And in case you were wondering - yes, I have served a stint in the military myself. I was lucky enough to serve in a time of relative peace and under a President who didn't casually squander the lives of the military. I have spent time behind a trigger in the name of America. Have you?

I am no pacifist, ladies and gentlemen. I own 4 guns and I have served my country. I hate the Grateful Dead and love punk, metal, and rock. There's not a damned thing pacifist or hippy about me. Those who truly know me think I'm a bit on the militant side, as a matter of fact.

I volunteer my time and money to the causes I believe in. I serve on my neighborhood's HOA Board, I volunteer for candidates I believe in, and I put my proverbial money where my mouth is.

I recycle, am energy-conscious, I walk or bike to work, and I instill these actions as values in my children. Because what's more patriotic than taking care of the environment we all share? What is more an intrinsic part of our national heritage than the actual physical nation we leave our children?

And I think I should be doing more.

Bumper Sticker Logic (Cooler War Ammo)

So many people will only grasp and retain "knowledge" if the idea or piece of "knowledge" can fit on a bumper sticker. A classic example of this is the pro-Bush, pro-Iraq, pro-Cowboy Diplomacy argument that goes:

"Well, if Bush is such an idiot then why haven't we been attacked again?"

You could also substitute in "If Iraq isn't a part of the War on Terror then why haven't we been attacked again?" It's essentially the same "argument" (throw in exaggerated air quotes around argument).

Here's the way you respond next time a hawk drops that on you at the water cooler:

1. Make sure they prepare themselves mentally for a response that will take longer than 10 seconds to explain. ("Now you know I'm going to have to talk for longer than ten seconds to explain this to you. Do you think you can handle that without screaming Clinton got a blowjob?")
2. Then tell them that Osama binLaden was a mujahadeen back during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. You may have to explain to them what a mujahadeen is.
3. Next explain that the Afghani mujahadeen bled the Soviets dry economically in Afghanistan, eventually causing the Soviet Union to collapse.
4. Then, go on to explain that 9/11 was a provocation, more or less. binLaden wanted to provoke America into a Middle Eastern war (in Afghanistan). Around this war he could declare another jihad and try to bleed America dry in the same way the Soviets were bled.
5. Unfortunately, the attack was much more successful than he could have imagined. It horrified the world and everyone united behind America. It appeared that his plan had backfired. America, with the aid and backing of the world, would invade Afghanistan. It would not be possible to bleed America dry when calls of jihad would be largely ignored by a horrified Muslim world. In addition to the lack of support binLaden would be getting, America would be assisted by everyone and wouldn't bear the burden of pacifying and rebuilding Afghanistan alone. There was no way the Taliban could protect al Qaeda now.
6. Then, Bush granted a wish binLaden could never have hoped for: he derailed the Afghanistan train and diverted America's resources to Iraq which not only allowed binLaden to evade capture in Afghanistan (a la Tora Bora), but squandered the goodwill of the Muslim world engendered by the horrors of 9/11. It also served to isolate America from her European allies. America would have to go it alone in Iraq.
7. Now America could be bled out in a protracted struggle against a low grade insurgency in Iraq... just like the Soviets were in the 80's in Afghanistan and just like the French were in the 50's and 60's in Algeria.

That's only seven points and it basically sums up the entire case against staying in Iraq. We fell for an old ploy which has destroyed other Western nations in the past.

We cannot afford Iraq. Period. Whatever your ideology we cannot afford it. No matter what you believe or don't believe about this war the simple fact is that we cannot sustain these expenditures much longer. It doesn't matter if you believe the seven points above, either.

Our. Sagging. Economy. Cannot. Afford. This. War.

If we do not begin withdrawing in short order our nation will sink into an economic depression like we've never seen before.

That's my ray of sunshine for the day.

State of the Union

My fellow Americans,

The state of the Union is not strong. As President of the United States of America I feel it is my duty to tell it to you straight. This country has been horribly mismanaged by a two-party system paralyzed by gridlock for far too long.

