Something Funny

I try to avoid talking about politics. This isn't because I don't have strong political convictions or definite ideas about the path my country is following. Rather, I think that political discussion has largely been replaced by dogmatic trumpeting. All too often, I see two people holding intractable positions and refusing to budge. For discussion to work, both sides have to be willing to listen, and both sides have to be willing to change. I feel like that is, simply, no longer the case.

One thing I will say, however, is that I'm really getting tired of people coming up to me, wide-eyed, and pointing out yet another of Bush's scandals. Where were these people four or five years ago, when these disasters were news? Yes, North Korea has nukes. Yes, American soldiers have been torturing arabs. Yes, the government given no-bid contracts to Bush's oil buddies. Yes, yes, yes, this was in the news years ago. Where were you then?

Sometimes, I feel like my country is like Rip Van Winkle, waking up after a few years of sleep and trying to adjust to all the changes that have happened. However, I still don't know what the sleep was, or why everyone seemingly ignored all the truly heinous things happening in the early part of this decade. It's like Bush was a cross between the Wizard of Oz and a Quaalude-wielding fratboy, using misdirection to convince everyone that we were on the path of righteousness. The drugs have apparently worn off, and everyone is blinking their eyes and wondering why our asses hurt so much.

Anyway, I'm getting off my soapbox. All of this was, actually, a lead-in for this satirical short, which made me laugh until my sides hurt. The creators seem to have hit all the major points of the last few years, which makes it both a nice little parody and a "We Didn't Start the Fire" style chronicle of the Bush administration. I hope you get a kick out it.

(The link above connects to the actual film. Below is a shorter, somewhat butchered You Tube version. Unfortunately, the visuals and the voice-over don't match up in this copy!)