Vincent Bugliosi - my hero without a cape

This post is an addendum to my previous post dated August 05, as I have continued to read through Mr. Bugliosi's book.

Mr. Bugliosi has presented fact upon fact that the Bush administration has deliberately and knowingly lied to the American people to further their agenda. I'm not sure what that sour taste is in my mouth, the lies the American government told or the ease with which the American people bought into such lies. I remember thinking while casually following the developing war campaign in Iraq 'how could such a financially poor country purchase such large quantities of Uranium?' I knew Hussain was indeed rich but a dictator doesn't become so by putting his own money into WMD construction. In a country where more people vote for their American Idol and purchase more US and People magazines than they do The New York Times, can we expect anything more.

My opinions matter little since I am not American (thankfully) however I do resent the fact that Canadian Soldiers are being deployed for "peace keeping" missions. They are still killed by roadside bombs and insurgents. One cannot honestly blame the insurgents or even civilians that throw stones or fire weapons at soldiers. Would you not do the same had your husband, brother, sister or even child been wounded or killed as a result of the war? I watch as a good friend of mine re-reads the last letter her friend sent her before being killed in a "friendly fire", sadness glazing over her eyes. He was young, vibrant and healthy, killed by American cowboys bent on being heroes instead of heeding orders from their commanding office.

Is everyone asleep? When the first friendly fire occurred I was outraged! I railed against it in my overbearing and opinionated way, and was met with down turned eyes and weak shrugging shoulders. Friendly fire in and of itself is an oxymoron, like saying kind evil or happy sadness. It is ludicrous.

This war has lined the already bulging pockets of a few select fat cats and left thousands, thousands!, with ruined lives. I have the privilege of secondhand insight into the ravages of war through a close friend. I have listened quietly, rapt with attention as my friend recounts the Gulf War and his escape. The sad fact is, he is not the only one I have listened to tell such tales. To listen to these stories, one must truly listen and feel the pain and anxiety to full appreciate it.

What have the American people given up for this war they were so in favor of? World War II brought wide spread rationing of supplies and in some countries,compulsory surrender of all metals, yes even your wedding ring, for the war effort. Had the American people been told "hey we need to go to war to fight the TERRORISTS! Uh but you gotta hand over that SUV and oh the plasma T.V's gotta go too...war effort n' all" American's would have shit themselves, and put their fat foot down, 'no way man!' But onward Christian soldiers, you can keep your gas guzzlin' SUV, your T.V, your Kentucky Fried Chicken, and your kids can still go to soccer practice. You can listen to your satellite radio, watch American Idol, American Gladiator, American programming at its best. Your life is unchanged. If the war were to cease tomorrow, there would be no parade or kissing in the streets, mobs would not pile into Times Square to watch the coverage on T.V. Hell you may not even know about for several days or weeks. Precisely because you have not been affected in any way. Unless you are a mother in Michigan whose only son came back in a box in "un-viewable" condition, and you now have to deal with the heart pulverizing loss of your flesh and blood along with the foreclosure on your house that you couldn't make payments on from your wages at the local Wal-Mart. The congressmen's kids are currently tooling around town in their brand new Mercedes-Benz. They didn't need to enlist to get college money. Daddy found some in the couch.

Why, you ask, does this small town Canadian feel so angry? I'm angry because bullshit has always pissed me off. I'm not anti-war. I'm anti-war without reason. If country A is going to bomb the crap out of my country, yes I want to prevent it. If Country A has something my country wants, talk it out boys! I am by no means fractionally as intelligent or current as Mr. Bugliosi but my parents did a decent job of giving me some common sense. And by that I live. My common sense tells me that this war, this current American government administration, and American people are full of shit.

Wake up people. It's not too late.
(This is by far my longest post and rambles terribly but hey, it's my blog after all)