Corporate interests have pillaged our national heritage for the sake of the next quarter's profit statement. Manufacturing in America is something from an era gone by. Gone are the good middle class jobs that would afford a decent living to people with no college education. These jobs have gone overseas and the corporations who sent them overseas got tax incentives to do it.

The college education that is a necessity these days will cost you far more than it ever cost your parents, starting most graduates off in a state of debt from the moment they take their diploma. The average American family is hard pressed to send their children to college. This sets the stage for a less and less competitive and qualified American workforce in the future. This will put America at a severe disadvantage in the global marketplace.

These are not the only hardships the middle class faces. While all of the other industrialized Western nations have moved on to nationalized healthcare affording coverage to all of their citizens, America's healthcare system has become more expensive and slipped to a ranking of 37th, just behind Costa Rica. The threat of bankruptcy due to illness looms large over the heads of every American family.

After decades of underfunding, America, whose public education system used to be the envy of the world, now has a decrepit system where lower income students are at a severe disadvantage and every student is expected to learn with fewer and fewer resources.

All of these things go to undercut and weaken the middle class, which is the backbone of a strong America. The middle class has always fueled the American economy and with the middle class deteriorating can it be any surprise that America itself seems to be in decline?

The Recession of 2001 was a recession from which we never truly recovered. The "recovery" we experienced was largely fueled by rising housing prices which afforded consumers seemingly free money in the form of home equity loans. This meteoric rise in housing prices coupled with stagnant wages was an unsustainable trend and lead to the inevitable housing market correction we are seeing today.

The lack of regulation in the mortgage industry lead to predictable abuses piled on top of a wildly overvalued housing market, coupled with abusive repackaging and reselling of these loans on the international markets. Millions of foreclosures on American families coupled with millions more American families trapped in their current homes* will only deepen a long-running economic downturn that has never truly and sustainably been reversed.

Oil prices skyrocketing causes food prices to rise, the cost of a commute to rise, and a general rise of prices across the board for all things you buy. Stagnant wages. Falling consumer confidence. The highest debt-to-income ratio in the American household since the Great Depression.

A lack of action from the federal government on global warming has put us further behind on an issue that we should have began work on in the late 70's as envisioned by Jimmy Carter. I myself take issue with many things he did during his time as President, but on this issue he displayed uncanny prescience.

The war in Iraq is a barrier to progress on any of the above issues. While we are bleeding in Iraq we can not undertake any solutions here at home. The human cost in Iraq is a tragic metric which proves the folly of ever going in. The financial cost drains our coffers while the infrastructure in America collapses around us, while Americans lose their jobs, their homes, and their health - while Americans lose their security.

In short, nothing is going right. Liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat we should all hang our heads in shame. We have greviously failed the American people and the American dream. Thankfully all is not lost. Not yet. We can reverse these trends.

We can pull out of Iraq with honor. Our soldiers have accomplished their mission. It is the political leaders who have failed in their mission, not the brave men and women in uniform. I propose that within the next two years that we draw down all combat forces in Iraq, leaving a diplomatic and humanitarian mission in their place. It is our moral obligation, after killing so many innocent Iraqi civilians and destroying their nation's infrastructure to be in the forefront of the humaitarian mission they so desperately need.

For our men and women in uniform returning home, we owe nothing less than the best medical and psychological care that is available. We owe them a chance at a real future in the form of a full ride to any college to which they can gain admittance. We owe them our thanks and our understanding and our sympathy as they adjust to life after war.

We must capture Osama bin Laden and destroy the resurgent Taliban and alQaeda. We must finish what we started in Afghanistan. To that end I will propose commiting 50% more soldiers to the stabilization mission in Afghanistan, granting Afghanistan preferred trading partner status, and creating a collection of special forces teams whose entire purpose is tracking down Osama bin Laden.

