American Patriotism Crushed By Republican SUVs

The actual retail price of the Bush Wars: $1.6 trillion, according to a congressional report released yesterday. And this generation of (civilian) Americans has never been asked to sacrifice a single damn thing in order to help ameliorate the cost of these historically expensive war efforts.

In this transcontinental Chinese buffet called America, we don't dig sacrifice anymore. Too effete. Too liberal. We prefer tax cuts for the super rich. We prefer our tax-deductible SUVs and all the gasoline we can bong.

Somehow, according to the most-excellent marketing strategies of Roger Ailes and Karl Rove, it's more patriotic to go around saying you're patriotic than it actually is to be patriotic. The most trenchant right-wing tools among us are proud and grateful to receive the president's unpatriotic and irresponsible rich-man welfare checks during a time of war. In fact, President Bush yesterday listed his tax cuts for the super-rich as one of his successes, while later in the day he accused the Democrats of spending like teenagers with a new credit card.

The Democrats. Spending. Like teenagers. Okay, compared to whom, Mr. President? And yet today the Wall Street Journal -- the economic newspaper of record -- had the old-man nards to editorialize that opponents of the president are insane.

That's rich. The president's ideologically-driven policies have bankrupted America, both financially and morally, and you and I are insane for being vocal about it?

Here's the real insanity. As the American economy falls to pieces, oil is hovering in the $100 per barrel range and gas prices are a few days away from shattering all-time high records. Forecasters are predicting that gas will surpass $3.22 per gallon by next week. Mad Money's Jim Cramer told Chris Matthews last week that gas prices might top $4 per gallon within the next six weeks.

Even with this brutal economic news to serve as an incentive, will Michelle Malkin, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh and their ilk sacrifice for the war effort by purchasing less Islamofascist gasoline for their Ford F-150 Microphalluses? No way. Too moonbatty. Devising new and hilariously clever agitprop words like "Defeatocrats" is clearly more patriotic than actually addressing the principal source of global and domestic instability: oil and gasoline.

During World War II, to which the Bush Wars have been falsely compared by everyone wingnut-shaped, your government created posters urging conservation of gasoline for the good of the war effort. The messages were simple: using gasoline for your meaningless bullshit meant less gasoline for the boys in Europe and the Pacific.

It was the patriotic thing to do.

Everyone knew that the war would have to be financed somehow and we all had to pull together in order to make it happen. That meant universal military service, higher taxes, especially for rich people, and it meant buying less gasoline -- several ideals which Limbaugh, Hannity and the rest flat out refuse to endorse, even though they endorse the Bush Wars.

Today, it's unpatriotic to criticize the war and the president, they say. Finance the evildoers and the national debt all you want, though -- just step your secular progressive ass away from the poor defenseless president, you seditious bastard you.

On his perfectly-sane-and-centered show the other night, Bill O'Reilly said that Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks owner and financier of the anti-war movie Redacted, would have been incarcerated by FDR and pummeled by General Patton during World War II for financing an anti-war movie.

Yet I wonder how Bill O'Reilly spent his Bush administration war-time welfare check? The world's most lathered falafel perhaps?

Nothing says "support the troops" quite like Bill O'Reilly handing over portions of his tax cut to OPEC while our soldiers are being killed by Iranian weapons. I wonder what percentage of O'Reilly's crude oil consumption has financed Iran's Revolutionary Guard this week alone. No doubt he inexplicably continues to buy middle eastern crude even though Mr. O'Reilly once said:

"You know, in a sane world, every country would unite against Iran and blow it off the face of the earth. That would be the sane thing to do, just go in and remove the government, because this is a terrorist state."

Iran is an OPEC nation, Mr. O'Reilly. You give money to OPEC whenever you travel inside your armored Paranoia Motorcade. But Mark Cuban is with the evildoers... for financing a movie? He's the insane one, according to the Wall Street Journal?

Shared sacrifice, common sense and a little bit of healthy idealism are all aspects of the American spirit which are in short supply today. And while we can't single-handedly repeal the president's unpatriotic welfare program right this very minute, we can employ a little sacrifice, common sense and idealism in order to immediately and directly influence how our money is spent.

We can simply buy less gas. We can carpool, walk, ride a bike or trade in our SUVs for more fuel efficient vehicles. We should do this, of course, not to support or dissent against the Bush Wars. We should do this because the alternative is unimaginable: more military casualties; future wars over a dwindling oil supply; millions of deaths due to the impending climate crisis; and the financial and social sacrifices our children and grandchildren will be forced to make as the result of our present selfishness.

It's never easy, but we can do this, I think, until we have some real leadership in America; leaders who will appeal to the American spirit instead of reducing the true meaning of sacrifice and patriotism to the level of myopic FOX News crusades and awesomely thoughtful internet videos.

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Check out Bob Cesca's Goddamn Awesome Blog! Go! BOBCESCA.com
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Comments

[HOORGANVISOR]

Neither the Democrats or Republicans want to really help the people as long as they are at war with the people. We could have had millions of electric vehicles on powered highways years ago not producing any pollution. We could have had safe and efficient nuclear reactors in space beaming down energy to suppliment the energy produced by geothermal, solar, wind, water, and tidal systems that would have replaced polluting power plants. It's not like no one knew we were going to have problems if we began depending on OPEC more for our oil. The ones who might have solved the problems weren't allowed and still aren't allowed to do what needs to be done because those in power will not be needed if no problems exist. I have solutions to our problems, but it seems no one wants to use them. You may have solutions too. But don't think your favorite elected officials want to use them. They would rather spend a trillion dollars maintaining our highways for a decade instead of spend $500 billion to make our highways last a century before they need to be repaired. So as long as we have people who only want to maintain problems instead of solve them, this nation will continue to be in the messes it is in and the people in the government that depend on problems existing will be able to justify their existence.

