If You Don't Mind, Why Don't You Mind?

Did you read Dr. Todd's wonderful inquiry into the American state of mind? If not, please click on the title of this entry and do so, 'cause otherwise, I look like I'm arguing against a straw man, and I hate that. Todd Huffman is right to wonder why people don't mind. And in fact, people don't seem to mind. So, I'd like to try to answer the question, "Why not?" One, people don't mind is because they do not believe that the Democrats would be doing anything different. The Dems offer no sign of abandoning the petroleum and weapons-based economy that Jimmy Carter tried to begin weaning us from, but that nobody seemed to want to happen. At least, no members of the government. As long as we are dependent on petroleum, at some point, we will become dependent on the Middle East. I mean REALLY dependent. So, in order to avoid that, either war or diplomacy or something requires us to keep our nose stuck in the Middle East. So what would Hillary or Teddy or Joe or even Al really do that's profoundly different? Nothing. Or at least so people suspect. Two, the famous charge that the public has not been asked to sacrifice anything to fight this war appears at first look to be true. Hard for people to feel outraged when they don't understand that there's anything to be outraged about. Their sons and daughters are not being threatened by sudden immersion in combat, they don't see how their debt load is tied to the war, and many still believe gas prices will eventually come down because of the war. No, the need for outrage isn't completely apparent. Lastly, the public is too cowed to be outraged. The confidence to speak out has been undermined by the campaign of terror conducted by the White House, the belief in one's right to be outraged at anything other than 9/11 has been subverted through the same campaign. The war of terror is being won against the American people. Just not by Al-Qaida