Written Rhetoric — musings of a writing traveler.

The earl gray cools rapidly when contained withing the chill of these walls. The creek outside won’t shut up about this and that and now that I think about it, why the goat-blowing Jesus should I?

Fair warning then. I’m going to get self-righteous for a second. Excuse me while I point out that you’re all acting like a bunch of sackless dolts with no opinion of your own. Forgive me because I…

no. You know what? Don’t forgive me.

Fuck it. Hate me if you want. Think of me as a revolting self-loving blogger if that’s how you roll. In fact, think whatever the hell you want of me, so long as you think for yourself.

That’s right.

The things is: there’s something basic missing from all the latest rants about the Bush Administration’s latest rip into the trust of the American People, and it really speak to the tiny size of America’s balls. Eye balls, that is.

All the most impressive big-name papers are discussing the legality (illegality) of the the Bush Administration’s approval/ordering of spying on it’s citizens. They all have some point or other about why it’s legal or why it’s illegal. They all have some crafty way of getting their own agenda across the filthy governmental lies concerning the data gathering and the wire tapping and the Patriot Act-ing and the whatever-else-who-knows-what-the-fuck they’re doing to turn this society into the closest thing to a police state we’ve seen in many, many, many years.

Please.

It strikes me as horribly unlikely that they haven’t been doing this for years already anyway. It strikes me that this atrocious raping of our constitutional rights, like so many of the other wonders and blunders of the American Presidency, is nothing new. It’s only now being exposed.  Whether the harm is done or not, whether it’s illegal or not, whether it’s helping to “improve matters of national security” or not, has it not occurred to anyone that it’s just not right?

After all the shady things this guy has done, how is he still in office? You guys must be mental.

Like an obedient puppy, the Attorney General explained during a press conference that I’m sure nobody watched since it was conveniently placed during the holidays, that because one of the parties listening to the conversations was overseas and not inside the country that what the NSA was ordered to do was legal. Most of you might read this as:

blahblahwhateverwhatever-notinterestedboring-yourenotacartoon

In between the snot and slime covered lines you should read: “technically, this is legal — we’re spying on you twats because of a loophole. There’s nothing you can do about so go back to being mediocre.”

So who the fuck cares if it’s legal? It’s wrong and shady and dark and twisted and you fucking know it. All of you know it. And not only did you vote for this evil but you continue to think that things like this are a necessity because you don’t understand it but you’re sure they do and they must have the country’s best interest in mind, right?

What?

Any of you noobs think the country is safer now than before 9/11? Anyone think that the innumerable amount of dollars that have been spent on “security” have amounted to anything other than the retard with the ears at the White House getting re-elected? Anyone buy this business about the terrorists in Iraq slowly being defeated?

Think different. Think again. Whatever — just think.

Yesterday several blocks in the lovely city were shut down for the whole day because a suitcase was spotted in the street with no owner. Dozens of businesses disrupted, revenues unearned, lattes undrunken — shit, they weren’t even ordered. That’s hurting our economy, people. Billions of dollars of lost revenue to Starbucks. Tragic. Also: police barricades, bomb-sniffing dogs, bomb-squad…the works. For a suitcase.

…A suitcase on the street.

by itself.

And guess what? No bomb. Just a suitcase.

The point is…and first off, stop using the term “the terrorists”. They are not a group. They are not an organization. They are not an enemy to be fought. Mr. Bush would have you think otherwise because it gives him a target. It doesn’t do us any good because the target isn’t really there. But he sleeps better because he can say he has a target.

The point is that terrorism won. It’s done what it set out to do.

See, before 9/11, someone would’ve kicked the suitcase or opened it. Some may have turned it into authorities, or just grabbed it and walked away. Maybe one in a hundred people would’ve thought to call the bomb squad. Maybe one in a million times (probably less) they would’ve been right to do so. And you know what? That hasn’t changed. The only thing that’s changed is that we’re thinking more about the threat and perceiving it differently. Maybe suitcase stores will have to start handing over their records of who bought suitcases and everyone with a suitcase or briefcase or gym bag (if they have the foresight for that) will be on the terror watch list.

The only thing that’s changed is that now a person who wants to commit an act of terror simply has to place a suitcase on the sidewalk and walk away. The terror isn’t in the explosion of the bomb. It’s in the fear of that explosion.

And the fear is all around us today. The air is rank with it.

Terrorism has won. And it’s your fault because you’re the one who’s afraid.

I hate you all and I’m moving to Rapanui.