[1will]

There sure are alot of Kerry, Clinton and Obama bumberstickers on SUV's. Don't let that get in the way of propoganda though.

[SallyLee]

Go nuclear like France. The land of the TGV and red wine that is fit to drink.

[bolderdash]

Bob, your blog points out one very important point: When it comes to Patriotism, its easier said then done. Just as the blood, sweat, and tears is done by someone else...and the sacrifice is to the unlucky family that has to bear arms in Iraq to protect your freedom of MAKING MONEY!

Ha! Ha! that's it, O'Reilly, Limbaugh, Rove, all wave the patriotic American flag, to hide the fact they're really 'chickenhawks' down deep, who never put on that military uniform when they had their chance in their youth, so now that they're $Millionaire Media-Dito-Heads, they spend money like its water in our over-heated economy, because they can afford it. While thumbing their noses at the rest of the working class, middle-class, as losers, they kiss-ass the 'blue-blood' Neo-Cons like Bush/Cheney as their heroes who worship "In God We Trust" imprinted on our watered-down valueless dollar!

[apogee2perogee]

The sacrifice is all of the red ink that is being generated. So, in truth, it is delayed sacrifice. Just what you would expect from folks who manage perception and little else. In fact, all of that red ink has a purpose. It is being drawn so that the neocons may "drown government in the bathtub." Let me tell you, in non-defense portions of the government the sound and sense of drowning is palpable.

[TiaPaula]

My little piece of the world is located in the
very contraversial Blue state of Ohio. Our area is economically depressed, yet some how even the most depressed of us manage to drive huge gas guzzling SUV/Monster Trucks. Sometimes
two of them in their driveways. I cruise around in my 4 cylinder car and wonder how these guys can drive those bohemeths and raise a family on a $10.00 an hour job? Of course these people are the 34% that approve of Bush.
So ya just know their smarts are in question.

[ilikbshbtntgeo]

No one's doin shit. Even my "enviro" neighbors drive their kids 3 blocks to school everyday so "they can sleep in".

Make gas $12 a gallon like it is in Norway cause right now no ones doin shit.

[jimpryor99]

Have you even been paying attention? The brutal economy? What country are you living in? Our economy is roaring, according to EVERY report. Unemployment down, real wages up, profits skyrocketing, auto manufacturing even reporting profits.

[moderationsmuse]

Mr. Cesca,
Moderationsmuse lives in a state where you can barely find enough Republicans to sing four-part harmony. And the SUVs and various other gas guzzlers are everywhere.
Maybe you should be preaching to the choir, deary. You might enjoy blaming all life's troubles on THE OTHER, but it ain't necessarily so, baby.
Sincerely,
The Muse

[WilliamEGraham]

The continuous bitching about politicians spending too much, or living high on the hog when they are talking green is ridiculous. Rich people live in big, expensive houses. So what? You can't run for office in this country unless you are rich, and can't possibly win unless you jet a million miles or more during your campaign. If you don't like that, then change to a randomly picked electorate system, and do away with voting altogether.

Also, I am disgusted with the tacit assumption that everyone who is rich inherited their money, or got it by climbing up the backs of the poor. There are some of us who worked hard, and saved and invested our way to wealth. In the final analysis, Robin Hood was nothing but a thief. He didn't have the right to rob everyone who rode a nice horse through Sherwood Forest, whether he gave the money to his favorite charity or not.

[moderationsmuse]

I feel guilty criticizing Cesca's posts. Makes it appear that I'm beating up the straw man. He is so straw.
Anyway, "Today, it's unpatriotic to criticize the war and the president, they say."
I don't know who "they" are.
I voted for Bush twice. I would LOVE to hear him criticized, knowing that genuine criticism puts ideas into the world. But so often, here at HuffPo, people just stick pins in their Bush dolls -- a gesture that is totally useless.

[bookish]

I'm afraid to ask what an old-man nard might be. Canard?

Excellent post. Thanks Bob.

[ChiMan1]

I am so sick of all this!
Me and all my Progressive friends are moving to Venezuela. See you in Carracas. Ola! Hugo.

[Beaux510]

Great post once again Bob.

[Truthortradition]

Bob, Describing America as transcontinental China is a lot more accurate than a lot of people understand.
Republicans oppress anyone who speaks out against their regime---just like the Chinese Dictators. The only tiny difference is that in China, the dictators can shoot you on the street if you complain about anything, while here in America, they can just put you in jail and leave you there to rot.
However, if you talk to Republicans, they will speak openly about their urge to shoot all those crazy liberals who speak out against the Republican oil baron club. So, it's no surprise when they ask me what party I'm affiliated with, I just smile and say I'm still trying to figure things out.
You are so right that all of our troubles, big and small, come from our need for OIL. It boggles my mind how we keep electing oil barons, Republicans, to run our country. Don't Americans understand that asking Republicans to go green is like asking Ford motor company to build a better car for GM? Republicans are fueled financially by oil. They love trouble in the Middle East--it drives the price of their beloved product through the roof. Why can't Americans understand this?
Democrats want to go green for a thousand reasons. It's not complicated. So why can't America get it? Go Hillary