American Matrix

A sad, sinking feeling has enveloped me this morning.

How can we maintain the role of the vigilant citizen – making sure our Republic is functioning properly – when it has been hijacked by a band of wing-nuts headed by a playground bully?

Is there anything left to fight for?

I feel like I am living in the film The Matrix where a phony universe has been created expressly for the purpose of distracting us from the realization that our true selves are imprisoned, bound and gagged.

To create this pretend world, the wing-nut prevaricator machine has a top-ten list of oft-repeated lies:

1. America is a free and prosperous nation;
2. the economy is strong;
3. we do not need BIG GOVERNMENT to build and maintain our infrastructure, deal with natural disasters, tackle health care, education, and environmental issues, etc., because private industry can do it better with more efficiency;
4. gays, environmentalists, anti-war protesters and liberals are dangerous, unpatriotic and do not support our troops;
5. the terrorists despise us because we have freedom and wealth;
6. they hate is so much that they flew planes into buildings and are always and relentlessly looking for new ways to punish us;
7. we invaded Iraq to rid the world of a cruel dictator who was threatening America with weapons of mass destruction;
8. we must stay in Iraq until it becomes a stable democracy and a beacon of hope to other Nations who will be unable to resist the lure of freedom;
9. the surge is working;
10. we cannot leave because Iraq will collapse, millions will die and the terrorists win.

Although none of the above is true, millions of people believe it!

WHY?

Because those with access to the megaphone of truth – primarily the media and our ‘elected’ officials -- must be getting something out of it.

Never mind that the ship is sinking, there is power to be grabbed and money to be made!

Evidence that America is lost – perhaps forever – is found in recent news headlines:

• MoveOn Ad Moves Congress to Vote for Nothing
  

• Senate Fails to Restore Habeas Corpus
  

• Sally Field Speech Censored

• Maryland Denies Marriage Rights to Same-Sex Partners

• Iraqi Man Prevented From Wearing T-Shirt on Plane
  

• Couple Arrested for Wearing Anti-Bush T-Shirts
  

• More Than 190 War Protesters Arrested in DC
  

• Student Tasered During John Kerry Speech
  

• Despite Democrat Majority, Bush Gets Everything He Wants: War Will Not End
  

• Cindy Sheehan Arrested While Pleading With John Conyers To Initiate Impeachment
  

How can we be fighting to promote freedom elsewhere when we don't even have it here at home?

Even comedian George Carlin can't make it funny: