While my brother and sister loved the Three Stooges, Abbott and Costello,
and cowboy shows on TV; I only remember liking one show and that was The
Twilight Zone. I thought Rod Sterling a genius. Though he only lived until
age 50 he left a legacy of creative shows that will never be seen again.
Why do I bring up Rod Sterling? Because I was watching President Bush today
when he came out from his “conversation” with the 9-11 Commission. Cheney,
the Puppet Master” must have been just out of camera range. All I could
think of was Rod Sterlings movie, “It’s a Good Life”. In this movie six year
old Anthony can control the town he lives in by disfiguring people (wishing
them into the cornfield) who don’t think happy good thoughts. Everyday is a
living hell for the people in Peaksville, Ohio.
On a given morning not too long ago, the rest of the world disappeared and
Peaksville was left all alone. Its inhabitants were never sure whether the
world was destroyed and only Peaksville left untouched or whether the
village had somehow been taken away. They were, on the other hand, sure of
one thing: the cause. A monster had arrived in the village. Just by using
his mind, he took away the automobiles, the electricity, the
machines-because they displeased him-and he moved an entire community back
into the dark ages.
Anthony lives with at the Fremont farm. One day Aunt Amy began to sing aloud
Now, the monster doesn’t like singing, so his mind snapped at her, turned
her into a smiling vacant thing. She sings no more. The people in Peaksville
have to smile and they have to think happy thoughts and say happy things
because once displeased the monster can wish them into a cornfield or change
them into a grotesque walking horror. When Anthony looks at you you’d better
be thinking happy thoughts.
That was Anthony. Now we have George and his happy thought friends, who are
writing up all kinds of laws about what you can do, say, and think. Johnny
doesn’t like breasts, so all the breasts of nude statues have to be covered
in drapes. Donald likes killing. The lead soldiers he had as a kid are now
flesh and blood. He can order thousands, why millions, away from their jobs,
kids, and homes; to fight his forever and forever wars. Our husbands, kids
and grand kids. Not theirs.
Colin and Condi aren’t sure who they are. Their job is to tell everyone what
George really means when he talks. It displeases George to talk in public.
It displeases him very much. Mr.Powell knows, that if he doesn’t say the
things that George tells him to, he’ll end up in the cornfield. And so Colin
told this ridiculous story in front of the UN people about aluminum pipes,
traveling biological vans, and scary stuff about vials of powdered poison.
Nobody laughed when Colin told these made up stories because they’d all end
up in the cornfield with Colin.
People are pretty careful about what they say today. Mostly they’ve just
stopped talking to each other. What’s OK today might be against the law
tomorrow? George has already told everyone, “Those not with us are against
us”. So everybody started to think happy thoughts. Better yet, no thoughts.
George says that God talks to him. George says that he’s the War President.
George says that it’s a big country and that the terrorists are everywhere.
And now everybody is scared every day. Airports are evacuated if a shopping
bag is left behind. Some days it’s chemical factories, and other days it’s
nuclear facilities. Today it’s malls we need to be vigilant about. George
and his very good friends have bunkers built all over the country, in case
the rest of the world gets sick and tired and really decides to come and get
us. George says that plastic sheeting and duct tape should see us through
any crisis. And if not? Well–that’s the sacrifices of war.
Everyone wonders deep inside themselves if maybe it’s not really God talking
to George? But, yikes, you wouldn’t dare say this out loud. So all the
pretend ministers march into George’s house and pray with him. Then George
tells them who God wants to kill next. And they say, “Amen and Amen!” Well,
God doesn’t say “kill”, He uses words like pre-emptive, regime change,
liberation, etc. God only kills people in lands with oil or other good stuff
But you can’t talk about this because God is supposed to know what He’s
doing.
George says that God wants terrorism wiped off the face of the Earth. Now
nobody is sure how this will happen? Nobody asks, “When will we know that
the very last terrorist is dead?” Will God tell George? It’s kind of like
telling people they should go out and catch all the fog of the earth in
bottles.
Millions and millions of jobs have been lost since George was selected. But,
George says we’ve turned the corner, and the economy is looking good. Now
all the people who live in towns with boarded mills and factories don’t
believe this. None of the farmers who’ve lost their land believe. The
computer people, whose jobs are in India don’t think we’ve turned the corner
Everybody knows it’s a joke and a lie but the robot people smiling–always
smiling on TV, just tell us what George thinks. That’s all that matters.
George likes happy thoughts. He likes flags, and people standing behind him,
smiling like nitwits when he talks about the tax breaks for the rich being
such a boon for the economy. He likes lots of cheering soldiers, yellow
ribbons, his ranch and baseball. He doesn’t like dissent of any kind. TV
never shows people with signs of protest. Only happy people in happy land
saying “Yes George it’s good. It’s very, very good that millions don’t have
jobs. It’s good George that God chose you to tell us which way to go. Yes
George war is very, very good.”
Donald tells everybody that all the outrage over in Iraq is not about people
wanting to protect their nation. He says it’s just a few gangsters and thugs
Malcontents, that are jealous of America. Yes, jealous of our malls, theme
parks, mega-stores, factory farms, rusted mill towns, designer clothes,
Trophy homes, and golf courses. Donald likes bombs and more bombs. Donald
thinks that force will win the day. Donald is nuts.
And now all kinds of people are dying. The young soldiers who were cruising
the malls a few months back, the mechanic, farmer and teacher. The Iraqi
people don’t feel too liberated. They watch as their services are all being
privatized and foreign workers being brought in for cheap labor. They see
their families torn to shreds and kids killed on the way to school.
Rejan Mohammed Hassen stands in front of the rubble that was her house.
Before the Americans came their little village a hour’s drive north of
Baghdad was quiet with grazing cattle beside the mighty Tigris. No more. The
military men (Americans) came early in the morning. They beat the women.
After that, two tanks started shooting. They took away 73 of the village men
several trucks and all the cash they could find. No they didn’t find any
weapons. Rejan doesn’t know what has happened to her four sons? This is
liberation?
Recent TV coverage has shown that our soldiers are turning into the monsters
that they claim to have saved the Iraqi people from. Terrible pictures of
men and women soldiers having Iraqi soldiers performing lewd acts. Pictures
of naked Iraqi men piled in the form of a pyramid. Terrible pictures. This
is sickening beyond belief. These crazed people (no not soldiers) have, by
these acts, put every soldier and “contractor” in the entire region in grave
jeopardy . Vengeance is a terrible thing. And by these despicable acts they
have ended any chance of peace in this land.
But let us not say anything. Let us keep up the mantra of Republican vs.
Democrat. Let us put up with the insane arguments of ribbons and medals. Let
s continue the blame game and the pretense of an election. As for the 9-11
Commission? Let’s just dust off the Warren Report. Anyone with a fifth grade
education could write the thing now. “Intelligence was lacking, blah blah
blah. A disconnect was found between agencies and the sharing of information
George was not at fault. It is regrettable that George had to inherit the
ineptness of past administrations. George wants lots more money to form a
new Super Improved Secret Agency. George says this is important. He wants to
protect everyone. The end.” Now let us all think good thoughts. If not,
George may wish us all into the cornfield.
The views expressed in this editorial are that of the writer but hit us up and let us know what you feel. Editorial@allhiphop.com.
