… the Destroyer of Worlds.”
It’s oft repeated, that recitation by J. Robert Oppenheimer of a misquotation from the Bhagavad Gita. At the end of the second World War, he may very well have been describing the United States Government, not just the development of one weapon. It certainly seems that way, here in the blastwave from a bloody last half of the 20th Century, of wars raged for nebulous reasons in Southeast Asia, Southwest Asia, Latin American and the Middle East.
One couldn’t help but wonder, watching a deeply corrupt and bloodthirsty President give yet another self serving speech about how Iraq is part of the “War on Terror”, a war that serves only to keep Death continuously fed; what will it take for us to stop ourselves, for us to stop our leaders? Will that only happen with blood in our streets, are we only able to make a change when we’ve fallen into an abyss?
crossposted from Liberal Street FighterWhy do we do this, over and over again? It’s not new, of course, and not unique to the United States, but the sheer amount of damage we deliver can be truly stunning. Can such a willingness to feed so many, so thoughtlessly, into the maw of Death be anything other than some weird love for it, a strange Xtian embrace of helping others “cross over”?
Anwaar Hussain was reminded of the same verse when he wrote a report on Fallujah in November of last year:
Fallujah has been laid waste. It has been bombed, re-bombed, its citizens gunned down, its structures devastated by powerful weapons. It is a hell on earth of crushed bodies, shattered buildings and the reek of death. In addition to the artillery and the warplanes dropping 500, 1000, and 2000-pound bombs, 70-ton Abrams Tanks and the murderous AC-130 Spectre gunship that can demolish a whole city block in less than a minute, the Marines had snipers crisscrossing the entire town firing at will at whatever moved outside the buildings. For those inside, the US troops were equipped with thermal sights capable of detecting body heat. Any such detection was eagerly assumed to indicate the presence of “insurgents” inviting a deadly salvo.
No body has an accurate idea of how many Iraqis—combatants and noncombatants—have been killed by the thousands of tons of explosives and bullets let loose upon the city. Mortuary teams collecting the dead rotting in the city streets are fighting the wandering dogs that are busy devouring their former masters. The hundreds buried beneath the rubble and debris will be dug out later. A US marine spokesman, Colonel Mike Regner, estimated 1,000 and 2,000 Iraqis dead. The world is awaiting the toll from more reliable sources with a wincing anticipation.
One battle, over half a year ago. So many sacrificed. So many of our own soldiers, ordered to carry out this destruction, based on a pack of lies given by an administration wholly owned by dreamers of empire, war profiteers and end-times fanatics. Soldiers delivered themselves unto the death they deal out, on orders from above. Marching into that black light.
Bush stands up there, talking about freedom and democracy as he continues to order death and tyranny. Can you see the glint in his eye, that loving gaze when he loses his place and his mind fills only with thoughts of his power and mission and the glorious sacrifices he offers up to Death on the altar stolen from Mammon?
They say when one marries one’s beloved, you become a single heart. You become each other.
Can you see the love?
note: Image of Thanos w/ Death by Jim Starlin “borrowed” from Starlin’s Explorations of Mortality, part of an interesting series of pieces on the portrayal of death in comics.
“what will it take for us to stop ourselves, for us to stop our leaders? Will that only happen with blood in our streets, are we only able to make a change when we’ve fallen into an abyss?”
Yes, what will it take. This is what really scares me. Will we wait too long, until it leads to blood in our streets? Or can we rise above the abyss and take back what was once the greatest country on earth and make it the loving, giving peaceful place it once was? I just don’t know. What drives me insane is doing nothing.
Some days during the invasion, I would just post:
Somebody stop us.
Because we seem unable to learn. We keep doing this bloodletting…
I think you nailed it.
This is a form of suicide as well, if not physical suicide, then psychic. Very twitsted. And if he could take the rest of us with him….well…so be it.
The only way to stop the killing is to stop the war and withdraw the troops. A single Iraqi killed in the name of “freedom” is the ultimate hypocrisy.
Projecting self-destruction. I’ve always thought of this as suicide too, but have never heard someone else mention it…
It always leads me to think this: There are men who kill themselves when their demons catch up with them – and then there are men who kill their entire family instead.
