And at the risk of beating this dead horse senseless, we are going to keep getting these types of yahoos running our country until we do something about it. How much do you think Bill Clinton regrets lying under oath (remember, that’s why he was impeached—not for tickling Monica Lewinsky’s ivories)? How has his career suffered for that little soup-sandwich? For chrissake, the man committed perjury! You and I would go to jail for that, and this man doesn’t even get a slap on the wrist! As a serviceman, I am being held to a higher standard than my Commander-in-Chief! I will lose my commission for lying, and my career as a naval aviator will be over. Yet he’s still considered one of the best presidents ever by many people. Is it any wonder that our government is boldly corrupt? There are absolutely no penalties for a politician. They, quite literally, live above the law.
My God, I don’t even recognize this country! I’ve been lied to all my life. I grew up believing that this was a country of bravery, honesty and conviction. Instead I see only whining, corruption and blame-passing. To every Senator and Representative who started criticizing Bush when it became popular, I say put up or shut up. It’s easy to go on Hardball and talk about what an awful job the President is doing. It’s a different thing entirely to show some fucking sack and initiate proceedings to throw the bum out of office. They all talk a big game (when the opinion polls show them which way the wind is blowing today), but when it comes time to do something about it, they fall mysteriously silent. They ask me and my fellow servicemen to put our lives on the line, but they can’t even stake their jobs, positions or reputations to do what they claim is the right thing.
Well I say fuck ‘em. Fuck the whole damn system. We are getting exactly what we deserve. Go ahead and vote for McCain or Obama. Re-elect your incumbent Senators and Representatives, or the next slick used-car salesman who tells you exactly what you need to hear. It doesn’t matter. If you can’t see a future different from the only one they’re offering you, then you deserve what you get. As for me, I’m forever throwing my votes away on those who exemplify the ideals I once believed America was founded on, if I can find any. Ideals that have been pounded into my skull from the first day I stepped into the service of my country. Honor. Courage. Commitment. Ideas men once pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to uphold. I guess they aren’t self-evident after all.
I’m sorry for the rant. This has been burning in me for a long time.