Alone In The Bone Orchard

She woke to a wall of cleansing fire, distant trees cindered, the emerging dawn drowned in rising smoke. She walked out to greet the flames, so beautiful, pure, finally here. She had dreamt of this moment since childhood, smiling as the blackened grass spread to her bare feet, a tickle, some pain, then immersion. She collapsed into charred bone and ash. The fire moved on. Her dreams did not lie.

Another month of this endless, dreadful election. Like dragging dead cows through wet shit and mud. Maybe I should be amazed by how excited and energized many observers remain, reacting to the tiniest items, looking for any angle to celebrate and promote their tribal leaders. But that would be wasted energy. Still, how sad and sick it is that these jabbering proles have convinced themselves that their opinions and concerns matter to the main players, especially in the current financial maelstrom. The more contemptuously they are treated, the more servile they become.

Michael Moore adds to this madness by telling his fans to phone Obama and Congressional Dems and give them all a good talking to. This after listing numerous instances where the Dems actively assisted the Bush gang, an open, bipartisan assault on whatever "civil" society exists. According to Mike, "THESE DEMOCRATS ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS THE BACKBONE WE GIVE THEM." His caps, not mine. But hey, when you're peddling fiction such as this, you need all the velocity that mere words can muster.

What's particularly annoying during these periods is how powerless people adopt the language and concepts of their masters. The corporate loudspeakers tell us how "special" and even "sacred" presidential elections are, a system of top-down ratification that becomes more mystical as the final day nears. This is continually drilled into us, and despite mountains of rotting evidence to the contrary, countless people buy into it and believe they have a personal say in the process. This was clearly evident when McCain "suspended" his campaign and spoke about not attending the first "debate." The corporate press pissed all over McCain for his stunt -- not that anchors and pundits are inherently opposed to political stunts, just that this specific stunt could've affected their ratings, which fatten during election years. Obama naturally joined in, as did his followers, hooting from the cheap seats, as if their voices can be heard on the main stage.

Well, McCain played them all as well as could be expected, and I seriously doubt he had any intention of missing that first debate. I really wish he had. Nothing I enjoy more than spending 90 minutes watching two chumps try to out-warrior each other. If there was some direct physical action, some demonstration of pain endurance, that would be different (not to mention more profitable for the networks). Instead, all we got were blustering promises of violence to come.

Snooze button time.

Still, I'm glad that Obama showed who he really is, an energetic, sometimes eloquent servant of empire, agreeing with McCain about NATO expansion on Russia's doorstep, calling Venezuela a "rogue" nation, pumping Iran up to monstrous proportions, etc. There was also the requisite Kill Bin Laden moment, as if icing that figurehead would have any real effect on the Terror Wars, apart from a short-lived propaganda spike. Bin Laden serves as a boogeyman piñata that Obama keeps whacking, hoping to see votes pour out once it breaks. He needn't swing so hard. Obama could announce later today that he supports public beheadings for "terrorists," and his liberal choir would sing their approval, however edgy it may make them personally. Once you embrace Joe Biden, anything's possible. Remember, this ticket is the "humane" option. What better cover for ongoing brutality?

While browsing in a local bookstore recently, I noticed that a number of anti-Bush items, playing cards, coasters, 1/20/09 gear, were on sale, many slashed down to practically nothing. We're nearing the end of the Hate Bush industry, and it's been a profitable one for liberals, despite their distaste for the man himself. Indeed, it was their distaste that sold. Say what you will about Bush -- he moved liberal product, much more than Ronald Reagan ever did, whose final days in office swiftly evaporated to little fanfare. Not so Bush. And as their reactionary cousins do with Bill Clinton, liberals will continue to hate Bush for years to come, perhaps forever. Unless McCain is elected, dies, and Sarah Palin becomes president. I'm certain some liberal hustler is already preparing for that possibility. Can I interest you in a 1/20/13 ball cap?