I felt this bubbling up as I half-listened to him last night, as I saw that emptiness in his eyes at several points, when the silent crowd wasn’t feeding back the mindless affirmation he usually gets from his hand-picked crowds.
That glassy stare he has, perched above that narcissitic smirk …
… Only to be followed by more of Chris Matthews in a fundi church, the same church that Hardball had been broadcasting from leading into the “speech”. All of those prettified versions of an instrument of torture and death on the walls, on peoples jewelry. The cross, a device that kills slowly, publically, transformed into a symbol of “redemption”. Stepford Americans, repeating “stay the course” and “we have to win” and “We support the troops.”
The hard truth is that he is ONE of us, or at least one of a sizable group of us. Again, this isn’t a uniquely American quality. The sad thing is that we claim that we are better. We keep repeating these mistakes, electing blood-sucking vampires and imposing our values on people who haven’t attacked us first, and we expect to be loved for it.
This culture, which has symbolized hope, based on ideals that we can learn and grow and build a better world through debate and enlightened engagement, has been hijacked by a death cult.
Thanks for indulging my rant.
The hard truth is that he is ONE of us, or at least one of a sizable group of us.
VERY important to face this… it was briefly and too rarely said of Nixon as well. IT must be faced, these “aberations” come from within society.
And also very true, we are committed to a death cult. Very clearly. It has been reaffirmed nearly my entire life.
Did anybody else happen to notice that last nights hand-picked crowd was all officers? My boyfriend caught it, by his estimation everybody we saw in there (on ABC) after the speech was Sgt or above.
Struck us as odd.
But I did go to one. They began handing out tickets to officers and officers spouses first. There were so many Oak Leaves standing around me I thought I was in the forest. We were packed in tight and behold someone retired military who was taking some contractor job that I never asked about and his wife were standing behind me. She was German and by God did she hate Bush. While we waited she really gave her husband the “what for” for deciding to be a Contractor and when she noticed me noticing her she started talking and I started agreeing and the Oaks started clearing their throats and adjusting themselves. I think if we weren’t packed in there like sardines they would have thrown us out on our asses even though I wasn’t saying anything…..I was just listening to my older wiser peer and finding myself agreeing. The funniest thing she said though was that she also came to a Clinton speech and he wasn’t such a chicken shit about someone taking a potshot at him. He gave it outside and he was only 15 minutes late while everybody stood in the open air. With George they closed up a helicopter hangar with all of us packed in for about an hour sweating all over each other and most of us standing before he showed up. I noticed mostly officers there too though. Where there any spouses present or just uniforms?
’twas a sea of uniforms.
well, except for the staffer down front prompting for the applause.
what was funny to me was that, when the applause broke, I was in the kitchen and asked boyfriend if there was an electronic applause sign down front of the stage. Then the guy on ABC (Moran?) said later that the applause was prompted, and I nearly choked on dinner. It was funny.
I can’t receive this writing as a mere “rant” Madman, because it sounds much more like a cry from the center of your heart: a sound I recognize well, because I hear it in my own, and from so many hearts now.
Yes, I see the messianic gleam you see in this man’s eye. I’ve seen this look many many times, in my long career as a psychiatric RN working in psych units.
And Marisacat, I, too, whisper..”Somebody, please..stop this!”, more often than I care to admit.
We need to comfort each other however we can, as we continue to do what can be done, from where we each are now.
Thanks for sharing your heart-cry, Madman. It is good to know we’re not alone.
When I think of the list of common caharacteristics of a sociopath and then think about our president, I get chills. I think think the only way Bush will be stopped is if he runs out of money to borrow and teal to spend on his wars.
For those unfamiliar with sociopathy, here’s the list of traits; see how many match up with dear leader (sorry for the long post).
Glibness and Superficial Charm
Manipulative and Cunning
They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
Grandiose Sense of Self
Feels entitled to certain things as “their right.”
Pathological Lying
Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt
A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions
When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
Incapacity for Love
Need for Stimulation
Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
Callousness/Lack of Empathy
Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others’ feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature
Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency
Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet “gets by” by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability
Not concerned about wrecking others’ lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity
Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle
Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility
Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution. Changes life story readily.