Getting us out of Iraq is not only morally correct, but a financial necessity. We do not want to follow the Soviet Union down the path of a bankrupting war in the Middle East. To correct any of the problems here at home will require we stop spending money we don't have in Iraq.

The American people are far ahead of their leaders on almost all of these issues. The need to break our dependence on oil is one of these issues. We need to spark a Green Revolution in this country. By ending subsidies for oil companies and transitioning this money into federal grants for green technology research and low interest startup loans for green technology companies, we can stimulate the economy in a true way creating a new generation of jobs - "green collar" jobs that will pay a good wage.

These jobs will provide the basis for a revived middle class and address our environmental problem at the same time. Restructing of the tax code to end the Bush tax cuts for those who make more than $200, 000 a year will put the federal budget back on track and allow for renewed investment in America's infrastructure and education system.

We must raise the CAFE standards for all auto manufacturers who sell cars in America. To further the cause of the environment, I will propose a bill that will grant tax incentives for American auto makers who exceed the minimum CAFE standards on the cars they make.

In this same bill I will also propose a massive reinvestment in public transportation, the centerpiece of which will be a new national highspeed rail system. Couple this with funding help for municipalities who pursue local light rail solutions and we will reinvent travel and the transportation of goods in America.

At the same time we do all of these things, we must address the national shame which is the inadequate response to Hurricane Katrina. We must rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. We must reach out and help our fellow Americans. We must resettle those who wish to return to their homes and reinvest in these Gulf communities, many of which were struck by desperate poverty even before Katrina.

In part this can be done by rebuilding all of the schools in neighborhoods like the Ninth Ward in New Orleans. The federal government should partner with local and state officials to build model schools in these regions. State of the art facilities that will be the benchmark for returning America's education system back to the envied position it once held.

Terrorism and failed states are the new enemies America faces in the 21st century. To face these new threats will require a new national security stance whose roots we can trace to the past. Like Truman at the dawn of the Cold War, we must face these enemies with a strong alliance of like-minded states. We must rebuild the alliances that have suffered so much lately as well as forge new alliances.

With this coalition we must share not only intelligence gathered concerning threats, but we must share the burden of dealing with these threats. Standing together with old allies and new, America will be better positioned to lead the world to a new era of global peace and prosperity.

To earn the right to lead this new alliance, America must reestablish its moral authority. Let me be clear to the American public, to our allies, and the world at large:

America renounces torture in every way. America recommits itself to the Geneva Conventions and will reestablish itself as the world's leader in human rights advocacy. We renounce all policies of the previous Administration concerning "enhanced interrogation" techniques and torture. Waterboarding is torture. Any rendition programs that may exist are summarily terminated as of this very moment.

All detainees at Guantanimo will hereby be given a trial or freed. The legal grey zone that is Guantanimo and its detention center is a stain on America's honor. Let me be clear, this stain was not inflicted by the men and women in uniform who honorably followed the orders of their superiors.

This stain is laid clearly at the feet of the previous Administration. I urge Congress to finally hold the hearings that may bring accountability to those truly to blame for these crimes, not the low ranking enlisted soldiers who have borne the brunt of the punishment to this point.

===================

And so on... I could type for hours. No matter who gets in the White House I will follow them to the bitter end if they give this speech for their first State of the Union speech and then follow through on making it happen.

* Trapped by being upside down in their mortgage, which is owing more on your mortgage principal than the amount for which you could sell your home

Armament Complete

I bought a used revolver the other day. It's a Taurus .357 magnum snub nosed. Why a .357 revolver, you ask? Well, let's evaluate based on the parameters in The Survivor's Guide to Firearm Evaluation:

.357 Magnum Snub Nosed Revolver
Reliability:	Very High
Accuracy:	Good up to 50', degrades quickly after that
Stopping Power:	High firing .357 mag, Moderate to Low firing .38
Time to Fire:	Low
Ammunition Commonality:	.357 is Common, .38 special is Common
Simplicity:	Very Simple
Ammunition Capacity:	Low (5 rnds)
Manageability:	.357 round is Moderate while .38 is very manageable

The big selling point on this pistol, to me, was two-fold: Reliability and Versatility. The revolver in general is a very reliable weapon type while the .357 revolver has the added bonus of being able to fire two different types of fairly common ammunition - versatility.

