The elections have depressed me

Many of my students are asking me, "Why did Bush win?" Why, indeed. I just tell them Fox News is to blame. Thanks Rupert Murdoch.

Kyle sent me this letter from some guy in Britain. I almost cried when I read it.

The neo-conservative administration got another 4 years,
but with worldwide dissent. They won the electoral
campaign playing Americans' fears, insecurities, and
ignorance like a finely tuned instrument.

They took the opportunity to manufacture public dissent
for corporate imperial war in Iraq. They blatantly lied that
Iraq had connection to the World Trade Center destruction,
in furthurance of their agenda of U.S. military/corporate
enforcement and domination throughout earth--Project for
a New American Century.

They sent American young people to fight, die, kill, and
maim in corporate imperial war. Iraq's citizens once
again live in a U.S. corporate war zone that is their home
and community.

Few have died compared to the millions in Viet Nam and
SE Asia, which somehow never fully woke up American
people to the harsh and unjust realities of global militarism.

Thank the skilled use of propaganda broadcast via corporate
controlled media, and television boxes willingly turned on to
pollute minds and communities.

They lie and lie. They live in a glass house. False Christian
leaders playing on the ignorance and fear. Keep the pressure
on. Power based on fear and ignores should not last, if we
have anything to do about it.
Dear America,I know that about half of your population is
waking up this morning to the awful and disgusting reality
of a second term of the Bush administration. It's okay to cry.
It shows you care. It's okay to be angry too.The rest of the
world hasn't given up on you. We, the Brits, still love you at
least; we love your crazy mispronunciations of our language,
your Wild West style gun laws and inhumanly sized portions in
your restaurants. You're still our brothers and sisters and
we're here with a hug to say, "it's all going to be okay." We,
after all, lived through Margaret Thatcher. We too are
political casualties. I just wanted to share a few words; to
extend the olive-branch of friendship and compassion to those
of you who got off your arses, or at least sat up, and took an
interest in politics this time around. I understand your previous
apathy, but don't be disheartened by this loss. Don't give up hope.
There are many great positives you can take from this. Just hear
me out. Your will and determination to rally against Bush took
a relatively obscure, though pleasant enough, candidate and
turned him into a contender. It looked hopeless at one stage,
but you guys pumped him uplike the frickin' Hulkster! It went
to the wire and, for that, you should pat yourselves on the back.
In a campaigning atmosphere that played so cruelly and
under-headedly on people's most basic ignorances and fears,
neither candidate was going to emerge unscathed. As it turned
out, Bush was willing to get dirtier than anyone could have
expected and actually went as far as to SCARE people into
voting for him. You know that something had gone awfully
wrong when swathes of the population were adamant that
a vote for Bush was a vote for Jesus; you'd think they were
voting to dissuade the apocalypse itself! Not you, the
Democrats, or Kerry, could compete in the face of such
vitriolic ignorance. By appointing Bush you have, by happy
co-incidence, united Europe. Europe has never agreed on
anything! However, overwhelmingly Bush is hated over
here--even our Conservatives dislike the guy! The man
has united us over these past few years as a force against
the damaging foreign policy of his administration. We,
combined with non-violent political dissent from you, can
strongly hold him to account. We can make a positive
difference. And we will, because, these past few years,
many of us realized just how much we care about the
world and about other people. The humanitarian,
environmentalists and progressives in many of us were
awoken in a profound and amazing way. Suddenly we
really cared. We were starting arguments with people
all over the place, holding politicians to account because
of a profound belief in our hearts that we were DOING
THE RIGHT THING. Don't let this be the high-water
mark of political activism. For those of you who just
cannot bare it anymore then you should claim political
asylum and move to the UK. I have a spare room here
in Brighton which is available.

Peace and love.

When Bush was campaigning the first time 'round, I remember hearing on NPR that Nixon actually appointed some Supreme Court Justices who voted for Roe vs Wade. While I believe we are much greater danger now than during Nixon's time, maybe more people will be motivatied now to work for change and that some good will come of this.

G'night folks.