Pack Up the Moon and Dismantle the Sun

I rather liked the MoveOn ad from the Times. It was crass, but these are crass times. It was simplistic, but these are simplistic problems, basic ones -- after all -- the American people have been treated as foolish consumers of a product -- in this case a war -- by an administration that hovers in a bipolar helix between hapless fervor and rank cynicism. Depending on the day. I wrote MoveOn a check, like a lot of people did -- back when we were going to war in Iraq -- for the first ads. There should have been ads and protests and actions every single day from then on.

And I liked the ad a lot more than the posturing of the senators who decried it -- amongst them at least one psychosexual hysteric with a jones for hookers. But hey, this is the circus, this is a Golgotha, and if the Barbarians are at the gates -- at least they're putting on a show. Some time ago a mogul told me he thought the six month test Bush proposed was 'fair and dead on'. This is a man who controls and has made billions of dollars and is hipper than anyone in the room, and smarter too. So what can you say? Now let's face it. We're in Iraq for the next decade. We are in Iraq for the next decade. At least. No way out. This is how America crumbles; at the hands of the most misguided ideologues since the Crusades. Men who led America to catastrophe, who betrayed all the promise we had left -- and for what? The naive and arrogant expectation that a grateful culture would be democratized magically, instantly, and with no ambivalence. I often think that Mr. Rove would not have lasted two rounds with the boys at CAA or any decent studio head -- they'd have swallowed him and his woozy hucksterism with a glass of water -- if only he'd been a schlepper out of Burbank, instead of our very own minor-league Talleyrand. Mr. Draper in an interview regarding his book on Bush says that the fatal flaw in this most likable of men, is a kind of frightened, defensive lack of curiosity. That seems right. In the Atlantic Monthly, one of the ex-speech writers for the administration turns on one of his own with the ferocity of a cartoon pirate turning on another pirate after the treasure is all gone. This is how it goes down, folks. They're not conservatives. They're not even Republicans. They are de-regulating cynics who pray that capitalism works like the glorious God-Powered Rube Goldberg machine it is. Just add self-reliance and a few days in Aspen. This crowd? They make one long for the intellectual rigor of a Nixon, and they don't deserve to even speak the name Goldwater. I liked the MoveOn ad, because it was probably true, in the Freudian sense, even if it is a little shrill. We have been betrayed. "Weapons of mass destruction" was always a guess -- and a wrong guess that calcified into a frightened and incurious dogma (the reasons for the war have changed), is going to do us in.

And not one of the viable candidates for the presidency is going to be able to save us.

The general didn't betray us. His bosses did. How will America survive the cold brutality of the neo-con pillage? And what if America has not had enough cheap patriotism and actually decides that a Romney or Thompson or a (wow!) Rudy administration is a righteous notion? I liked the ad, because the people who loudly decried it as an outrage are as blind as moles to the true outrage of what it means to be an American now; of civilians and young soldiers dying in the dusty and terrifying streets and fields of a bitterly divided and shattered state thousands and thousands of miles away.

I liked the ad because it was cheap and street, and true in spirit. I think tonight that America is shuddering, is in spasm, and she is losing blood. Christians -- real ones -- steeped in compassion and gentleness -- are impotent abdicators to sharpies and megalomaniacs who see God as a vicious cop on their beat.

Why do i feel this way tonight? Because six years ago I saw and heard in ways I'll not share here -- the end of one world -- and the start of another. Six years ago today, amidst the gore and dying and murder -- there were the stirrings of a world united with this country. "We are all Americans today!" -- you heard it from France and England and almost everywhere else --
but for three days after -- a shell-shocked and incompetent president flew hither and yon -- in a hapless prelude to the years of dark buffoonery to come. And the mythology that the president "found his voice" at Ground Zero days later -- is pablum from a Capra out-take.

I walked through Tribeca, where I then lived, days later. Past the National Guard. Past the fliers and into the smoke of lower Manhattan.

That smoke has spread across the nation, and instead of uniting us, has become a dark cloak, one used by liars and zealots, one used to gull a frightened polity, and to seize power. Our individual rights are almost as precarious as our bridges.

Now, six years after the worst day in modern memory for this writer -- the day of the dead --
the only thing I have left is personal -- holding the people I love -- and acting with a desperate and flailing and imperfect personal decency in the hopes that others around me are doing the same. Not enough, not enough, not nearly enough.
.
It is about to be September 12th. I want to paraphrase Auden and silence the clocks and the noise and pray in the silence to a a god I don't trust or even know how to believe in -- for a way to help my country -- and everyone in it -- find a way through the dark toxic cloud that was conjured up six years ago at the tip of Manhattan.

It is almost September 12th, and still people are dying.