I bought my pistol (a Taurus .357 Snub Nosed Revolver) used for $309. Given the prices around here, that wasn't a bad deal. Now I'm done on firearm purchases. In keeping with my stupid tradition of naming my firearms, I have dubbed this revolver Harry (after Dirty Harry, of course).

As far as the Accuracy evaluation above goes, I'll admit that I am guessing. I haven't fired the weapon yet, but I have to imagine that the snubbed nose on this weapon would reduce it's accuracy at any sort of range. I'll test it and let you know for sure, though.

I Wouldn't Wish it on my Worst Enemy

Whoever our next President is could spend their entire term doing any one of the following:

• getting the economy on track again (not that they can do more than facilitate with sane policies)
• getting us out of Iraq
• repairing our massively damaged professional government bureaucracy
• balancing the budget
• repairing our crumbling infrastructure
• addressing global warming
• repairing our health care system
• improving our limping education system
• capturing bin Laden and taking down alQaeda
• repairing our standing with our allies

...and the list goes on. In truth, many of these items are interdependent and would have to be tackled in parallel. I do not envy whoever takes the Oval Office next because, Republican or Democrat, you have to admit that Bush has massively screwed the pooch, so to speak...

I am actually an independent voter. In my day I have voted for some Republicans and some Democrats and to be honest neither party impresses me much these days. But the fact of the matter is that the Bush Years have been awful for this country in every measurable way.

To quote Patton Oswalt, "If the standard for impeachment is covering up a burglary or getting a blowjob shouldn't this guy have been dragged out onto the White House lawn and shot by now?"

I couldn't agree more and to that end the Republicans must be taught that this cannot stand. If the Dems won't grow a sack and impeach him and then try him then we as voters must reject the Republican policies roundly at the ballot box.

I don't care who you are - you have a reason to be mad at Bush whether or not you realize it. If you disagree with me I suggest you comment here and challenge any point I've made. I can back everything up and will do so gladly if it means lifting the veil from a fellow citizen's eyes.

Another brief list of reasons to be pissed at the Bush Administration and pity the next because they'll have to fix it:

• The suspension of habeus corpus via the Military Comissions Act of 2006
• The NSA tapping our phone lines without a warrant
• Our intelligence aparatus (they warned him "bin Laden determined to attack within US" before 9/11)

About the intelligence community in the US... it needs to be fixed, yes, but only to undo what the current Administration has done. The responsibility for failing to prevent 9/11 doesn't lie with the agencies themselves but with the political arm of the Administration. They were warned and when it bit them in the backside they shifted blame to the agencies and followed that up with a major restructuring to make it appear to the public that they had fixed the problem.

We have lost 8 years on every front imaginable. Worse than that we've not only lost time, but ground. We've actually gone backwards in every arena since 2000. Had we jumped on environmental issues in 2000, I wouldn't be nearly as pessimistic as I am now.

In The Shadow of the Founding Fathers

I live in Central Virginia - a land rich with history going back to the very beginnings of America as a nation and back nearly to the beginnings of English colonialism in America.

This idyllic area used to be the Frontier, nestled against the Blue Ridge Mountains beyond which was Terra Incognita. Two of this nation's greatest explorers came from within spitting distance of where I am typing now - Lewis & Clark.

We also had our own Paul Revere type character - his name was Jack Jouett. He rode ahead of Colonel Tarelton and his English cavalry to warn Jefferson (Governor of Virginia at the time) and the Legislature that the Brits were coming for them. You should really read the wiki on him... an interesting fellow.

Also, three of the Founding Fathers came from this immediate area - Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe. They were the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Presidents respectively. Jefferson was arguably one of the most notable intellectuals of his age with a list of amazing achievements far too long to detail here.

