Following The News

Rep. Weiner got in trouble for sending cellphone pictures of his weiner. Lady Gaga flashed her boobs in yet another "wardrobe malfunction" (from the tenuous looks of her wardrobe design, this was no malfunction).

So with these vital news stories grabbing what little attention span remains in the average citizen, it's easy to forget about those other stories out there: Criminal acts of war by the American Evil Empire in Libya, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Radiation continuing to spew into the air and ocean from Fukushima. Greece near bankruptcy while Obama hints at a bailout for them even as US debt continues to soar to unsustainable levels. Economists continue to warn that the quadrillions in derivatives floating about could bring down the entire global economic system.

So what does our Fearless Leader have to say about these issues? Says he's "not worried" about unemployment. He basically is flipping off Congress on the war powers act with regard to Libya. Pakistan has begun to resist continued violations of its sovereignty by American forces, which could lead to a stare-down crisis with China, but no explanation is forthcoming on that. Nothing at all is being said about the Fukushima meltdown crisis, but Obama wants to permit more deep water oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Apparently nothing was learned from the Deepwater Horizon blowout, which is still damaging the Gulf ecosystem.

Catherine Austin Fitts, a luminous soul with insider knowledge, maintains that our economy has only been propped up by the evil American military empire. Essentially, we hold a gun to the heads of foreign leaders to convince them to continue investing in and holding Treasury bonds while we print the money to pay the interest. We are able to coerce favorable terms on trade. Oil continues to be priced in dollars, which is one reason that fuel costs are many times higher in many other countries. Great gig if you can get it.

However, the game may be nearing an end. As the budget cutting battle heats up in Washington, attention has got to turn to the enormous cost of maintaining the Evil Empire. The demented Republicans want to hack away at food stamps, unemployment benefits, and even Social Security while the shadow of the second great depression deepens. Mainstream pundits are beginning to mention the possibility of serious unrest if rightwing loonies get their way. In the midst of their heated rhetoric, Senators and Congressmen should at least stand up and demand explanation as to why US forces are stationed in over 100 countries, and especially what compelling reason exists for the ongoing slaughter of innocents in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya. (On top of the millions already killed in Iraq, Bosnia, etc.) Our tax dollars at work, I suppose.

It's hard not to be cynical, with the present White House occupant working hard to look more nefarious than his predecessor, yet his prospects for reelection are bright given the caliber of possible opponents. Could a Pawlenty/Palin ticket look any worse? At least we might get some comic relief.

Lynn