bless you!

i have elected, no pun intended, to join millions of bloggers today - all voicing their support for one candidate or another, espousing the virtues of this one over that one, and pointing out all that is wrong, which brought us in part to this point.

today i woke up (physically and metaphorically speaking) and i actually know who i'm voting for.

obama.

yes, he's young, full of hope, promising change. he's kennedy-esque, has a lovely family, and knows how to connect with people.

but these are not my reasons for my decision. barack obama gets my vote for the two things that he does not subscribe to:
1. he does not believe in the war in iraq, never did, and never got hoodwinked into voting for it
2. he does not end every speech by saying 'god bless america, and god bless you'.

it is my opinion that the premise for the iraqi war was always shaky - the united states had issues with the taliban and their tacit approval of fundamentalists on their soil. even though i am a pacifist, i recognize that sometimes it is critical to 'strike' in the interest of true security. iraq is another thing. france did not (rightfully) succumb to the pressure put on them by this administration, and while we are sinking (the dollar, the deficit, the vilification of our society universally), france is encouraging private enterprise in the construction of new high speed trains for improved infrastructure. why DID hillary clinton vote for this offensive (and it IS offensive!).

how did a so-called 'inexperienced' politician have the insight (not through cynicism) to separate what was critical from what was vengeful?

additionally, if i want to be blessed by any higher authority, i don't want that benediction coming from my president. i have a rabbi, thanks. what DID ever happen to separation of church and state? let's not pander to the god-fearing (porn-watching) set - hasn't seven years of that been enough?

we need politicians, not priests!

support froot loops

support our troops? eat froot loops?

i apologize in advance to all of my friends who may be offended by this post. i will add a preemptive caveat - although i am a dedicated pacifist, i want you all to know that i genuinely and sincerely feel badly for those who are serving the united states in the crazy war-mongering currently defining our country.

'support our troops' bumper stickers are exactly the thing that is wrong with this country, this war. first and foremost, the government, who initiated this misguided effort, should be supporting the troops - by protecting them and formulating a plan to extricate them from this mess. secondly, the government should be providing young, disenfranchised (from the socio-economic ladder) americans with alternate opportunities in education that would afford them the chance to do something else with their lives.

more critically, these bumper stickers, which can be picked up for a few bucks at 7-11 or other 'convenience' locations, do NOT support those in need. the revenue received for these stickers, which are probably churned out in china for pennies a piece, go into the pockets of a few shrewd businessman. the manufacturing of the product does not create jobs. the investors reap the profits, which go towards enriching their own lives. they are usurping a catch phrase (part of the bush administration's brainwashing effort) and taking money that you MAY be using to purchase phone cards, blankets, or other necessary items, and redirecting it away from where it is actually needed. as a result of the government's irresponsible and cavalier attitude towards those on the front lines, poor souls.

if you really and truly would like to offer assistance, send a salami to your boy in the army. or attend a peace rally. or start a grass roots campaign. or hold those that are running for office in '08 accountable ... no more war, bring the troops home, and fight terrorism by providing citizens with real security through tolerance, understanding, education, and compassion.

PLEASE! do not buy these magnetic bumper stickers anymore - you are only making a few fatcats richer, while making a mockery of the democracy that the troops are fighting for. if you want to do something truly patriotic, write the white house and your congressional and senatorial representatives.

and i almost forgot - eat froot loops!

h

sarko, mon amour

letter from cecile sarkozy, former first lady (briefly) of france (translated from french):

mon cher sarko:

how quickly things have changed. in just a few short weeks since our divorce, announced almost immediately upon our separation and coinciding with a big strike back here in old europe, our situation does in fact seem strange and twisted.

when i saw you storm off of the 60 minutes set, i was sure that you were still my little jilted lover, my napoleon bravely putting your best foot forward (and not in your mouth, merci dieu).

you are now miles away, on distant shores, in the warm embrace of another lover. it was i, just a short time ago, who was perusing apartment floor plans with my own significant other, deciding upon the perfect love nest in new york. once you and i had officially split, everyone assumed that it would be me to return to les etats unis ... perhaps a park view, a jog by the reservoir, and lunch somewhere smart and discreet.

i can see now that i have driven you into the arms of another. and although i stake no claim to you, i do find it curious that you have taken solace 'over there'. it is both odd and ironic, and yet i do in fact feel a certain vindication in this measure. you have set out to win the hearts of your brethren across the sea - perhaps you admire their courage, their passion for life, their steadfast if often misguided determination. or maybe it is that you have fallen victim to that middle aged scourge - you have have someone younger ... and her name is america!

my darling, i wish you all the best. i am happy for you, and in your new romance i feel a certain modicum of (long sought) freedom for myself. just as our country once gave your new friend the aptly named (in this case) lady liberty, so i release you fully to the united states, with all my resolve.

vive la liberté -

yours,

cecile