No, this isn't intended to be a history lesson. All of the people listed above come from within 20 miles of where I am right now. Without many of these people America may not exist. It certainly would be a very different place and it's unlikely that the difference would be good. In many ways, America and the promise of America were born here.

It is in the shadow of this greatness that an anger in me wells. I feel treasonous and small when I see what is happening to this country. I feel this way because with all of the shameful outrages being committed against our liberties and the promise of America, I do relatively little about it.

People from around here risked being hung to secure the liberties we are too lazy to defend these days. After 9/11 the authoritarians in this country saw an opportunity to consolidate power and they took it. Like sheep the Congress passed the USA Patriot Act despite the fact that only a handful of legislators even read the act.

We are being spied on, lied to, and arrested with no charges, no trial, and no counsel in some cases. What are we doing? Ha. We're blogging. I obviously consider myself among these less-than-revolutionary revolutionaries.

I hold myself in nearly as much contempt as I hold most of the sheep out there. The one difference is that I am a sheep who has opened his eyes. I inform myself, at least. I don't know - maybe it's worse to know what's going on and to do nothing than it is to be willfully ignorant. No, I have to believe that informing myself and at least voting from an informed standpoint makes me just a bit better than those who vote against their own self-interest out of sheer ignorance.

I do a little more than nothing. I volunteer for candidates in whom I believe. I am somewhat active in local politics. I teach my children to think and not to follow. I teach them to hold ignorance in contempt.

The saying, "Just because you're paranoid don't mean they're not after you" has never been more true to Americans at large.

What do I mean by that? They know who you've been calling. Oh, yes, friend. The Administration has been pushing for a retroactive law to immunize the phone companies for assisting the NSA in their warrantless wiretapping program. Can you say data-mining? I knew you could.

They also know what your spending habits are. That means the government knows whether or not you like to visit websites about bondage and sado-masochism. They know if you visited a gay dating site. They know if you rented a hotel room last week in Richmond and not Alexandria like you told your spouse. Think of everything that goes on any plastic you own... debit or credit.

Not only do they know what you charged on your plastic, they know where you go on the internet regardless of whether or not you bought anything there. ISPs have been issued orders under the USA Patriot Act to turn over their records. Gag orders come as part of these requests for data. Not only can they not refuse the request from the government, but they cannot appeal to judicial review. Been to WebMD, lately? Got a condition you don't want anyone to know about for whatever reason? The fact that you looked up information on Erectile Dysfunction is now no longer a secret, no longer anonymous.

The one thing that protects us in the mountains and mountains of data they have to sift through. But if your name pops up on some list somewhere, blowing your "cover", they can immediately look up all sorts of information on you. Big Brother sees all. In today's world of technology it is actually possible, unlike in Orwell's time when it was merely a dark fantasy.

In today's world of multi-terabyte databases it only takes a handful of people feeling pressure from the government to cave in and turn over gobs and gobs of data to the feds. It would take entire forests' worth of paper to print the data that could be rapidly and quietly turned over to the government without a single sheet of paper. An innocuous flow of ones and zeroes streaming over a secured pipeline through the internet.

The Information SuperHighway runs through your living room, beyotch.

This spying, this mining of dirty little secrets, is made even easier if a warrantless wiretap or two are placed on a key set of influential people. Maybe they have a dirty secret or two. Add to that the notion that these federal agents are "fighting terrorism" with this information and these executives may turn over the information without requiring a warrant and with no need for blackmail.

If the FBI or the NSA needs this information, it must be important. Right?

With the War on Terror being called the Long War, we are stepping onto an Orwellian stage from which no good can come. A stage that Orwell could only dream of but which is now lit with the harsh glare of technology. A war with no end in sight is a tyrant's wet dream.

• Crisis is the rallying cry of the tyrant.
• If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
• It is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad.
• No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.

- James Madison