I was going to give all y'all -- and myself too -- a short break from all my Cassandra-ish e-mails. But Condoleeza Rice just announced that it would be nice if Venezuela's democratically-elected government was overthrown and George Bush just announced that an invasion of Iran is actually in the planning stage -- so I'm back at it again. Shut up, Condi. Shut up, George!

Fear Factor: Why Americans are cowards & Iraqis are not

The other day, I was overwhelmed with terror. A huge pit bull came charging right at me, fangs on Code Red and foaming at the mouth. Every other thought and/or emotion immediately vacated my mind and all that was left to dominate my brain was complete and absolute FEAR! I wasn't thinking about ANYTHING else except how to save myself.

When one is in the throes of fear, all rational thought is liquidated. Trust me on that one.

And you can also trust that Republicans are aware that most people think that way too. Republican leaders have learned early on that they can manipulate us Americans into doing almost anything by scaring us and keeping us scared. When you are thinking about terrorists and dirty bombs and WMDs coming around the corner of Main Street 24/7, you don't have TIME to sit down and rationally think about anything else!

The Republican motto? "Find out what scares Americans most -- terrorists or gays or the UN or flu shots or whatever -- and keep that Fear Factor up!"

With election fraud, mass embezzlement, moral bankruptcy, the great Social Security heist and Lord knows what else coming out of the White House these days, however, America is being threatened most by our very own government. And are Americans protesting this true and eminent danger and trying to protect themselves? Hell no. They are cowering in their SUVs, utterly terrified that if they did protest, they might break a nail.

Americans are also terrified that if they were to stand up to the neo-cons' glaring violations of our wonderful Constitution, they might lose their middle-class life style. "Oh, please!" they keep begging George Bush, "take away our democracy! Take away our human rights! Just don't let us be poor!" Too late for that. The middle-class lifestyle is already on the way out. 5% of America already owns 95% of the wealth. Another two years of this trend and we will all be homeless and/or working in sweat shops.

Benito Mussolini once said, "Fascism should more properly be called corporatism, since it is the merger of state and corporate power." Mussolini also promised prosperity to the Italian people. And what they got instead was grinding poverty and World War II.

Speaking of World War II, remember back then when Americans supported rationing and victory gardens in order to fight Fascism? Can you even IMAGINE us doing that now? Au contraire! Today Americans are crawling all over themselves to sacrifice education and jobs and honest elections so that corporate execs can drive BMWs.

Would Americans today be brave enough to sacrifice anything for freedom and democracy? Ha!

For right or wrong, Iraqis are fighting with all their hearts and souls to save their country from American occupation. For right or wrong, Iraqis are putting their lives on the line to stop being sacked and gutted and occupied by American corporations.

It's time for Americans to do this too.

It's time for Americans to stop being cowards, stop pooping their pants at the thought of losing their right to be up to their eyeballs in debt and start defending their country too. With fear completely taking over our minds and our rational thought, we are indeed a sorry sight. It's time for Americans to stop being lap dogs and turn into pit bulls.

George Bush just announced that he is about to bring "democracy" to Iran -- the same way that he brought it to Iraq. How do you think that he plans to terrify America into swallowing THAT? Here's an hint, George. "What scares ME most is that there is a mad dog in the White House and he about to go on the attack again and is foaming at the mouth."

It's time for Americans to stop shaking in their boots and get rid of these mad dogs in Washington before we learn the hard way what will REALLY scare us: Hydrophobia is deadly. And it is contagious too.

****

From me: Iraq is occupied by American corporations. Using American soldiers as cats-paws, these corporations have taken over the infrastructure of Iraq. Every man, woman and child in that country is fighting back with everything they've got -- and they are fighting election fraud too!

America is occupied by American corporations. Using our neo-con-Congress as cats-paws, these corporations have taken over the infrastructure of America -- and even sent most of it offshore -- yet here on OUR sacred shores, NOBODY is fighting back (and almost nobody -- outside of heroic and wonderful Berkeley! -- is fighting election fraud either.)