Comments

[Sunflowerdem]

While I agree with the sentiments for the most part what I hated about the Patraeus ad was that it so closely resembled the sophomoric attempts at "wit/humor" one hears from Limbaugh and his cronies. If we liberals have to resort to that level of communication we are done for.

[ardeth]

Kucinich is viable if voters just support him and stop being defeatist, and he wanted out of Iraq yesterday. He's the candidate who comes closest to how Americans stand on all the issues.

[Daughter2]

I believe that if we dare to vote what we REALLY want and not settle for ho-hum politics as usual, then Kucinich is IT. I think we should take a leap of faith and really vote with our hearts and head in alignment for once.

[Dansden]

The worst decision a person or group or nation can make is to define another person, group or nation as the 'DEMON' they are believed to be in order to gain advantage over them! Think about it!

That is exactly what the Repubs and their criminal cronies have been doing and continue to do while transferring our national TREASURY to Dubai, while widening the gap between the ELITE WEALTHY and POOR and while shredding our Constitutional rights as American citizens. ALL REPUBS are not as demonic as this 'BUSHCO CRIME FAMILY' (I am a liberal Democratic member) but the Repubs have allowed this stinking, obstreperous 'camel' under their tent and he has pushed everyone else out to the point that they can no longer stand up for the principles they once espoused.

The MOVEON.ORG article was genius- it had people talking and it was framed in such a way- if anyone actually read it- to ASK THE QUESTION- not define Petraeus- LOOK AT IT AGAIN- the article asked:
General Petraeus or General Betray Us?
was the question and it brought some fiery response from those who have been hurling their own fireballs at our Constitution for all these six years-

The BUSHCO crowd deserves NO RESPECT, NO COURTESY and NO RELIEF for what they have done to our natural resources, our national credibility and our national treasury!

Why not send letters to Poppa BUSH and tell him that his spoiled BRAT child is no longer allowed in our 'HOUSE (White House) or in our neighborhood. Don't you think that about one million letters sent to Poppa Bush would curtail his petulant and putrid child from acting like such an ass in our neighborhood?
Hasn't Lil Georgie been spending his whole life trying to gain rerspect from Daddy while all the time Daddy has had to BAIL HIM OUT of one disaster after another!?!!!!
Just a thought...

[LorettaSingbiel]

Mr. Baitz, I agree with EVERYTHING you said, except: "The general didn't betray us"

The General DID betray us!

I couldn't help but notice The "Petreaus" Report's OCD on IRAN & SYRIA. And yet PAKISTAN is the relocated HOMELAND of the MASTERMIND of our 911 ATTACKS, and HEADQUARTERS of Bin Laden's new & improved Al-Qaeda recruitment center & training grounds!!! And SAUDI ARABIA is the HOMELAND of MOST of our 911 ATTACKERS!!!

Going MEDIEVAL in IRAQ is NOT making us safer. ON THE CONTRARY! Bin Laden, The Forgotten, has the patience of a saint. His strategy of attacks involves LENGTHY PLANNING ... UNLIKE our dirty, nasty, bad, naughty boy Bush's UNPLANNED RUSH to ATTACK IRAQ (AND SOON IRAN?)

Iraqis have CENTURIES-OLD RIVALRY & REVENGE to RESOLVE. Our troops are SURGING, AIDING & ABETTING ETHNIC CLEANSING & AL-QAEDA RECRUITMENT.

Our troops AND Muslims are being MURDERED & MAIMED, while Petreaus HESITATES to be HONEST... hemming & hawing & hedging questions, mumbling something about IRAQ being "Al-Queda Central"...IF that's TRUE, he's got HIMSELF & his BUSH BUDDIES to BLAME!!!

REDUCING our troops to TERRORISTS & TARGET PRACTICE is RUINING their REPUTATIONS! We MUST get them out of there NOW!!!

"But...But...But...SADDAM murdered & maimed Muslims TOO!", proclaim our PRO-war "patriots"...

WHAT is "VICTORY"? ... HANGING Saddam?

Saddam will seem like a SAINT, compared to his SUCCESSOR, compared to OUR TROOPS (who NOW fight WITH Saddam's LOYALISTS), and compared to AMERICA (compliments of GENOCIDE GEORGE)!!!

"But...But...But...They hate us for our FREEDOM!", proclaim our PRO-war "patriots"...

WHAT is "FREEDOM"? ... FREEDOM from our unchecked & UNBALANCED President, who's HELL-BENT on DESTROYING our country and the WORLD?

"GIVE ME LIBERTY, OR GIVE ME DEATH"? We don't have "LIBERTY" (freedom from unjust or undue governmental control)...so MUST "I REGRET THAT I HAVE BUT ONE LIFE TO GIVE TO MY COUNTRY"???

