meetings on health care, but not on war

obama and his backers have been barnstorming the nation, offering themselves as human punching bags for fuckhead fascists. an interesting way to get a law passed. kind of funny, but when a u.s. president wants to do something, doesn't he usually just do it? all of a sudden, the town hall format is making a comeback? and how is it that the incoherent rumblings of right wingers have gone unanswered at these events? surely, obama and his men could answer back if they really wanted to. it seems that the forums are an easy way to kill any health plan. "hey america, i tried, but it seems most of you don't want my efforts to succeed." democracy in action, all of a sudden.

but, wait a minute. when obama decided to send more troops to afghanistan, did he first go around the country, asking the heartlanders whether he should do so? of course not. presidents don't need a license to kill, only to heal. when the u.s. government, wants to do something, it does it, and when it doesn't, it pretends that it does by going through motions like these health care forums. so, when nothing ends up getting done, the leaders can say that they tried.

if obama went around the nation trying to sell americans on war with afghanistan, or drones for pakistan, or weapons for israel, there would have been thousands of people who would have shouted him down, held signs, expressed frustration. but, because obama, and more to the point, the american war machine, is set on pursuing those policies, no such forums were held. the decisions had already been made. therefore, there was no reason to play at democracy. that would only confuse the issue.

but now, we are all democrats again. we didn't have forums on the 700 billion dollar bailout, or pollution of the oceans, or home foreclosures, but now, we have rediscovered the joys of the town hall meeting.

just in time to kill any progressive changes in health care.

sounds like the fix is in, doesn't it?