AP photo by Hadi MizbanSuzanne Johnson received a trickle of water from a water pump at her family's home in the
Phoenix, Arizona suburb of Mesa on Thursday. Most of the Arizona capital has been without
water for two days, but the eastern suburbs of Phoenix have seen shortages for about a week.
Of course, that isn't a picture of Suzanne Johnson (fictitious), and it isn't Mesa and they haven't been without water for the last two days in that part of Arizona. This is Amira Ali in Baghdad who has been without water for the past two days in U.S. occupied Iraq where the crumbling state of the American Empire and the misery being inflicted upon citizens there gets little attention, unlike the crumbling infrastructure of its homeland as symbolized by the Minneapolis bridge collapse where the current death toll stands at six and many people's reaction is one of outrage. Wednesday's tragedy is but a hint of what Iraqis endure daily (while thirsty).
As a student of economics many years ago, I seem to remember scarcity sometimes makes it necessary we prioritize our choices when a nation is under stress which, for example, a "war" (on terror) can produce. Sometimes shoring up domestic infrastructure must be sacrificed to build bombs to destroy the roads, bridges, sewers and plumbing of another's.
In sacrificing one thing for another we make choices based on necessities we deem most urgent. And if I remember correctly, this process is the classic economic conundrum of deciding between "guns or butter."
The amazing thing about all of this is president Bush, who apparently never saw the inside of an economics classroom in his life (or if he did, he went AWOL from it) has found a loophole in this theory and is rewriting the history of economic thought with his revision. Now called the theory of "guns or 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter,'" proves it IS possible to have everything--war, crumbling infrastructure, and tax cuts--all at the same time!
My only hope is, when I finally make the decision, there'll still be a bridge left standing in America to jump off!
5 comments:
about that bridge...uh..don't count on it...
great post btw....love the part about Suzanne Johnson....arizona...and can't believe it's not butter....saw the king inspect the Bridge this am,......and they handed him a hardhat- and my first thought was why the hell bother ????
Anf Laura went yesterday...and she stood there her head bobbing like a lost pidgeon on prozac....eyes glazed dressed in Easter Pantsuit....she looked mostly confused- not compassionate....
And all I could think was Hey Dubya- do you hear that Voice in your head....you know that Geesus Voice- is it telling you what a Dumb Fuck you really are? ....well, take a lookie at the Bridge asshole- Welcome to Saturday in Iraq....that is what they have to look at Everyday....
okay....enigma is done being cynical and rude....and it is ONLY the first week in August....shit on rye...
and here you wrote such a nice post....
( BTW I am pretty sure there is a line to jump off that bridge....can I stand with you and the Mrs....and Your Editor....)
Excellent post, Dada. I was hoping we could shove Bush and his crew off the bridge in Iraq.
IS possible to have everything--war, crumbling infrastructure, and tax cuts--all at the same time!
And all the while blame it on the opposition. It's a wonderful world Bush inhabits.
don't jump - please!! we need people to speak out and help wake up the tv media run sheepeople....and i think you'd do just fine!!!
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