SEE YOU ALL IN HELL!!!

Stay safe, healthy and happy,
Love, Loretta

[nypoet22]

brilliantly written article. i've always been partial to auden's poetry, and i like the author's use of his phrases to illustrate the impotence and tethered rage we all feel. We feel it as the carnage grows from one day to the next, seemingly inevitable as the tides.

[motamanx]

The Petraeus Congressional Snow Job was surreal: not a single Iraqi in the room, nor any independent press to corroborate or refute the General's generalities.

The word "oil" was never mentioned. Nor were the words: "we went into Iraq because of the lies of Dick Cheney and the Administration. We are there because of Cheney's mendacity."

Surreal.

[Kungfublood]

The the evil ones crash and burn.
I think the best plan would be to forgive the debit of the home owner if they agree to live in their "one home" for the next "ten years" this would allow a fixed amount of money to be spent (one time only) to help the people that need it the most. (the home owner) As for as money lenders and credit institutions screw them and leave them holding the bag that they are only to happy to fill with their unsustainable practices. They were given a chance to do business and failed every consumer, it seams to me that the life style change of a few thousands of people out of work that they were not capable of doing in a fiscally responsible manner anyway is not something that should be paid for by the ten's of millions of American citizens American society and the world at large. Turn the system upside down - shake well and you will see how much crap comes flying out the " brand new bottom".

[Levittown]

Talk about flip-flops. First he says we are not safer at home and then after the dressing down by his Commandert in Chief he says we are safer at home. If we were surrounded by Secret Service and vast military
support systems as Mr. Bush has we would be safer at home. Come back in six months,General, and repeat all you said since you were here in Sept.2007. Betcha you won't.

[ScapeGoat]

The general did betray us because he is the puppet of bush. bush is a trator to the constitution and the american people. He is trying to destroy this country. The general can not get away with -I was only following ordes-. He is supposed to bring light to the situation instead, he wallows in the bush prearranged speach to mislead the american people.

Enough is Enough. Senator Lautenberg has a petition to stop the bush propaganda and bring the troops home. To read what Senator Lautenberg has to say about the War and sign the petition he's sending to the White House, click here:

http://www.democratsenators.org/o/19/t/70/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=71

[daddysboy]

Wow. I am so glad the the Huffington Post decided to add your blog to the 'Daily Brief'. Writing that is both passionate and intelligent is so rare and you have both in spades and I couldn't agree more with this sentiment as completely depressing as it is. I especially liked "...acting with a desperate and flailing and imperfect personal decency in the hopes that others around me are doing the same. Not enough, not enough, not nearly enough.". That really spoke to me. Thank you.

[Opus007]

A very well written post Mr. Baitz. Thank you.

[Shirl]

We cut off water and other major needs to these people for 10 years, under the Old Bush and then bombed them under this Bush.
GET OUT NOW*****

[Lane]

"It is almost September 12th, "2007" and still people are dying."

People, don't confuse dying for oil with fighting for freedom!

[Purple Girl]

You have spoken my heart far better than I could have ever conveyed. I too had that feeling of doom as soon as we entered Afghanistan, the snare. Iraq the bear trap.And now the low beat of Iran. They ahve all lead us to their delusional point when "Rapture" can occur- self fulfilling prophecies we will all suffer for at the hands or mere mortals. Who truely is 'Godless"? As a spiritual person I believe our relationship to god or nature is INTIMATE. And we must care for our global charges on an personal level. What oppresses and ultimately will damn us are only words that make up ideas. Change the words and change the idea. Let's return to the Public Servant as oppossed to President. Call it #1 Public Servant (may need to start from the bottom and work our way up-Police officers- Public Liason Officer. Fight fire with fire- It's only Rhetoric and the Neo Cons have been just working the Rhetoric. We don't need philosophical bullshit- we have the truth which every human knows in their hearts - we just have to ignite it.
May whatever may watch over you, keep you sharing your your words and ideas, because they have the ability to ignite something in those who have been drowned in the Neo Con Rhetoric.

[Opus007]

The MoveOn ad was harsh- but the truth hurts! And it is nothing in comparison to harsh reality of this unjust war. Our soldiers are dying- stuck in the middle of a civil war and we are worried about hurting the General's feelings? Thank God for MoveOn.org and VoteVets.org for getting the word out. It's an uphill battle considering the MSM is in the pocket of the White House. One thing the ad did for me was that I made sure I watched the hearings on CSpan so I have to disagree with the previous poster on the timing. Speaking on timing- of course the White House had to stack the deck in their favor by scheduling the hearings on 9/11. The hearings were damage control on steriods but there was some great moments.