As usual after I have a ranting meltdown, I feel sad today and a sense of hopelessness. I didn’t watch the speech last night. I thought it was probably better for me not to. I can’t understand how this man has split himself off from the death and torture and killing he has Commandered and Chiefed. I don’t understand how mowing down Iraqis in the name of Freedom and Democracy and Liberty will ever equal any of those three. I don’t understand how to feel good about what we are doing in Iraq. I don’t understand how I ever became so afraid of these people and other Americans that I blog anonymously on the net about the murder taking place instead of standing in the street with a bullhorn. I simply don’t understand and I am deeply sad today……..it is part of recharging to stay for the fight.
on the net is a bit of a costumed ball anyway. It’s like those masks on a stick at a fancy dress party. If someone wants to, they know who we are. Some of us email each other, combining screenname w/ real name, some of us have meetups.
But that doesn’t mean that the masks aren’t vital. Masks are freeing. They enable us to speak out in ways that a bullhorn on a soapbox might not. It is freeing and vital, as the pamphleteers during the Revolution understood. Masks help deflect ad hominem attacks, lessening the ability to make them. Masks are powerful.
I looked at him last night because it’s important to pay witness. I’m not saying everyone should, and sometimes I can’t. Last night is part of the “open season on liberals” that the Republicans have been driving. He was reinforcing that he and his minions are “the good”, that they “fight” for “freedom etc” while anybody who disagrees w/ his speech is NOT for those things, not one of us. This was part of the ongoing campaign to solidify their base.
It’s important to call it what it was … death worship. To many people, scared and uncertain, maybe having not paid as much attention up til now, that speech might look comforting, certain and “patriotic”.
It’s good for us to remind ourselves, and to remind anybody else scanning here, and to anybody else we encounter, that that speech was an exercise in wrong. He feeds needless deaths into a hopper of greed, jingoism and racism, and he fuels that hopper on the grief and fear of his supporters. He’ll do that until it’s time for even his supporters to be ground themselves into bloody pulp.
this was posted as a comment from me to a diary by lorraine, it somehow seems so appropo here as well.
I listened to the speech for about 10 minutes on NPR and finally had, had enough of hearing all the same old rhetoric, 9/11 references and stay the course, happy horsepucky I could stand. I knew then that this man, term used loosely, was not going to say or do one thing differently that he has over the last 2 years and I was sickened by his lack of understand or compassion for those who have suffered so greatly by his great experiment in democracy.
I read Susanhu’s front page post on the Iraqi children suffering so greatly and I despise the chickenhawk, lilylivered cowards who have taken over my country. I can only hope that the hell that these criminals will experience when they cease to exist in this world, is so terrifying and scorchingly putrid that they will never be able to come to earth again and become the destroyers of life that are currently manifested.
That I feel this way is completely the opposite of how I want my spiritual being to show through in my life, yet I recognize that I am a Human Being and what these criminals have done and are doing in the Name of the peoples of United States of America creates such disonance with my very soul, that I am unwilling to step into a mode of acceptance and forgiveness for these horrendous acts of crimes against Humanity. I can only hope that Great Spirit will continue to shine within my life, show me a way of coming to peace with these monsterous criminals and help me to find a way to facilitate change in my own country.
I heard someone this morning telling a coworker that Bushco’s speech was inspiring and that he was more committed to supporting the President because he heard a President that was not afraid to use the Power of the US to “install” Democracy in a region that has been so decadent and without moral guidance.
Dayum, Freaking bloody hell, it took every ounce of my self restraint to not reach out and throttle this imbecile and scream in his face, are you so moronic as to not see the death and destruction this President has perpetuated upon a people, who have done nothing to the US, are you so thick as to not see the lies this President has told to the American people so his corporate buddies can gain Billions of dollars from this illegal and immoral war.
I just shook my head and walked away, for after all he was the man who hired me as a contractor in my current job and until such time as I can find another position. I just bite my tongue and do what I can, where I can, to defeat this immoral, anti Christian, illegally elected President, of the country I love.
I apologize for the length of this comment, just had to get it out.
People have to want it.
And let me tell you something. If what I had seen of democracy was what was demonstrated to me by the American presence in Iraq, I wouldn’t want it either.
you rre indeed preaching to the choir, my friend. I could not believe my ears, when I heard this. Makes me wonder what kind of civics and government classes some of these people have been exposed too.
mmmmmmmmmmmmmm Sounds pretty good to me, that this is where they learned government and civics.